Hello again, college hockey fans! Can you believe we’re a month into the season already? And what a month it was with the women’s team smashing preseason expectations and the men’s team more than living up to its hype.
Here’s hoping for more of the same in November. The men’s team starts with a home-and-home series against Robert Morris. The women welcome Lindenwood. Here’s the lowdown on what you can expect this week. (You’ll notice that the previews now include team stats since we’re a month in and the numbers are no longer skewed by a small sample size.)
Men vs Robert Morris
| game info | friday | saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 7pm ET | 7pm ET |
| Location | Columbus, OH | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Radio | 1460 AM (WBNS) | 970 AM (WBGG) |
| Online Video | BTN Plus ($) | via RMU ($) |
The Buckeyes continued to roll last week, dominating Niagara and moving to 5-0-2 on the season. Ohio State’s October success is a complete 180 from last year. At this point in 2015-16 the Bucks were winless in seven games.
First Out of the Gate
There are several notable areas of improvement for the Scarlet and Gray, but the one I want to highlight today is the team’s quick starts. The Buckeyes have scored the opening goal in six of their seven games this season. In five of those six games, they’ve drawn first blood within the initial 5:40.
Compare that to last season when the Bucks allowed the first goal in six of their first seven games. They were outscored 8-2 in opening periods in those contests. Ohio State didn’t hold a single lead at any point in any of the season’s first six games.
Now the team isn’t expending so much energy trying to claw its way back from a deficit. The Buckeyes are putting that energy to a much better use. They’re blitzing opponents early and then continuing to power through the opening frame. The first period goal margin is 13-4 in OSU’s favor. Quick starts are putting Ohio State in a powerful position each game and helping to preserve the Bucks’ clean slate.
This Week
| team stats | robert morris | ohio state |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 2-3-1 | 5-0-2 |
| National Polls | N/A | No. 11 |
| Avg Goals For / Against | 2.83 / 3.67 | 4.86 / 2.83 |
| Power Play / Penalty Kill | 25.0% / 71.8% | 25.0% / 78.9% |
| Points Leader(s) | Brady Ferguson (5-5--10) | Tanner Laczynski (3-8--11) |
| Top Goaltender | Francis Marcotte (1.61/.946) | Matt Tomkins (1.85/.928) |
Robert Morris should present more of a challenge than Niagara. Unlike the Purple Eagles, the Colonials have a few wins under their belt. They are 2-3-1 overall and come into the series off a low-scoring split with Army.
One reason for the team’s success is freshman phenom Francis Marotte. The rookie netminder is 2-1-1. He ranks in the top 15 nationally in both GAA and save percentage.
Friday’s game will be played at the Schott. Robert Morris hosts Saturday’s tilt. Standout Colonials goalie notwithstanding if the Buckeyes are truly as good as I suspect they are then solid hockey should net more good results this week.
Did You Know?
Ohio State freshman and Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Tanner Laczynski leads the Buckeyes in points with three goals and eight assists. Fellow rookie Ronnie Hein isn’t far behind with four goals and five assists. They are tied for first and fifth, respectively, among all NCAA freshmen point-getters.
Women vs Lindenwood
| game info | fri | sat |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 6pm ET | 2pm ET |
| Online Video | Buckeye Vision ($) | Buckeye Vision ($) |
The Buckeye women endured a rough match-up against No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth last week. Head coach Nadine Muzerall wasn’t particularly pleased with her team’s resiliency, noting after Saturday’s game that “Instead of bouncing back and finding that leadership and character we needed, we just flatlined and didn't show the work ethic we needed.”
| team stats | lindenwood | ohio state |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 0-6-0 | 3-6-1 |
| Avg Goals For / Against | 0.50 / 4.33 | 1.60 / 2.40 |
| Power Play / Penalty Kill | 5.6% / 86.4% | 6.2% / 86.8% |
| Points Leader(s) | Seven-way tie (1 pt) | Maddy Field, Lauren Spring (6 pts) |
| Top Goaltender | Jolene deBruyn (3.78/.890) | Kassidy Sauve (2.37/.945) |
This week presents an excellent opportunity for Ohio State to bounce back. The Bucks host Lindenwood, a team laboring in the depths of the NCAA’s stat sheets. The Lions are winless in six tries this season. They rank at or near the bottom of the NCAA in offense and defense. They have been shut out in four of their six contests.
Lindenwood has its pride. It isn’t going to roll over and die because OSU beat a ranked team once so the Buckeyes need to come to play. However they should feel confident that good work this week will bring victory.
Did You Know?
Three former Buckeyes - Natalie Spooner (Canada), Annie Svedin (Sweden), and Minttu Tuominen (Finland) - are competing at the Four Nations Cup.
Important Parking Info
The football team’s home game throws a wrench into the campus parking situation again this week. It’s usually free and conveniently located for the women’s hockey games but on Saturday parking is going to burn some calories and cost you some dough.
