Buckle up, Buckeye fans. The on-ice intensity amps up considerably this week. The men’s team welcomes the Wolverines to the Schott. Meanwhile the women begin their playoff push at North Dakota.
No. 12 Buckeye Men vs Michigan
| game info | friday | saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 7pm ET | 5pm ET |
| Television | None | BTN |
| Radio | 1460 AM | 1460 AM |
| Online Video | BuckeyeVision ($) | BTN2Go ($) |
If it seems like only yesterday that the Buckeyes and Wolverines were burning up the goal lights in an intense, high-scoring series…Well, it practically was yesterday. Ohio State and Michigan divided a series in Ann Arbor earlier this month. The Bucks did not put their best foot forward but thanks to a righteous power play (7-for-13 in the series) and talented scoring they were able to eke out a split.
Now the series shifts to the Schott. Though the venue is changing, much of the scouting report on the young Wolverines remains the same. They are still led offensively by freshman Jake Slaker. They are still playing goalie roulette. All three netminders have seen action in the four games Michigan has played since the Ohio State series.
| team stats | michigan | ohio state |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 9-16-3 | 16-8-6 |
| Avg. Goals For / Against | 2.68 / 3.36 | 4.10 / 3.07 |
| Power Play / Penalty Kill | 19.8% / 81.2% | 29.6% / 73.6% |
| Points Leader | Jake Slaker (20) | Mason Jobst (40) |
| Top Goaltender | Hayden Lavigne (2.99/.908) | Christian Frey (3.07/.911) |
On the Buckeye bench, scoring remains strong. Defense continues to be an adventure regardless of which goaltender backstops the team. Both Christian Frey and Matt Tomkins have taken turns between the pipes as Steve Rohlik searches for the philosopher’s stone by which to transform the Bucks into a sound defensive squad.
Special teams were a major factor when these teams met a couple weeks ago. They are likely to be a story this week as well. Ohio State and Michigan average more penalty minutes per conference game than any other teams in the Big Ten.
| b1G standings | w | l | t | sow | pts | pwr | this week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33 | No. 4 | vs Wisconsin |
| Wisconsin | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 30 | No. 20 | at Minnesota |
| Ohio State | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 23 | No. 13 | vs Michigan |
| Penn State | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 22 | No. 11 | at Michigan State |
| Michigan | 2 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 10 | No. 42 | at Ohio State |
| Michigan State | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | No. 50 | vs Penn State |
The Buckeyes (72.7%) and Wolverines (69.7%) also have the two worst penalty kills in the B1G. OSU’s power play is operating at a ridiculous 36.4% success rate in conference games. Michigan has six man-advantage goals in its last six outings.
Despite recent struggles Ohio State is still in the running for an at large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Buckeyes sit at No. 13 in the PairWise rankings. If the season were to finish today, they would make it into the NCAA’s field of 16 by the skin of their teeth.
(Two conferences, Atlantic Hockey and the WCHA do not currently have a team in the top 16 of the PairWise rankings. However each conference gets one autobid to the tournament. So the No. 14 team is actually the first team “in” provided there are no conference tourney upsets.)
In such a tight race the Buckeyes can’t afford to stumble. The team needs wins. To secure victory this week the Bucks need a much quicker start than they had in Ann Arbor. They’ll also need to be much swifter on their skates, be more deliberate with the puck, and severely limit (if not wholly eradicate) the turnovers that plagued them at Yost.
- The Buckeyes are coming off a sweep of Michigan State. The Wolverines were swept by Wisconsin last week.
- Ohio State is 5-5-2 at home this season. Michigan is 2-8-1 on the road.
- Michigan’s Cooper Marody (4-2--6) led the way for the Wolverines’ in the teams’ last match up. Nick Schilkey (3-3--6) and Mason Jobst (2-4--6) paced OSU.
- Friday’s game promos include Script Ohio on ice during the first intermission, Student Appreciation Night, and the Great Clips Cut-a-Thon.
- Saturday is both Pride Night and Men’s Hockey Alumni Night.
Buckeye Women at North Dakota
| game info | fri, sat, sun (if nec.) |
|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 3pm ET |
| Online Video | via North Dakota ($) |
| Radio | KKXL 1440 AM |
By the time you read this Ohio State will be underway in the first tilt of its postseason campaign. The Bucks and Fighting Hawks are the Nos. 4 and 5 match up in the WCHA tournament. The winner of the best-of-three series advances to the conference's Final Faceoff next week. (Which is just a cute name for the WCHA's single-elimination semifinals and championship.)
| team stats | ohio state | north dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 13-16-5 | 14-14-6 |
| Avg. Goals For / Against | 1.88 / 2.18 | 2.21 / 1.94 |
| Power Play / Penalty Kill | 10.1% / 90.5% | 14.1% / 86.9% |
| Points Leader | Maddy Field (27) | Ryleigh Houston |
| Top Goaltender | Kassidy Sauve (1.98/.943) | Lexie Shaw (1.78, .923) |
Everything we said about this match-up last week still applies. North Dakota has the advantage when it comes to scoring, both at even strength and on the power play. Ohio State owns more head-to-head wins (2-1-1-0 in the regular season series). The first goal of the game is critical. And, as she has been in every other game this year, goalie Kassidy Sauve will be a key cog in any Buckeye win.
I don’t think the Bucks will go quietly but the Hawks are going to be tough to beat in a series. North Dakota is a solid team. Ohio State has had a certain amount of success against top teams but the Bucks have had difficulty in stringing wins together this season. If OSU pulls off the upset it will be because Sauve has done something insane in net.
- Sauve needs just 46 stops this week to break Lisa Steffes’ team record for most saves in a single season (1,085). Sauve currently boasts 1,040 saves on the year.
- The other WCHA tournament series are No. 8 Minnesota State at No. 1 Wisconsin, No. 7 Bemidji State at No. 2 Minnesota, and No. 6 St. Cloud State at No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth.
