Welcome to the 2017-18 hockey season, my puckish friends! The Buckeye men aren’t quite ready to launch their campaign yet, but they start revving the engine tomorrow afternoon with an exhibition game against Ryerson. That contest is set for 4pm at the Schott.
Ohio State’s women, meanwhile, officially begin their 2017-18 campaign tonight with their home opener against non-conference Rensselaer. Second year head coach Nadine Muzerall guides the revamped Buckeyes. The team looks to add significant goal support to Kassidy Sauve’s rock solid netminding and improve its standing in a new-look WCHA.
| game info | friday | saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 6pm | 3pm |
| Online Video | Buckeye Vision ($) | Buckeye Vision ($) |
Scouting Rensselaer
RPI went 10-24-2 last season and finished eighth in the ECAC. The Engineers were one of the few teams that scored less often than Ohio State last season, ranking No. 32 nationally with 1.72 goals per game. They return the vast majority of their roster but lose one important player, leading point-getter Laura Horwood (6-13--19), to graduation.
Ohio State and RPI met in New York early last season. The Buckeyes claimed a series sweep with 4-1 and 2-0 victories. Maddy Field led the Bucks with two goals and an assist on the weekend. Fans could see a similar result this week. Muzerall expects her team to be highly motivated:
“Our women are excited to get the season underway. They have done a great job preparing over the summer, and since the whole team came together when classes started. Our newcomers add both depth and quality to the bench, and our returning players are fully prepared to start the season off on the right foot. We’ll have a lot of family in the stands this weekend, between that and our drive to be the best, that’s all the motivation we’ll need.”
Buckeye Rewind
The Bucks were a dangerous team to face on any given night last season (see shootout decisions vs national leaders Wisconsin and Minnesota), but they struggled to string wins together. Ohio State failed to record a single series sweep in the WCHA in 2016-17. Consistency is one area the team looks to improve this season. Goal scoring is another. The Buckeyes managed an average of just 1.86 goals per contest last year.
Fortunately for the goal-challenged Bucks, Sauve stood on her head throughout the season and gave the team a chance to win nearly every night. She finished the year with a flat 2.00 GAA and .942 save percentage - truly remarkable numbers given the quality of competition and volume of shots she faced - en route to earning Second Team All-American honors.
Veteran Leaders Return
Sauve will be the cornerstone of Ohio State’s success once again. It’s no coincidence she was named the WCHA’s Preseason Player of the Year. But this time around an improved Buckeye offense should provide her with both some breathing room on the scoreboard and a respite from last year’s non-stop barrage of shots.
All the major players are returning for OSU including 2016-17’s leading scorer Maddy Field (14-16--30). Field was responsible for one-fifth of the Buckeyes’ goals last season. She will continue to figure prominently in the team’s offense. Seniors Julianna Iafallo and Lauren Spring captain the Scarlet and Gray.
Talented New Buckeye Crew
The Bucks also get a boost from a load of talented newcomers. Emma Maltais is the most highly touted of the crew. She comes to Columbus fresh off a superb career with the PWHL’s Oakville Hornets, departing as the program’s all-time point leader (147). Maltais has also been a regular member of Canadian national teams and camps. Her hype is very Natalie Spooner-like.
And she isn’t the only incoming freshman with a notable resume. Liz Schepers racked up 86 points (60 goals, 26 assists) in her senior season at Mound Westonka High School and was a Ms. Hockey semi-finalist. Tatum Skaggs was a prominent member of last year’s U19 national runner-up, Chicago Mission. Lisa Bruno is consistently described as a skilled two-way defender. Forward McKenna Wesloh along with goalies Maggie Cory and Amanda Zeglen round out the freshman class.
Ohio State also adds two transfers to the roster. Junior Charly Dahlquist arrives from the now defunct North Dakota program. She posted 15 points in 38 games last year. Junior and two-time U18 Team USA member Grace Zarzecki makes the jump from Harvard.
Conference Outlook for 2017-18
The now seven team league appears to be a hot mess this year. North Dakota's women's program got the ax this offseason. The remaining top squads’ rosters took significant hits thanks to a combination of Olympic centralization and senior graduation. Wisconsin lost more than half its goal scoring (and one top flight recruit). Minnesota looks to replace its top six scorers.
Minnesota-Duluth must carry on without veteran goalie Maddie Rooney who is centralized with Team USA. Duluth's is not the only net under new management this season. Nearly every WCHA team is looking to replace a veteran goaltender. Only Ohio State (Sauve) and St. Cloud State (Janine Alder) return goalies that appeared in more than 10 games last season.
The Bottom Line
With so much upheaval in the conference, the door is open for OSU to have a banner year. The revitalized Buckeye offense is already showing signs of life. If they can give Sauve a three goal cushion in any game, no matter who their opponent is, then I think she’s going to be mighty difficult to beat.
If they can provide that support consistently in 2017-18, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ohio State finish a program-best third place in the WCHA. Neither would the conference's coaches. Truthfully, if the Bucks land lower than fourth place in the conference something has gone horribly wrong.
