Ohio State men’s and women’s hockey host their home openers this week. The men welcome the Rensselaer Engineers and former Buckeye Dave Smith to Columbus. Over at the Ice Rink the Buckeye women prep for another titanic struggle against the visiting No. 5/6 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. Here’s the rundown on all the action.
RV Buckeye Men vs. Rensselaer
| Game Info | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 7pm ET | 4pm ET |
| Television | None | None |
| Radio | 1460 AM | 1460 AM |
| Online Video | BTN Plus ($) | BTN Plus ($) |
Last week Ohio State kicked off its season and Big Ten campaign with a series at then No. 10/12 Wisconsin. The Bucks split a pair of one-goal decisions with the Badgers. They rallied in the third period of Friday’s contest and tried, unsuccessfully, to repeat the feat the following night. The team ran hot and cold throughout the weekend in terms of quality of play but overall the series could be seen as an improvement over OSU’s exhibition defeat.
This week the Bucks (1-1-0) host Rensselaer (0-0-0) in their home opener. At least on paper, the non-conference match up should not present as stiff a challenge as Ohio State faced at Wisconsin. RPI went 8-28-1 last season and finished eleventh in the ECAC. The Engineers ice an exceedingly young team this year (only nine upperclassmen) and are not expected to improve much on their results. Both the ECAC coaches and media placed them tenth out of twelve teams in the conference’s preseason polls.
The Bucks’ game is far from perfected. Their defensive effort is still inconsistent and the power play is off to a rocky start. Ohio State went 0-for-11 with the man advantage at Wisconsin. However, the Buckeyes showed some signs of improvement in Madison and, unless they seriously shoot themselves in the foot this week, they should be able to achieve satisfactory results against Rensselaer.
- This week's promos: Friday is the season's first Hockey Hour (6-7pm) with free drink upsizing and games and interactive activities on the concourse. Saturday is Social Media Night with special giveaways, prizes, and a full team postgame meet and greet.
Did You Know?
RPI head coach Dave Smith (1988-92) is a former Buckeye. This is his first season behind the Engineers bench. Prior to his current gig, Smith spent 12 seasons as the head coach of Canisius.
No. 7 Buckeye Women vs. No. 5/6 Minnesota-Duluth
| Game Info | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 6pm ET | 3pm ET |
| Online Video | Buckeye Vision ($) | Buckeye Vision ($) |
Last week the Scarlet and Gray served notice that this team is legit by taking five out of a possible six points from perennial NCAA heavyweight Minnesota. Ohio State toppled the Gophers for the first time in a decade on Friday. The teams battled to the limit in Saturday’s series finale, officially recording a tie before the Buckeyes claimed the extra conference point by winning the shootout.
Now the Bucks return to home ice to resume their endless war with WCHA nemesis Minnesota-Duluth. The Bulldogs have a new look this season with 11 freshmen on the roster. There is also a major change in net as Mercyhurst transfer Jessica Convery takes over for perpetual thorn in the side of the Buckeyes, Maddie Rooney, who is centralized with the U.S. Olympic team.
UMD’s youngsters are some of the NCAA's most talented but they have had mixed results so far in 2017-18. The team swept Penn State with back-to-back shutouts to open the year and then dropped two games last week to No. 3 Boston College.
OSU cannot win a top spot in these first few weeks of the season, but the Buckeyes can lay the groundwork for future conference success. Taking 9-11 points from two of the WCHA’s projected top 3 teams would be a rock solid foundation to build on. Plus, it's just always nice to see the Bucks take down Duluth. I’m feeling pretty good about their chances.
- This week's promos: Friday is Pink in the Rink to raise awareness for breast cancer. Following the game select Buckeyes will sign autographs. After Saturday's contest the team hosts a combo Skate with the Buckeyes/autograph session. Skate rentals are available at the rink for $3.00.
Did You Know?
Ohio State’s top line of Emma Maltais, Charly Dahlquist, and Tatum Skaggs has accounted for 20 total points in the first four games of the season. Skaggs leads the team with eight points (5-3--8).
