The men’s hockey Buckeyes recorded their first sweep of 2017-18 last week. They defeated Massachusetts 3-1 on Friday. Then Sean Romeo and company shut the Minutemen out on Saturday, sweeping the series.
| Game Info | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 7pm ET | 7pm ET |
| Television | None | None |
| Radio | 1460 AM | 970 AM (RMU) |
| Online Video | BTN Plus ($) | via RMU ($) |
While Ohio State has a ways to go yet, there are signs that the Bucks are rolling in the right direction and gaining steam. The Bucks’ power play produced its first points of the season against UMass. The team also held its opponent to one goal or fewer for the fourth straight game.
I still think this group has the potential to generate more offense than we’ve seen to date. The pieces are there. They just haven’t been fitted together. But there’s no need for concern. It’s still very early in the season. There’s no point in peaking in October, anyway.
This week Ohio State faces Robert Morris in a non-conference home-and-home series. The Bucks host their half of the series tonight. Then they travel to RMU for Saturday’s series finale.
On paper the Colonials are the toughest non-conference opponent Ohio State plays this season. They are an experienced squad with nine seniors and five juniors on the roster. Seven of the team’s top eight scorers return for 2017-18.
Senior forward Brady Ferguson leads that group. The Lewisville, Texas native paced RMU in scoring last season with 24 goals and 34 assists. He was Atlantic Hockey’s only unanimous preseason First Team all-conference selection. Ferguson entered the season with 118 career points. He has three goals and three assists so far in 2017-18 for a team-topping six points.
Robert Morris posted 20+ wins in each of its last three seasons. The team appears headed for another good year. The Colonials are expected to challenge for the Atlantic Hockey title. It has been slow going for them so far, though. RMU is 2-3-0 with all five results coming against conference opponents.
Ohio State and Bobby Mo tangled about this time last season. The Colonials handed the Bucks their first loss of the season in the series opener, claiming a 6-2 win. RMU held serve in the finale with a 4-4 tie. Dakota Joshua (1-3--4) and John Wiitala (2-1--3) led the way for the Scarlet and Gray.
Did You Know?
Robert Morris’ roster includes two Ohioans, sophomore defenseman Nick Jenny (Strongsville) and senior goaltender Andrew Pikul (Cleveland).
Promo Info
Tonight’s game features pregame trick or treating on the concourse for youth aged eighth grade or younger. After the game they can take a shot on the Buckeye net. Friday is also alumni night. Buckeye hockey alums, including the 1998 Frozen Four team, will be recognized during the pregame festivities.
Around the Big Ten
Michigan visits No. 15 Penn State in the only conference action of the week. In non-conference play No. 5 Wisconsin faces St. Lawrence, No. 7 Minnesota clashes with No. 8/9 Clarkson, No. 8 Notre Dame hosts Nebraska-Omaha, and Michigan State welcomes Lake Superior.
No. 4 Buckeye Women vs the Bye Week
The Ohio State women are off this week. Next week they travel to Wisconsin for a battle royale with the No. 1 Badgers. Positive results in the series would make the Buckeyes a legitimate contender for the regular season conference title.
WCHA Standings: No. 4 Ohio State, 17 points; No. 6 Minnesota, 13 points; No. 1 Wisconsin, 12 points; Bemidji State, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State, and St. Cloud State, 0 points each.
