Hello, puck heads. The men’s hockey Bucks finished their first half of the season strong last week and swept Minnesota. Now the women look to cap their first half with a good showing at Mercyhurst.
| Game Info | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 7pm ET | 2pm ET |
| Online Video | via Lakers ($) | via Lakers ($) |
The Lakers have long been the CHA’s premiere team. They won the conference’s first 14 regular season titles. They’ve been to the NCAA tournament 11 times and made the Frozen Four four times. Robert Morris dethroned them last season. Mercyhurst is out to regain its crown this year. The team trails the Colonials by a single point in the conference standings.
| Team Stats | Ohio State | Mercyhurst |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 11-3-4, 8-2-4-3 WCHA | 6-10-2, 5-2-1 CHA |
| Avg. Goals For / Against | 3.17 / 2.22 | 2.06 / 2.44 |
| Power Play / Penalty Kill | 18.9% / 83.6% | 6.9% / 86.8% |
| Points Leader | Emma Maltais (23) | Vilma Tanskanen (13) |
| Top Goaltender | Kassidy Sauve (2.21/.928) | Kennedy Blair (1.89/.926) |
At first glance Mercyhurst does not look like much of a threat to the Buckeyes. Looks can be deceiving, though. The Lakers are only 6-10-2 overall on the season. But eight of those losses have come against top 10 competition.
Mercyhurst pushed No. 6 St. Lawrence, No. 5 Colgate, and No. 6 Minnesota to overtime before falling in the extra session. The team finally conquered a ranked opponent two weeks ago with a win over ninth ranked RMU. The Lakers would love to add No. 6/7 Ohio State to their trophy case.
| WCHA Standings | Gms | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Wisconsin | 12 | 36 |
| No. 7/6 Minnesota | 16 | 32 |
| No. 6/7 Ohio State | 14 | 31 |
| Minnesota-Duluth | 14 | 17 |
| RV Bemidji State | 12 | 14 |
| St. Cloud State | 14 | 5 |
| Minnesota State | 10 | 3 |
The Scarlet and Gray won’t be easy prey. True, they have had a rough couple of weeks with only one win in their last four games. But they have not gone quietly in any contest. All three non-wins went beyond regulation.
Ohio State has had a week off to rest and reset. The Buckeyes may be a little rusty out of the gate. In the end, though, I think they will manage a successful series. A split wouldn’t be the greatest outcome but it might not be that bad either. It would not surprise me if Mercyhurst surpasses Robert Morris by the end of the season and pushes into the national rankings.
