Last Week
The Buckeyes came out flat in their home opener against Massachusetts and it cost them. They cranked things up midway through the contest but couldn’t overcome a three goal deficit. The Minutemen struck first in Saturday’s contest as well.
This time, though, the Bucks not only responded but rallied to a 3-1 win. Sophomore goalie Tommy Nappier withstood an all-out assault from UMass in the victory. He stopped 35 total shots, 18 in the second period alone. Tanner Laczynski (two goals, one assist), Carson Meyer (two goals), and Dakota Joshua (one goal, one assist) were also notable contributors in the series.
This Week
| Game Info | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 7pm ET | 7pm ET |
| Location | Columbus, OH | Bowling Green, OH |
| Local Radio | 1460 AM | 1460 AM |
| Television | None | None |
| Online Video | BTN Plus ($) | FloHockey.tv ($) |
Ohio State faces top-15 competition in five of its next six series. First up is No. 15 Bowling Green. The Falcons finished third in the WCHA last season. They are expected to be in the mix for the conference title this year. Some pundits even speculate this will be the team to end BGSU’s NCAA tournament drought. It’s been 28 seasons since the Falcons have been to the big dance.
| Team Stats | Bowling Green | Ohio State |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Records | 4-1-0 | 3-1-0 |
| National Polls | No. 15 / RV | No. 4 / No. 4 |
| Avg. Goals For / Against | 5.20 / 1.60 | 3.00 / 2.25 |
| Power Play / Penalty Kill | 30.8% / 86.2% | 16.7% / 82.4% |
| Leading Goal Scorer | Stephen Baylis (4) | Carson Meyer (3) |
| Points Leader | Johnson, Kruse (9) | Tanner Laczynski (5) |
| Top Goaltender | Ryan Bednard (1.25/.945) | Tommy Nappier (0.50/.984) |
Bowling Green’s positive outlook is due to its experienced and well-rounded roster. Head coach Chris Bergeron called it the deepest team he’s had in his nine seasons behind the bench. Reigning WCHA Defensive Player of the Year Alex Rauhasuer headlines the group which also includes sophomore forwards Max Johnson and Brandon Kruse (No. 135, Vegas Golden Knights).
In their four victories to date, the Falcons outscored their opponents by a combined 24-5 margin. They have yet to surrender more than three goals against in a single outing. Ryan Bednard (No. 206, Florida Panthers) has been in net for all four of their wins, ranking up an impressive 1.25 GAA and .945 save percentage.
Seven players are currently contributing a point per game or better, led by Stephen Baylis’ 2.33 per game. Johnson and Kruse (nine points each) are tied for third among all NCAA scorers. Baylis (seven points) ranks twelfth.
The tests keep getting tougher for the Bucks. They need a significantly more consistent, all-around better executed effort this week. Otherwise Bowling Green will skate off with all the state bragging rights.
- Click for pre-series thoughts from head coach Steve Rohlik, 5 questions with Dakota Joshua, and a personal invitation to Friday's game from Brendon Kearney in a hippo(?) suit.
Did you know?
Ohio State has already faced two of the nation’s current top-20 scorers in Arizona State’s Johnny Walker and UMass’ Cale Makar. The Buckeyes will take on another eight top-20 scorers over the next two weeks, BGSU’s Brandon Kruse, Max Johnson, Stephen Baylis, and Connor Ford followed by Notre Dame’s Bobby Nardella, Cal Burke, Joe Wegwerth, and Dylan Malmquist .
Around the Big Ten
While its individual teams’ fortunes rise and fall, the conference is looking strong. Six of its seven schools rank in the nation’s top 14.
| Big Ten Teams | Overall Records |
|---|---|
| No. 1 Notre Dame | 3-0-1 |
| No. 4 Ohio State | 3-1-0 |
| No. 5 Minnesota | 1-0-1 |
| No. 9/10 Penn State | 4-0-0 |
| No. 12 Michigan | 1-2-0 |
| No. 13/14 Wisconsin | 3-1-0 |
| Michigan State | 1-1-0 |
Last week Notre Dame and Penn State cruised to sweeps over Omaha and Niagara, respectively. Wisconsin was upended by Clarkson but bounced back quickly with a 7-1 win over St. Lawrence. Michigan split a pair of high octane, one-goal decisions with No. 19 Western Michigan. Minnesota rolled, 7-1, in an exhibition match vs. Trinity Western.
This week the Spartans travel to No. 8 Cornell. PSU welcomes No. 14/13 Princeton. North Dakota skates against the Gophers. The Badgers and Wolverines host Michigan Tech and St. Lawrence, respectively. And, in the big match-up of the week, No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth visits the top-ranked Irish.
