Good afternoon, readers. College hockey’s midseason break is in full swing. Here’s a quick look at where the men’s and women’s puck Bucks sit as they prepare to make their second-half runs.
No. 5/7 Ohio State Men (9-4-3 overall, 4-2-2-2 Big Ten)
The Buckeye men are currently No. 5/7 in the national polls. Early in the season, the Bucks struggled to find their footing. Their most notable gremlins were lackluster special teams and pernicious inconsistency. The third toughest schedule in the country also made for rough going. But solid defense and superior goaltending powered the Buckeyes to 9-4-3 record.
Despite their struggles, head coach Steve Rohlik likes the progression of his team. “We’ve done some really good things and we’ve played some good hockey. We had a few games there where we weren’t at our best. The biggest thing I’m pleased with is we continue to get better and that’s the key to the second half.”
#KearneysCorner, holiday edition 2018 #GoBucks @bkearney17 @M_Jobst @gino1297 @FreddyFolsom pic.twitter.com/9tyzTz21xs
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) December 19, 2018
The Buckeyes are well-positioned to succeed in the second half of the season. They sit atop the Big Ten, tied with Wisconsin. The Bucks are No. 4 in the PairWise. (These rankings mimic the formula used to determine the NCAA tournament field.) As things stand, Ohio State is set up to not only make the NCAA tournament but to repeat as a No. 1 seed.
The Buckeyes’ first-half results are a solid foundation for future success. Yet that success is far from guaranteed. To reach its highest potential, the team still needs improvements. Inconsistency still nags the squad. Special teams are not good. Both the power play and penalty kill rank No. 40 in the country (said no NCAA champ ever).
No. 8 Ohio State Women (14-6-0 overall, 8-4-0-0 WCHA)
The Buckeye women also faced stiff competition in the first half of the season. They squared off against the fourth-toughest schedule in women’s hockey. Yet they came away with a 14-6-0 record. That included big wins over current No. 2 Minnesota and No. 9 Colgate. The team was laudable at both ends of the ice, striking an effective balance of attack and defense.
OSU left a few points on the board in WCHA play but still stands third in the conference. The Bucks trail hockey heavyweights Minnesota and Wisconsin by four and three points, respectively. They have an eight-point lead on fourth place Minnesota-Duluth.
Take a look behind the scenes as the Buckeyes went into the studio to record their holiday album #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/tWehDGoDiF
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) December 20, 2018
The Buckeyes are currently No. 8 in both national polls. They are No. 7 in the PairWise (sixth if you remove St. Anselm) and very much on the bubble for the eight-team NCAA women’s tournament. But the second half provides plenty of opportunities to move up. Four games remain on the Buckeyes’ schedule against No. 1 Wisconsin. They play two more against No. 2 Minnesota.
The most glaring weakness for Ohio State is its power play. The Bucks are 6-for-47 with the advantage this season. If they can get this stat turned around then the sky’s the limit for the Scarlet and Gray.
In summary: The men’s team is gaining momentum as the season progresses. The OSU women are already close to phenomenal. I expect this Buckeye hockey train will be rolling deep into the postseason.
I hope you’ll join me in following the Bucks’ journey to the tourney. The action picks back up for the men’s team next weekend when Ohio State hosts Mercyhurst. The Buckeye women return to the ice Jan. 5-6 in a pair of exhibitions against the Minnesota Whitecaps.
- Congrats to Lauren Boyle! The Minnesota Whitecaps selected the senior defender with pick No. 14 in the NWHL draft.
- Shout out to redshirt junior defender Jincy Dunne, who wraps up winter training camp with Team USA today.
- Here is a great read from Jincy herself about her own recovery and the rebirth of Ohio State’s women’s hockey program.
- Good luck also to men’s associate head coach Steve Miller who is off to the World Juniors to help guide the American squad to further WJC glory.
