Hockey Bucks Face Crucial Series Against No. 10 Notre Dame, No. 1 Wisconsin

By Aubrey Nelson on November 3, 2017 at 3:45 pm
Buckeye defenseman Wyatt Ege carries the puck against Robert Morris.
Ric Kruszynski/Ohio State Athletics
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Hello, hockey fans. It’s November, which means we’ve made it through one full month of the season. Pat yourself on the back. None of you are dead from a hockey-induced heart attack.

Both the men’s and women’s teams have posted good results to date. (They have only one total loss among them.) Each squad also faces as critical series this week against a high ranking opponent.

No. 16 Buckeye Men vs. No. 10 Notre Dame

Ohio State (5-1-2) again takes up arms in the battle for the Big Ten. The Bucks welcome No. 10 Notre Dame (4-3-2) to town for a pair of games. It will be the first B1G action for the Buckeyes since their season opening split at then-No. 12 Wisconsin.

Game Info Friday Saturday
Opening Faceoff 7pm ET 7pm ET
Television BTN None
Radio 1460 AM 1460 AM
Online Video BTN2Go ($) BTN Plus ($)

Though the individual games were occasionally rocky, Ohio State maintained a respectable 5-1-2 record through October. Obviously this year’s squad hasn’t found the back of the net as often as last year’s. (Though, interestingly, it is getting the puck on net with almost identical frequency.) But it is notably better in its own end. In fact, if you toss out the ECAC teams, which have only played a couple games, the Buckeyes rank No. 1 in the entire NCAA in fewest goals allowed per game (1.50).

Team Stats No. 10 Notre Dame No. 16 Ohio State
Overall Record 4-3-1 5-1-2
Avg. Goals For / Against 3.62 (11th) / 3.25 (41st) 2.62 (T-39) / 1.50 (3rd)
Power Play / Penalty Kill 31% (7th) / 84% (25th) 7.9% (58th) / 90% (6th)
Points Leader Jake Evans (3-12--15) Tanner Laczynski (3-6--9)
Top Goaltender Cale Morris (2.55/.910) Sean Romeo (1.47/.934)

That improved defense will be put to the test this weekend when the Fighting Irish bring their No. 11 offense (3.62 goals per game) to town. Notre Dame’s inaugural B1G season is expected to be a good one. The team was picked to finish second in the Big Ten. The optimism is due to a bevy of talented scorers returning for the Irish.

Big Ten Standings Pts
No. 17 Penn State 6
RV Michigan  3
No. 4/5 Minnesota 3
No. 16 Ohio State 3
No. 7 Wisconsin 3
No. 10 Notre Dame 0
Michigan State 0

Jake Evans and Andrew Olgevie each posted 40+ points last season. Oglevie has been hampered by injury this year but Evans leads both the team and the NCAA with 15 points. Veteran defensemen Jordan Gross and Bobby Nardella also rank among the top 20.

The Irish’s roster includes six NHL prospects. So. D Andrew Peeke will be the one of greatest interest to local fans. He was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round last summer with overall pick No. 34.

Notre Dame’s weak spot is in goal. The team’s inexperienced netminders, So. Cale Morris (2.55 GAA, .910 SV%) and Fr. Dylan St. Cyr (3.22, .914), are having a difficult time establishing a hold on the net. The Irish have allowed four or more goals in four of their last five outings.

This is an intriguing match up. By the end I suspect we’ll know just how strong the Buckeye defense really is. Notre Dame is a class above most of the opponents they’ve faced to date. But even if the OSU D struggles, the Irish’s own defensive challenges still leave the door open for the Bucks to salvage a good result.

  • Click here to see head coach Steve Rohlik as well as Tanner Laczynski, Matt Weis, Sasha Larocque, and Austin Pooley preview the Notre Dame series. 
  • Saturday's contest will feature the always popular performance of Script Ohio on Ice during the first intermission. 

No. 4 Buckeye Women at No. 1 Wisconsin

This weekend also brings a titanic match up in women’s hockey between the Buckeyes and Badgers. Both Ohio State (7-0-1) and Wisconsin (12-0-0) come into this week’s series undefeated. Whether either side can exit the series with that record intact remains to be seen. 

Game Info Saturday Sunday
Opening Faceoff 3pm ET 1pm ET
Radio 100.9 FM (UW) None
Online Video BTN Plus ($) BTN Plus ($)

Statistically these two teams are among the best in the NCAA. They are both in the top 8 in the nation in offense and the top 4 in defense. The Badgers boast the WCHA’s reigning Offensive Player of the Month in Abby Roque and Goaltender of the Month Kristen Campbell. Ohio State counters with Rookie of the Month Emma Maltais. Goaltenders Kassidy Sauve and Kristen Campbell rank in the top 6 in the nation in GAA, save percentage, minutes played, and total shutouts.

Team Stats No. 4 Ohio State No. 1 Wisconsin
Overall Record 7-0-1 12-0-0
Avg. Goals For / Against 3.75 (3rd) / 1.38 (4th) 3.58 (8th) / 1.00 (2nd)
Power Play / Penalty Kill 19% (18th) / 89.3% (5th) 23.3% (12th) / 82.1% (23rd)
Points Leader Emma Maltais (5-7--12) Abby Roque (4-12--16)
Top Goaltender Kassidy Sauve (1.36/.952) Kristen Campbell (1.00/.946)

Wisconsin suffered significant losses due to graduation and Olympic centralization. The team lost 45% of its scoring along with record-setting goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens. The roster was dealt a further blow with the news that incoming freshman Sophie Shirley would not be joining the team this season.

WCHA Standings Pts
No. 1 Wisconsin 18
No. 4 Ohio State 17
No. 6 Minnesota 13
Bemidji State 3
Minnesota-Duluth 3
Minnesota State 3
St. Cloud State 3

Yet the young Badgers have stepped into the gaps and, despite these losses, are maintaining the high standard one expects from the team. They are led by sophomores Roque (4-12--16) and Presley Norby (4-9--13) as well as a familiar face. Senior Claudia Kepler transferred to Wisconsin after scoring 67 points in three seasons at Ohio State. She leads the Badgers in goals this season with eight.

While there’s never any shame in losing to the No. 1 team in the country, the new and improved Buckeyes must be hungry for another upset, having already knocked off then-No. 4 and No. 5. Any win this weekend cements OSU’s status as a contender for both the WCHA crown and the program’s first ever NCAA tournament berth.

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