The men’s hockey Buckeyes are off this week, prepping for next week’s clash with Michigan. Meanwhile the women’s team gears up for a WCHA battle. The No. 5 Bucks are at Bemidji State to take on the Beavers.
| Game Info | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 8pm ET | 4pm ET |
| Online Radio | Beaver Radio | Beaver Radio |
| Online Video | via Bemidji ($) | via Bemidji ($) |
At the conclusion of this series Ohio State will be halfway through its conference campaign. The Buckeyes posted phenomenal results over that stretch. Aside from the sweep at Wisconsin, the Bucks have taken 23 out of a possible 24 points in their WCHA games. They sit second in the conference.
| Team Stats | Ohio State | Bemidji State |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 9-2-1, 7-2-1-1 WCHA | 5-7-1, 3-5-0-0 WCHA |
| National Polls | No. 5 / No. 5 | N/A |
| Avg. Goals For / Against | 3.17 / 2.08 | 2.15 / 2.31 |
| Power Play / Penalty Kill | 16.7% / 85% | 15% / 87.9% |
| Points Leader | E. Maltais (9) | E. Terres, C.DeGeorge (9) |
| Top Goaltender | Kassidy Sauve (2.09/.934) | Erin Deters (1.47/.943) |
The Buckeyes continue to garner recognition for outstanding individual efforts. The latest was Lauren Boyle. Yet, outstanding as those efforts have been, strong team play is the driving force behind the Bucks' results. The squad will need all hands on deck again this week against a dangerous Bemidji State crew.
| WCHA Standings | Gms | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Wisconsin | 8 | 24 |
| No. 5 Ohio State | 10 | 23 |
| No. 6 Minnesota | 10 | 19 |
| Bemidji State | 8 | 9 |
| Minnesota-Duluth | 8 | 9 |
| Minnesota State | 8 | 3 |
| St. Cloud State | 8 | 3 |
The Beavers are a young team. Their roster includes ten freshmen and six sophomores. The inexperienced group has suffered some growing pains this season.
Bemidji has been a tough out for some of the nation’s top teams, though. The Beavers lost single goal decisions to current No. 4 Clarkson and No. 6 Minnesota. They are 5-1-1 against non-top 10 opponents.
Much like the Buckeyes’, Bemidji’s success is a team effort. Fifteen of the Beavers’ skaters have recorded goals this season. Also like the Bucks, they are backed by a stingy netminder. Erin Deters owns a 1.47 GAA and .943 save percentage. She posted back-to-back shutouts against St. Cloud last week.
Ohio State holds a definite offensive advantage in this series. However Bemidji is unlikely to be cowed by either the Bucks’ stats or their national ranking. This series could get a little hairy for the Scarlet and Gray.