Big Ten Hockey today announced its end-of-the-season honors. Buckeyes claimed five spots on the All-B1G teams. Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik was named the conference’s Coach of the Year. It is the first time an OSU coach has won league honors since 1998.
| Men's Hockey | Big Ten Season Honors |
|---|---|
| Steve Rohlik | Coach of the Year |
| Tanner Laczynski, So. F | First Team All-Big Ten |
| Mason Jobst, Jr. F | Second Team All-Big Ten |
| Sasha Larocque, Jr. D | Second Team All-Big Ten |
| Sean Romeo, RS-Jr. G | Second Team All-Big Ten |
| Matt Weis, Sr. F | Honorable Mention All-Big Ten |
| Tommy Nappier, Fr. G | All-Big Ten Rookie Team |
| Christian Lampasso, Sr. F | Big Ten Sportsmanship Award |
At 24-8-5 the Bucks are on pace for their best season in over a decade. This is particularly impressive in a campaign where Ohio State was predicted to finish fifth in the conference. Instead, the Buckeyes were the B1G regular season runners-up.
The Bucks are poised to make their second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. This is another feat Ohio State hasn’t accomplished since the mid-2000’s. Depending on how this weekend’s B1G championship game shakes out, OSU may even earn the first No. 1 seed in program history.
Rohlik deserves a lot of the credit for these results. The Buckeye coach often stresses that his team’s success is rooted in preparation. That, for better or worse, the unglorified hours of preparation logged early in the week lay the foundation for the team’s later results.
By an extension of that logic, a significant amount of Ohio State’s success in 2017-18 can be attributed to Rohlik’s off-season preparation. The Buckeye bench boss had to replace his entire supporting staff last summer. He brought in coaching veteran Steve Miller and OSU alum J.B. Bittner. Rohlik has repeatedly linked the addition of these coaches with the Buckeyes’ improved defense (2.08, tied for third in the NCAA) and penalty killing (89.9%, first in the NCAA).
Unlike many of its Big Ten brethren, OSU’s roster is not stacked with NHL prospects. (Only Michigan State iced fewer draftees this season.) The Buckeyes are decidedly more blue-collar than blue chip. But thanks to the work ethic promoted and demonstrated by Rohlik, Ohio State was able to achieve better results than its “more talented” opponents.
All Hail the All-Big Ten Bucks
Ohio State placed five players on the All-Big Ten teams. Forward Tanner Laczynski earned First Team honors. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect led the Buckeyes in scoring with 42 points. He was a near-constant presence on the score sheet, netting at least one point in 25 of the Bucks’ 37 games to date.
Forward Mason Jobst, defenseman Sasha Larocque, and goaltender Sean Romeo filled out the B1G’s Second Team. Jobst posted career highs in goals (19) and overall points (41) this season. The Buckeye captain was most productive down the stretch, recording 12 points in the final 10 games of the regular season.
Larocque and Romeo have been cornerstones of the Buckeye’s fourth-ranked defense. Larocque registered nine points while leading all Big Ten skaters with a +19 rating. His +/- mark also ranked in the top-10 among the nation’s blueliners.
Romeo has been a rock between the pipes for Ohio State. He owns 20 wins, a 2.07 goals against average, and a .926 save percentage. These stats rank among the nation’s best. All three players - Jobst, Larocque, and Romeo - are key cogs in OSU’s NCAA-leading penalty kill.
Freshman netminder Tommy Nappier also earned a spot on the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team. Nappier went 4-0-0 in four starts this season with one shutout victory. In six total appearances he racked up a 1.33 GAA and .956 save percentage.
Senior forward Matt Weis (37 points) was an all-conference honorable mention. Christian Lampasso was Ohio State’s selection for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
The Last Laugh?
Laczynski and Romeo were also finalists for Player and Goaltender of the Year, respectively. They were beaten out by the same guy, Notre Dame goalie Cale Morris, who swept up both awards. But they can have the last laugh.
Laczynski, Romeo, and the Buckeyes take on Morris and the Fighting Irish in the Big Ten tournament championship game this Saturday in South Bend. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 8pm ET. The tilt airs live on BTN and can be streamed via BTN2Go.
