Men's Hockey
Buckeyes Travel to Nebraska-Omaha
By Paula C. Weston
After sweeping Central Collegiate Hockey Association opponent Northern Michigan 2-0 and 5-1 at home this weekend, the Buckeyes (9-3-0, 7-1-0 CCHA) find themselves in slightly unfamiliar territory: sole possession of first place in league standings and No. 7 in the USCHO.com/CSTV Poll.
"It's huge for us," said captain JB Bittner after the team completed the sweep of the nationally ranked Wildcats Sunday.
"We actually started talking about it last weekend. We had a good home stand here and we knew that if we could get maybe some separation from some other teams in the league and have people chasing us - I know Michigan only has one loss also - but we wanted to play that [way] this year instead of trying to play catch-up.
"Take care of business early in the season, and I think we did a good job of that this weekend."
In taking care of business against NMU, the Buckeyes earned four points and a little distance from No. 2 Michigan, who had the weekend off. Freshmen Domenic Maiani and Sam Campbell each had two goals on the weekend, Campbell's coming less than two minutes apart in the explosive second period of the 5-1 win.
The Bucks are now 5-0-0 at home and outscoring opponents 28-6 - an average of 5.6 goals per game - in that span.
"I'm not used to it," said Bittner of OSU's nation-leading offense. "I think we have a couple of freshmen there that are really putting some points on the board...and I think that's the big difference."
This weekend, the Buckeyes continue league play but on the road, this time in Omaha where they take on the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (6-4-0, 4-4-0 CCHA). The Mavs have lost just one at home, something that isn't lost on OSU head coach John Markell, who says the Buckeyes "respect" UNO's home record.
"They're a hard team to beat. They had a heavy recruiting year, and it looks like they brought in some older players, although they're freshmen. When you bring in older players, they have more experience. They're reaping the benefits of that."
OSU swept UNO in the Schott last February, but Markell says that his own young squad doesn't appear to be overlooking the Mavericks, who with eight points are third in the CCHA standings. "That's not the feeling we get from our team. I don't think we played particularly well in the first period Sunday...and we just sat there in the third period.
"We have lots of area for improvement. That's all we talk about is not getting full of ourselves, and we know we have a bull's eye on our back because we are sitting on top of the league."
The Mavericks split at home last weekend with Bowling Green, winning 4-2 Friday before their first league loss, 6-4, Saturday night.
Freshman Bill Thomas (6-8-14) and sophomore Scott Parse (4-10-14) lead the Maverick offense, but sophomore Dan Knapp (3-7-10) - no relation to OSU's Dan Knapp - had two goals and two assists in the split with BGSU and was named CCHA Offensive Player of the Week.
Chris Holt (3.11 GAA, .892 SV%) is the goalie of record for the Mavericks. Mike Kemp has been UNO's head coach since the program's inception in 1997.
The Buckeyes lead this all-time series 10-6-1, and the series - though young - has some interesting history. UNO and OSU have twice met in CCHA post-season play. In March 2001, the Bucks traveled to Omaha for the opening round of the CCHA playoffs in a best-of-three series that went to double overtime in the third game to decide, in UNO's favor.
In March 2003, it was OSU that ended UNO's season in the first round of the CCHA playoffs in a two-game sweep of the Mavericks in Nationwide Arena.
The Buckeyes' last trip to Omaha was in Jan. 23, a two-game set that UNO swept 4-0 and 3-1 in the Civic Center, affectionately known as "The Bullpen." Now the Mavericks play in the two-year-old Qwest Center. With its seating capacity of 14,700, the Qwest Center is the third-largest venue for college hockey in the U.S., behind the Schott (17,500) and Wisconsin's Kohl Center (15,237).
"It will be interesting to play in the Qwest Center for the first time," says Markell. "It's turned into a little bit of a rivalry for us, but we haven't seen each other in Omaha for several years."
Game time is 7:05 p.m. CT both Friday and Saturday, and fans can listen via WOSU 820 AM or find an Internet broadcast of the series at wosu.org.
Alumni Weekend
Many OSU alumni returned last weekend to honor former assistant coach George Burke (1972-73, 1985-88)..
"It was a group of guys from different eras...who saw it as an opportunity to honor a man who was very positive about college hockey and Ohio State hockey," says Markell.
"He was the one to impress upon me when we had the older facility [the OSU Ice Rink] that it wasn't going to be an excuse, that we were capable of recruiting good players. He pushed me to recruit to the institution."
Markell - himself a Bowling Green alumnus - played in the game Friday night and paid for his effort. An errant puck, shot by Bill McKenzie - a former OSU goaltender (1970-72) and assistant coach (1985-2000) with a long career in the NHL - found its way to Markell's face, right between the eyes.
Markell immediately left the ice for St. John Arena, where the women's volleyball team had just beaten Northwestern 3-1, found the team doctor, got six stitches - and returned to the ice to play.
"That's what happens when a BGSU alumnus plays in an Ohio State alumni game," said Markell. "There were a number of times that I played for Bowling Green that I didn't walk out of that rink normal. I didn't walk out of that rink normal."
As for his former assistant's aim, Markell said, "Greg Kostenko or Jim Kish would have loved to have done that." Kostenko played for OSU from 1977-80, Kish 1975-77.
Also worth mentioning: former OSU netminder Ray Aho (1996-2000) had a hat trick in the game. "He's a sniper," said Dan Cousineau (1994-1999), Aho's former teammate.
Notes:
It's likely that Dave Caruso will start for the Buckeyes Friday. Caruso and Ian Keserich split time in net last weekend.
Sophomore defenseman Sean Collins was named CCHA Defenseman of the Week for the second time this season. This marks the fifth time that a Buckeye has been honored by the league this year. So far this season, Tom Fritsche was Rookie of the Week, Matt Waddell was Defenseman of the Week, and Rod Pelley was Offensive Player of the Week.
The Buckeyes ride a five-game win streak into Omaha, their longest regular-season longest streak since another five-game streak from Dec. 29 2002-Jan. 17, 2003. That one ended with a road loss to UNO Jan. 24.
During the current win streak, the Buckeyes have averaged 4.8 goals per game while allowing 1.0.
In each of OSU's nine wins this season, nine different players have tallied the game-winning goal.
Tom Fritsche still leads the Buckeyes in scoring with 15 points, but has yet to score a goal. He is fourth in the country in assists.
Return to O-Zone
Columns and Features
Return to O-Zone
Front Page