Buckeyes Heading to Vegas for Fortress Invitational

The Ohio State men’s hockey team will open its 2020 slate of games in Las Vegas, as it takes part in the Fortress Invitational at T-Mobile Arena. The Buckeyes will face Cornell in the first round at 11:30 p.m. ET Jan. 3, with Army West Point and Providence facing off at 8 p.m. ET in the other first-round matchup. Consolation and championship games will be played Jan. 4, following an afternoon NHL game between the Golden Knights and the St. Louis Blues.

Buckeye freshman defenseman Layton Ahac was drafted by the Golden Knights in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and took part in the team’s development camp this summer, joined by sophomore and camp free agent invitee Gustaf Westlund. Buckeye senior Wyatt Ege was a Golden Knights development camp invitee in Summer 2017 and ’18.

Heading into 2019-20, the Buckeyes are looking to compete in the NCAA Tournament for a program-record fourth year in a row. Last year’s squad was 20-11-5 overall and won the Big Ten regular season crown with a 13-7-4-3 ledger.

Buckeyes vs. the Fortress Invitational Teams

• Ohio State is 7-6 all-time vs. Cornell. The teams last met Dec. 29, 2016, an 8-0 Buckeye win in the championship game of the Florida College Classic in Estero, Fla.
• The Buckeyes and Black Knights have met twice, with Ohio State winning both games. The last matchup was Jan. 2, 2011, a 5-3 Ohio State win in the Catamount Cup in Burlington, Vt. The teams also met in the Ohio College Classic in Columbus Jan. 2, 2011, with the Buckeyes winning 6-1.
• Ohio State and Providence have faced off seven times, with the Friars leading the series, 4-3. In the last meetings, the teams met in Providence Oct. 23-24, 2015, with the Friars posting a sweep (6-4, 2-1). The year prior, the teams split a series in Columbus Oct. 10-11, 2014, with both games going to overtime. Ohio State won 5-4 and the Friars won 2-1.

The Early Schedule

Ohio State’s 2019-20 campaign starts in Columbus with an exhibition games vs. Western University at 5 p.m. Oct. 6. The Buckeyes will open the regular season the next week at the Ice Breaker Tournament in Toledo, facing Western Michigan Oct. 11 and Bowling Green or RIT Oct. 12.

Ohio State’s first regular season games in Columbus are against Omaha, with the teams meeting Oct. 18-19. In all, 16 regular season games are scheduled for Value City Arena this season.

Ticket Talk

Season tickets for the Buckeyes’ 2019-20 season, $160 for adults and $120 for youth/seniors citizens, as well as half and quarter season packages, are on sale now. To speak with a ticket sales representative and purchase seats, fans can call 1-800-GO-BUCKS (select option 2) or email AthleticSales@osu.edu. Season tickets can also be purchased online HERE, with half and quarter season ticket packages online HERE. Group tickets are available for purchase now by contacting the ticket sales staff. Single game tickets are slated to go on sale at 10 a.m. Aug. 13.