Men’s Hockey Faces Wisconsin for Lefty McFadden Invitational Title – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Faceoff
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State men’s hockey team downed Mercyhurst, 2-1, to advance to the Lefty McFadden College Hockey Invitational championship game. The Buckeyes will take on Wisconsin, a 4-1 winner over Notre Dame in the first round, at 7:35 p.m. Saturday in the E.J. Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. Ohio State is serving as a co-host of the tournament with the Dayton Hockey Foundation.
About the Lefty
This is the fifth edition of the Lefty McFadden Invitational. The tournament was played each year from 2002-05 before taking a hiatus last season.
Miami used to co-host the tournament and won the title three times (2002, ’04, ’05), with Denver claiming the 2003 crown.
The tournament is sponsored by the Dayton Hockey Foundation. It is named for Ed “Lefty” McFadden, a well-respected Dayton-area sports figure. McFadden (who never played the game of hockey) served as general manager of the International Hockey League Dayton Gems from their inception in 1964 until 1973. Under McFadden, the Gems were one of the most successful franchises in minor league hockey.
Ohio State played in the 2003 Lefty tournament, losing to Denver, 5-2, in the opening round Oct. 3 before downing Miami, 5-3, Oct. 4. No current Buckeyes were on that squad.
The Early Bird
Tommy Goebel scored the Buckeyes’ lone goal in their 1-0 win over Lake Superior State to open last season. He also scored Ohio State’s first goal of the 2007-08 campaign, tallying on the power play in the third period vs. Mercyhurst.
Welcome to College
Against Mercyhurst, eight Buckeye freshmen played in their first career games defensemen Chris Reed and Corey Toy and forwards John Albert, Peter Boyd, Kyle Reed, C.J. Severyn, Shane Sims and Sergio Somma. Goalie Dustin Carlson also dressed, but did not play in the game.
Boyd scored the gamewinner vs. Mercyhurst, while Albert added an assist. They are the first Buckeye freshmen to score points in their first collegiate games since NHL first-round draft picks R.J. Umberger had a goal and two assists and Dave Steckel had two goals at Northern Michigan Oct. 13, 2000.
Take Your Best Shot
Ohio State’s 48 goals vs. the Lakers Friday were the most since putting 51 shots on net against Alabama-Huntsville Dec. 3, 2005.
Senior Tommy Goebel led the Buckeyes with a career-high tying seven shots, matching the mark he set Feb. 3 at Ferris State. Tom Fritsche was next with six shots on goal, followed by freshman Peter Boyd with five.
For Starters
Ohio State has won its last three season openers and is 25-18-2 all-time in season lid-lifters. Under head coach John Markell, the Buckeyes are 7-5-1 to open the season.
Buckeyes and Badgers
Ohio State is 0-10 all-time vs. the Badgers, with just two meetings since 1969. The teams last met in the Frozen Tundra College Hockey Classic outdoors at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., Feb. 11, 2006, a 4-2 UW victory. The Buckeyes lost to the Badgers in overtime in the first round of the 2004 NCAA tournament in Albany, N.Y.
Buckeye senior Tom Fritsche had an assist in the game at Lambeau, the only current Buckeye with a point vs. the Badgers.
Comeback Kids
Ohio State was down, 1-0, against Mercyhurst Friday through two periods but scored two power-play goals in the third for a 2-1 victory. The last time the Buckeyes won when trailing after the second period was Jan. 7, when they came back from a goal down to beat Alaska, 3-2. The squad was 1-10-3 when trailing after two a season ago.
In Dayton
The Buckeyes’ games in the 2003 Lefty tournament mark the only games the squad has played in Dayton in program history.
The squad faced the University of Dayton four times (4-0-0), but the games in 1964, ’65 and ’66 were in Columbus and the ’68 contest was at the Oberlin tournament in Oberlin, Ohio.
Up Next
The Buckeyes open conference action with a home-and-home series with Miami. Ohio State will host the RedHawks at 7:05 p.m. Oct. 19 and will travel to Oxford for a 6:05 p.m. game Oct. 21.
