Men’s Hockey Returns to Value City Arena – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 17, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio — After splitting a two-game series against Northern Michigan to open the season, the Ohio State men’s hockey team (1-1-0, 1-1-0 CCHA) returns home for a game against non-conference opponent Niagara (0-2-1, 0-0-0 CHA), at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 in Value City Arena.
The Broadcast
The game against Niagara will not be broadcast. Radio coverage (WOSU 820 AM) will return with the two-game home series against Alaska Fairbanks, the first home CCHA series for OSU.
OSU in VCA
Since moving from the OSU Ice Rink to Value City Arena in January, 1999, the Buckeyes have compiled a regular-season record of 17-12-3 at home.
Home Openers
Last year, OSU recorded a 6-0 win over Wayne State in its first home game of the season. Under head coach John Markell, the Buckeyes are 4-1 in home openers.
OSU Outside the CCHA
The game vs. Niagara will be Ohio State’s first non-conference game this season. Last year, the Buckeyes were 4-3-1 against teams outside the CCHA.
OSU vs. NU – The Series
Ohio State and Niagara have only met once. The Purple Eagles posted a win, 6-3, over the Buckeyes in a neutral site game at Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, N.Y., Oct. 31, 1998.
The Purple Eagles
Niagara, in its fifth season as a Division I hockey program, is 0-2-1 to start the season. Last season the Purple Eagles won the College Hockey America championship before falling in the second round of the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament to eventual-national champion North Dakota, 4-1. Fourteen freshmen fill the Niagara roster after the squad lost 15 seniors from the 1999-00 team.
THE CHA
College Hockey America, the newest men’s hockey conference in the country, has six member schools: Air Force, Alabama-Huntsville, Bemidji State, Findlay, Niagara and Wayne State.
The Niagara Coach
Blaise MacDonald, the only coach in Niagara’s history, is in his fifth season at the helm for the Purple Eagles. Prior to going to NU, he served as an assistant coach at a number of schools, including Dartmouth, Princeton, UMass-Lowell and Boston University. MacDonald, a 1985 graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, holds a career mark of 77-41-13. Niagara’s Leaders
Freshman Hannu Karru and junior John Heffernan lead the Purple Eagles with three points each. Heffernan ranks first on the squad with 3 assists, while Karru leads the team with three goals. Two freshmen goaltenders have seen action for Niagara so far this season. Rob Bonk has played in two games, allowing seven goals while making 64 saves. Scott Lindsay played in one contest, making 32 saves and giving up three goals.
Niagara’s Special Teams
The Purple Eagles have scored one power-play goal in 19 chances so far this season. They have allowed three power-play goals by their opponents in 16 opportunities.
Career Leaders
Three current Buckeyes scored a point the last time OSU and Niagara faced off. Jean-Francois Dufour (Sr., Bedford, Quebec) scored a goal, while Jason Crain (Jr., Natrona Heights, Pa.) and Nick Ganga (Jr., Long Beach, Calif.) each had an assist.
Niagara’s Last Outing
Niagara tied CCHA member Notre Dame in the third place game of the Maverick Stampede in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 14. The Purple Eagles finished fourth in the tourney after losing a penalty shot shootout, two goals to one. NU trailed for much of the game but Chris Sebastian scored 10:27 into the third period to tie the game. NU lost its first game of the tourney to Nebraska Omaha, 4-0.
Ohio State Last Weekend
The Buckeyes split a two-game series with CCHA opponent Northern Michigan in Marquette, Mich. OSU won the first game, 5-3, before falling in the second game, 5-2. In the opening game, Dufour and Dave Steckel (Fr., West Bend, Wis.) each scored two goals, R.J. Umberger (Fr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) posted a goal and two assists and Andre Signoretti (Sr., Manotick, Ontario) added two assists to lead the squad to the win. Dufour and Doug Andress (Fr., Iriquois Falls, Ontario) scored in the second game.
OSU – Niagara Ties
Niagara freshman forward Drew Kriner and OSU sophomore defenseman Eric Skaug played together for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League in 1998-99. That season, Skaug was named the top defenseman on the squad, while Kriner recorded 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points. In addition, Kriner hails from Anchorage, Alaska, the same hometown as OSU sophomore forward Luke Pavlas.
Another Connection
Current Buckeye freshmen Steckel and Umberger played with Purple Eagle rookie goaltender Rob Bonk on the USA Hockey National Team Development Program last season. Umberger ranked first on that squad with 74 total points in 73 games, while Steckel ranked seventh with 37 points in 68 contests. Bonk made 25 appearances in goal for the squad, posting a 2.30 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
Starting Another Streak
Dufour is on a two-game scoring streak after tallying three goals in the first two games this season. Last year, he began the season with points in the first five games.
Career Firsts
In OSU’s season-opener against Northern Michigan, eight freshmen were in the lineup – Umberger, Scott May (Surrey, British Columbia), Steckel, Daymen Bencharski (Beaverlodge, Alberta), Paul Caponigri (Oak Park, Ill.), Andress, Carter Trevisani (Carlisle, Ontario) and Mike Betz (Fr., Elizabeth, Pa.). Chris Olsgard(Issaquah, Wash.) played his first career game the next night. Of those freshmen, five recorded at least one point against the Wildcats.
Freshman Impact Of the 19 points OSU scored against Northern Michigan, Buckeye freshmen accounted for eight (42 percent). OSU rookies scored four of the seven goals tallied in the two games.
In Net
Betz started in goal for the Buckeyes in both games against the Wildcats. He recorded 60 total saves and allowed seven goals (NMU’s last goal was an empty net tally).
The Leaders
Dufour, Signoretti and Umberger lead the Buckeyes in scoring with three points each. Dufour leads the squad in goals with three, while Signoretti ranks first in assists with three. Trevisani is first with a +2 plus/minus rating. Ganga leads with nine shots on goal.
Chasing 100
With his three points over the weekend, Dufour is now only 12 points away from the 100-point barrier. He has totals of 35-53-88 in 120 career games. His brother Pierre (1994-97) had 102 points in his career while playing in 137 games.
Double Helping
Signoretti and Umberger led the Buckeyes with two assists each in the win over NMU. Signoretti last had two assists in a game Nov. 19, 1999 against Nebraska Omaha in Value City Arena.
Strong on the PK
So far this season, the Buckeyes have only allowed one power play goal in 11 opportunities. OSU killed the first eight NMU power plays before the Wildcats scored with the extra attacker. Including their exhibition win over Wilfrid Laurier, the Buckeyes have killed 19 of 20 opponent power play opportunities.
And on the PP
With the extra man, OSU has scored three goals on 13 chances this season (23.1 percent). Dufour has scored two of OSU’s power play goals, while Andress has the other. Signoretti has recorded two of his three assists on the power play.
The Last Time
Dufour, who scored two goals in the first game against NMU, has now scored two goals in a game five times. The last game he had two tallies was Nov. 19, 1999 vs. Nebraska Omaha.
The Last Time – Part Two
Dufour and Steckel each had two goals in the first game against the Wildcats. The last time OSU had two players with two or more goals in a game also was Nov. 19, 1999 vs. Nebraska Omaha. In that game, Dufour and Luke Pavlas (So., Anchorage, Alaska) each had two tallies.
Ohio State History
The Buckeyes’ men’s hockey team is in its 38th season as a varsity sport. Overall, the squad has a record of 563-610-80 in 1253 games.
Two-for-Two
Three Buckeyes – Dufour, Signoretti and Pavlas – recorded points in both games against Northern Michigan. Dufour had 3-0-3 totals, while Signoretti had three assists and Pavlas recorded one assist in each game.
The Captains
Two seniors, Dufour and Signoretti, have been selected co-captains for this season by a unanimous vote by the team. Dufour, a forward, led the squad in scoring last season, while Signoretti, a team captain last year, tied for the team lead in scoring by defensemen.
The Schedule
During the regular season, the Buckeyes will play host to 17 games in Value City Arena and will play 19 games on the road. At home, OSU has seven Friday, seven Saturday, two Tuesday and one Sunday game scheduled. Games Tuesday through Friday begin at 7:35 p.m., Saturday games are scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the Sunday contest will be played at 3:05 p.m.
Online
Information on the Ohio State men’s hockey team, as well as all 34 other Buckeye sports, is available online at the official web site of OSU athletics, ohiostatebuckeyes.com. Rosters, schedules, releases and more are located on the site.
Up Next
The Buckeyes hit the road for two games against non-conference opponent Maine in Orono, Maine. The game Friday, Oct. 27 is scheduled for 8:05 p.m., while the Buckeyes and Black Bears will face off at 7:05 p.m. the next day (Oct. 28).
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