Men’s Hockey Nearing the End – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/26/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 26, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State and Miami close out the regular season with a home-and-home series this week. The squads will meet in Value City Arena in Columbus at 7:35 p.m. Tuesday. The finale will be held at 7:35 p.m. Friday at Goggin Arena in Oxford, Ohio.
The squads are working to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the CCHA Playoffs. The Buckeyes (16-14-2, 13-11-2) are tied for fifth place in the league, three points behind third-place Miami (18-14-2, 15-10-1).
The Broadcasts
The games vs. Miami can be heard live on WOSU (820 AM) and on-line at ohiostatebuckeyes.com. Herb Howenstine (p-b-p) and John Mowat (color) will call the action Tuesday, while Frank Fraas (p-b-p) and Mowat will provide commentary for the game Friday.
Both games also will be broadcast by The Ohio News Network. The game Tuesday, scheduled to be shown live, will be tape-delayed because of the presidential address. Friday’s game will be broadcast live from Oxford. Former Buckeye Bill McKenzie (color) and Andy Treinen (p-by-p) will call the action.
The Seniors
Ohio State’s seniors, Jean-Francois Dufour and Jaisen Freeman, will be playing in their last regular season game at Value City Arena Tuesday. The tandem has been a part of 75 wins, two NCAA Tournament berths and a Frozen Four appearance in 1998.
Jean-Francois Dufour is the newest member of the Buckeyes’ century club. He has recorded 119 points in his 150 career games and is leading the Buckeyes in scoring for the second-consecutive season. He earned CCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors earlier this year and was a CCHA all-rookie team honoree as a freshman. In addition, he has been an OSU Scholar-Athlete and is the squad’s captain this season.
Jaisen Freeman has been one of the defensive leaders for the Buckeyes over the past four seasons. He has seen action in over 100 games. An alternate captain this year, he is a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete, honorable mention CCHA All-Academic Team pick and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
We’re In
The Buckeyes clinched a spot in the 2001 CCHA Playoffs with a split against Miami (Feb. 9-10). The squad did not advance to the postseason a year ago, breaking a streak of 17-consecutive appearances in the CCHA tourney.
The CCHA Playoffs
The Top 10 teams in the CCHA standings advance to the CCHA Tournament. In the first round, a best-of-three series is played with the Top 5 teams hosting the series (10 at 1, 9 at 2, 8 at 3, 7 at 4 and 6 at 5) Friday-Sunday, March 9-11. Following the first round, the winning teams are reseeded. The new No. 4 hosts the new No. 5 in a play-in game Tuesday, March 13. The CCHA Championship Semifinals are held Friday, March 16 at Joe Louis Arena, with the Championship Final the next day at “The Joe”.
A General Look
Eight CCHA teams have clinched a berth in the league tournament: Michigan State, Michigan, Miami, Nebraska-Omaha, Ohio State, Western Michigan, Northern Michigan and Ferris State. The Spartans, Wolverines and Mavericks have clinched three of the five spots for home-ice advantage in the first round.
OSU’s Playoff Picture
With two games remaining, the Buckeyes sit in a tie for fifth place (with Western Michigan) in the CCHA with 28 points, three points behind Miami in fourth place. Northern Michigan is in seventh place with 26 points.
The OSU – Miami Series
After splitting a two-game series earlier this season, Ohio State leads the all-time series with the RedHawks, 43-38-6. Ohio State holds a 28-11-3 lead in games played in Columbus, while Miami has a mark of 25-14-3 in contests in Oxford. The Buckeyes have won four of the last five games overall.
The Last Five Meetings 12/5/99 W 4-1 H 2/29/00 W 3-2 H 3/4/00 W 2-1 A 2/9/01 L 4-1 H 2/10/01 W 4-3 (OT) A
Two in a Row
After 18-consecutive winless games in Goggin Ice Arena, the Buckeyes have won the last two meetings in Oxford. Ohio State won in Goggin to close out last season (March 4, 2000), marking the first Ohio State win in the arena since Jan. 18, 1991, and also posted a win earlier this season (Feb. 10, 2001).
Scouting the RedHawks
Miami split a two-game series with Northern Michigan last weekend to improve its season mark to 18-14-2 overall, 15-10-1 in the CCHA.
Jason Deskins ranks first for Miami in goals (18), points (37) and shots (121) this season. Pat Leahy is second with 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points. Gregor Krajnc is third in scoring (14-15-29) and leads the squad with a +12 mark. Deskins and Leahy rank first with six power-play tallies each. David Burleigh has played 31 games in net for Miami. He has recorded a 2.84 goals-against average and a save percentage of .892.
Miami’s Coach
Enrico Blasi, a 1994 graduate of Miami, is in his second season at the helm for the RedHawks. In his first season, he led the squad to a 13-20-3 record overall and a ninth-place finish in the CCHA. He served as an assistant coach at Denver for three years, as well as one season as a graduate assistant, before returning to his alma mater last season. A four-year letterwinner for the RedHawks from 1990-94, Blasi helped lead Miami to the CCHA title in 1992-93.
A Tough Place To Play
Miami has a mark of 8-9-0 on the road. In contrast, the squad has lost just three games in Goggin Ice Arena, recording a mark of 10-3-2. The squad also is 0-2 on neutral ice.
The Series Last Season
The Buckeyes won three-of-four games against the RedHawks last season. Ohio State closed its season with two one-goal wins (3-2, 2-1) over Miami, clinching the Ohio Cup.
The 2001 OSU-Miami Series
The Buckeyes and Miami split a two-game series Feb. 9-10, with each team winning in the other squad’s building. The RedHawks posted a 4-1 win Feb. 9. Dave Steckel tallied the lone goal for the Buckeyes.
The next night, Miguel Lafleche scored with 11.8 seconds remaining in overtime, assisted by Nick Ganga and Pete Broccoli, to lead the Buckeyes to a 4-3 win. Mike Betz made 37 saves in goal for Ohio State. Paul Caponigri, Scott May and Dave Steckel also tallied for the Buckeyes. It was the Buckeyes’ second-consecutive win in Goggin Arena after an 18-game winless streak.
The Ohio Cup
The Ohio Cup, established in 1982-83, is a traveling trophy awarded annually by the Buckeye Sports Bulletin to the team – Ohio State, Miami or Bowling Green – with the best record against its other instate opponents. Because of the cluster scheduling of the CCHA, the three teams are not facing each other an equal number of times, as Ohio State and Miami both face Bowling Green twice and face each other four times. The first OSU-Miami series will not be included in the final standings for the Ohio Cup. Ohio State, the defending champion, has won the title three times (1983, 1998, 2000). Bowling Green ranks first with 12 championships, followed by Miami with four.
The Standings So Far
Miami leads the Ohio Cup standings with four points based on its sweep of Bowling Green earlier this season. After splitting their series, Ohio State and Bowling Green are tied for second with two points each. The Buckeyes can retain the cup with two wins or a win and a tie against the RedHawks this week.
Cup Winners
The Ohio State women’s hockey team won the inaugural Ohio Cup, decided by the winner of a game between the Buckeyes and Oilers of Findlay, earlier this season. The Buckeyes topped the Oilers, 5-4, for the title.
Attendance
The Buckeyes, with the biggest on-campus facility in college hockey, lead the CCHA in home attendance with an average of 9,158 per contest. The Buckeyes also had the largest on-campus single-game attendance this season when 13,308 fans attended Ohio State hosted Michigan Jan. 13, 2001. That total was the fifth largest in Value City Arena hockey history. In the last seven games at VCA, an average of 11,432 have been in attendance per game.
On A Tear
Freshman center R.J. Umberger has 16 points in his last 11 games, including six multiple-point outings. He has moved into a tie for the team scoring lead with 34 points, on 14 goals and 20 assists.
High-Scoring Rookies
Three Buckeye freshmen are ranked among the Top 4 rookie scorers in the CCHA. WMU’s Jeff Campbell ranks first with 41 points (1.28 points per game). OSU’s R.J. Umberger is second with 34 points, an average of 1.26 points per outing. Center Dave Steckel is third among freshmen in the league with 32 points (1.14 ppg). The Buckeyes’ Paul Caponigri is fourth among league rookies in scoring (26 points, .87 ppg).
And A Senior
Ohio State senior Jean-Francois Dufour ranks fourth among seniors in the CCHA in scoring with 34 points. WMU’s David Gove is first with 55 points, followed by Steve Rymsha of WMU (45 points) and Notre Dame’s Dan Carlson (40).
Breaking it Down
The Buckeyes have played an even number of games at home and on the road (not including the squad’s two neutral-site games).
Home Road Games 15 15 Record 7-8-0 9-4-2 CCHA Rec’d 5-8-0 8-3-2 Last Five 2-3-0 3-1-1 Goals 50 47 Goals/Game 3.3 3.1 Goals Allwd . 49 39 Gls. Allws/Gm 3.3 2.6 PP 14-83 15-81 PP % 16.9% 18.5% PK 60-87 65-75 PK % 80.5% 86.7% PIM/Game 24.1 16.9 Shots/Game 31.4 26.5 Shts Alld/Gm 27.1 30.9
The Scoring Breakdown
R.J. Umberger leads the Buckeyes in scoring at home in Value City Arena, while Dave Steckel ranks first on the squad in scoring on the road.
Home Scoring (10+ points) GM G A P Umberger 12 8 8 16 Steckel 13 6 7 13 Dufour 15 5 8 13 Ganga 15 7 5 12 Caponigri 14 3 7 10
Road Scoring (10+ points) GM G A P Steckel 15 10 9 19 Dufour 15 9 9 18 Umberger 15 6 12 18 Caponigri 14 6 7 13
Betz’s Breakdown
Goalie Mike Betz has posted a goals-against average of 2.48 and a saves percentage of .918 in 15 road games this season. At home, his GAA is 3.36, while his saves percentage is .877 in 14 games.
At the Helm
John Markell is in his sixth full season at the helm for the Buckeyes. He has led Ohio State to NCAA Tournament appearances in two of the last three seasons, including a berth in the Frozen Four in 1998. Markell, a four-year letterwinner at Bowling Green and one of only five CCHA players to earn first team all-conference honors three times, has a career record of 101-113-19.
Get Back on Track
Freshman Dave Steckel has been held scoreless in his last three outings, the first time this season he has not scored at least one point in more than two-straight games. He had not gone more than one game without a point since the Buckeyes’ series at Maine (Oct. 27-28) and had a 15-game scoring streak during the stretch.
100 and Counting
Ohio State head coach John Markell posted his 100th career win with the Buckeyes’ overtime road victory at Miami (Feb. 10).
The Pattern
In the opening game of the Buckeyes’ 14 two-game series this season, the squad has posted a mark of 10-4-0 (.714). On the second night of the series, Ohio State is 4-8-2 (.357).
To the End
Four of the Buckeyes’ wins this season have come in overtime. Of those wins, all four game-winners have been scored with less than one minute remaining in the overtime period. At Miami (Feb. 10), Miguel Lafleche scored with 12 seconds remaining for OSU’s 4-3 victory. Pete Broccoli scored with 26 seconds left in overtime against Bowling Green (Nov. 19). On the road at Lake Superior, Dave Steckel tallied with 31 seconds left to give the Buckeyes the win. At Maine (Oct. 27), Scott May scored with 48 seconds remaining to lift OSU over the Black Bears, 3-2.
The PP
The Buckeyes were held scoreless on the power play in both games vs. Michigan State. They have not scored a power-play goal three times in the last 13 games.
OSU’s PP in the Last Five Games 2/10 at Miami 1/4 2/16 at UNO 1/5 2/17 at UNO 1/6 2/23 vs. MSU 0/3 2/24 vs. MSU 0/2 Totals: 3 goals/20 chances (15%)
The PK
After holding its opponents scoreless on the power play in four of five games, the Buckeyes have now allowed eight PPGs in their last four games.
OSU’s PK in the last eight games: 2/10 at Miami 4/4 2/16 at UNO 4/5 2/17 at UNO 2/5 2/23 vs. MSU 2/4 2/24 vs. MSU 3/5 Totals: 15/23 (65.2%)
The Scoring Leaders
Jean-Francois Dufour and R.J. Umberger lead the Buckeyes with 34 points each and rank first on the squad with 20 assists apiece. Freshmen Dave Steckel leads the squad with 16 goals on the season.
Other Highs
Jean-Francois Dufour ranks first for the Buckeyes in power play goals with a career-high seven, while R.J. Umberger leads the team with 99 shots on goal. Dave Steckel and Daymen Bencharski lead the Buckeyes in plus/minus (+8). Steckel ranks first in shooting percentage (24.2 percent), penalties (25) and penalty minutes (66). Mike McCormick, Paul Caponigri, Nick Ganga and Steckel each rank first with two game-winning goals.
The Captains
Senior Jean-Francois Dufour is serving as the Buckeyes’ captain this season. Senior Jaisen Freeman and junior Nick Ganga are Ohio State’s alternate captains.
Hot Shots
Both Dave Steckel and Paul Caponigri have scored on more than 20 percent of their shots this season. Steckel has 16 goals on 66 shots (24.2 percent), while Caponigri is second with 11 goals on 50 shots (22.0 percent).
The Ratings Are In
Ohio State freshman R.J. Umberger was the fourth-rated North American, and top collegiate, prospect in the NHL Central Scouting Services Mid-Season Rankings. Teammate Dave Steckel is ranked No. 25, the fifth collegiate prospect in the rankings. Both athletes were members of the U.S. Junior National Team that competed in the 2001 World Junior Championships in Moscow.
A Century and A Half
Senior Jean-Francois Dufour played in his 150th career game against Michigan State Jan. 24. He has missed just one game in his career as a Buckeye. He was suspended for one game last season following a game disqualification penalty received against Michigan, breaking a streak of 108-consecutive games played.
Consistency
The Buckeyes have earned at least two points in 10-of-12 conference two-game series this season. The squad earned four points at Lake Superior and vs. Notre Dame (2-0), three points at Ferris State and at Notre Dame (1-0-1) and two points vs. UAF (1-1), vs. Bowling Green (1-1), vs. Michigan (1-1), at Northern Michigan (1-1) at WMU (1-1), vs. Miami (1-1) and at Nebraska-Omaha (1-1). The two losses to MSU were just the second time OSU had been swept this season (WMU, Jan. 5-6).
A Plus
Freshman Daymen Bencharski has not had a minus rating in the 23 games he has played in this season. After posting a +2 rating in the second game vs. Michigan State, his plus/minus moved to +8. He is tied with Dave Steckel for the team lead.
Home and Away
So far this season, the Buckeyes have posted a mark of 7-7-0 (.500) at home in Value City Arena. In road games, the squad is 9-4-2 (.667).
Outstanding Rookies
The Buckeyes lead the conference with four CCHA Rookie of the Week honors so far this season. Dave Steckel is a two-time honoree, while Mike Betz and R.J. Umberger earned the award once each.
In OT
The Buckeyes have more overtime goals (four) than any other team in the CCHA. Michigan State ranks second with two overtime game-winners, while eight others have won one game in the extra stanza.
Two Plus
The Buckeyes are 15-4 when tallying three or more goals this season. When scoring two or less, Ohio State is 1-10-2, including a mark of 1-6-1 when scoring twice, 0-3-1 when tallying once and 0-1-0 when being shut out.
The Over-30 Club
Jean-Francois Dufour (14-20-34), R.J. Umberger (14-20-34) and Dave Steckel (16-16-32) all have posted over 30 points this season. In each of the last two seasons, just two Buckeyes broke the 30-point plateau. In 1997-98, the year the squad went to the Final Four, three Buckeyes – Hugo Boisvert, Chris Richards and Eric Meloche – had 30-plus point totals.
By the Classes
The 10 freshmen that have played for Ohio State this season have combined to record exactly half of the Buckeyes’ scoring output. The rookies have 143 of OSU’s 286 points. The seniors are second with 55 points (19.2 percent). The five juniors have 47 points (16.4 percent) and the six sophomores have 41 points (14.3 percent).
The Goal Scorers
The Buckeye freshmen also lead the squad in goals scored this season with 58, over half of the squad’s 108 tallies this season. The seniors are second with 19, followed by the juniors (17) and sophomores (14).
Score!
In all games this season, the Buckeyes rank third in the CCHA in goals per game with 3.38 tallies per outing. In league games, Ohio State ranks fourth (3.08). Last season the team scored 80 goals in 36 games, an average of 2.22 per contest.
Roomies
Freshmen roommates Scott May and Daymen Bencharski are productive when they are on the ice together at the same time. May has had the only assist on both of Bencharski’s goals this season, while Bencharski has had assists on two May goals.
Dufour Career Ranking
Jean-Francois Dufour ranks 36th all-time on the Buckeyes’ career scoring list with 119 points in 150 games. He is the 46th player to record at least 100 points in his career.
Always There
Five Buckeyes have played in all 32 games so far this season: seniors Jean-Francois Dufour and Jaisen Freeman, sophomores Miguel Lafleche and Pete Broccoli and freshman Scott May.
Making Work for Mike
In five of their last six outings, the Buckeyes have allowed 30 or more shots on goal, including 40 in the first game at Nebraska-Omaha and 39 in the second game vs. the Spartans.
The First
Sophomore Ryan Smith tallied his first goal of the season in the last game vs. the Spartans.
Contributions
With Ryan Smith’s goal vs. Michigan State, every current Buckeye, excluding Reed Whiting, who has seen action in just 11 games, has scored at least one goal this season.
On A Hot Streak
Freshman Scott May, the only rookie to play in all 32 games this season, has a three-game scoring streak (1-2-3). In addition, he has posted a point in eight of his last 11 games.
Leading the D
Sophomore Eric Skaug leads the defense and is tied for second on the team with a +7 rating this season.
Seeing Action
Freshman goalie Kelly Holowaty played in his second game as a Buckeye when he came in for the last 4:38 against Michigan State (Feb. 24). He has stopped all three shots he has seen this season. He faced one shot when he played against Findlay in November.
Staying Out of the Box
The Buckeyes have taken fewer penalties on the road than at home this season. The squad is averaging 16.9 penalty minutes per game away from Value City Arena, while it is averaging 24.1 PIM per contest at home.
Career Highs
A number of Buckeyes have set career highs this season: Jean-Francois Dufour (goals), Nick Ganga (goals, points), Mike McCormick (assists, points), Pete Broccoli (goals, assists, points), Miguel Lafleche (goals, assists, points) and T.J. Latorre (assists, points).
Get it Back
In the Buckeyes’ first nine losses of the season, the squad was defeated by an average of 1.67 goals per game. In their last five losses, that number has jumped to an average of 4.0 goals per game, including two five-goal losses.
Wins and Losses
In its 16 wins this season, Ohio State has won by an average of 2.625 goals per contest. (Not including the Buckeyes’ 10-goal defeat of Findlay, OSU won by an average of 2.13 goals per game.) In its 14 losses, the squad has been defeated by an average of 2.5 goals a game.
Scoring D
The Buckeyes’ defense has contributed 16 goals, 45 assists and 61 points this season. Doug Andress leads the defensive corps in goals (five), assists (13) and points (18).
All-Time
The Buckeyes, in their 38th season as a varsity program, have posted an all-time mark of 578-623-82. Ohio State has posted more wins over Bowling Green (51) than any other school.
Up Next
The Buckeyes will compete in the first round of the CCHA Playoffs, March 9-11. It has not yet been determined if Ohio State will play at home or on the road in the first round.
