Athletics Good Stuff – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Nov. 23, 2005
Athletes of the Week
Troy Smith directed the Buckeyes’ offense on a pair offourth-quarter touchdown drives to rally Ohio State to a 25-21 roadvictory at Michigan and a share of the Big Ten title. The juniorquarterback connected on 73 percent of his passes on the day,completing 27-of-37 throws for a career-best 300 yards and atouchdown while adding 48 yards on 11 carries and another score.After the Wolverines took a 21-12 lead with less than eight minutesremaining in the game, Smith drove the Buckeyes 67 yards on fiveplays in just over a minute, connecting on a 26-yard scoring striketo Santonio Holmes with 6:40 on the clock to cut the lead to 21-19.The OSU defense then forced a Michigan punt to give the ball backto the Buckeyes’ offense at the 12-yard line with just over fourminutes left. Smith led the visitors on a 12-play, 88-yard scoringdrive, and completing seven-of-eight passes for 77 of those yardsbefore Antonio Pittman scored on a three-yard run to give OhioState the lead with only 24 seconds remaining. For his effortsSmith has been named the co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.Senior men’s hockey goalie Dave Caruso, a Roswell, Ga., native,stopped 68-of-70 shots in the Buckeyes’ three wins combined lastweek to earn CCHA Player of the Week accolades. After allowing justtwo second-period goals in the Buckeyes’ win against MichiganState, Caruso stopped all 27 shots in each game vs. the Lakers forthe seventh and eighth shutouts of his career. He was the firstBuckeye goalie to post back-to-back shutouts in consecutive gamessince 1972 and just the second in program history.
Athletics Good Stuff
The men’s cross country team placed 11th in the 2005 NCAAChampionship meet Monday Terre Haute, Ind. The 11th-place finish isall-time best for the Ohio State men’s program. Senior co-captainBrian Olinger was the first Buckeye to cross the finish line. Hetook 11th place in a career-best time to gain All-American statusfor the second consecutive season. On Saturday, Olinger was named2005 Great Lakes Runner of the Year and head coach Robert Gary wasnamed Great Lakes Coach of the Year. The No. 4/4 women’s basketballteam kicked off its season with its 11-consecutive season-openingwin Monday vs. Eastern Kentucky. The Buckeyes used a strong insidepresence and a suffocating defensive performance in the second halfto blow open a 10-point lead at intermission into an 85-38 victory.
Brandie Hoskins led the Buckeyes with a career-high 25 points and Jessica Davenport registered the 19th “double-double” of her career. Hoskins also recorded 10 assists on her way to her third career double-double. The trio of Davenport, Hoskins and senior transfer Debbie Merrill combined for 56 points Monday on 26-of-35 shooting from the field.
Ohio State opened up the 10-point halftime lead with a 25-6 run during the first 9:21of the second half. In that stretch, Davenport, Hoskins and Merrill accounted for 22 of the 25 points. Ohio State never looked back as the Buckeyes held EKU to just 11 second-half points on 5-of-20 shooting.
The Buckeyes return to action at 3 p.m. Saturday vs. Nicholls State in game two of the 2005 Schwebel’s Bread Buckeye Classic in St. John Arena. Should the Buckeyes win Saturday, Ohio State will face the winner the 1 p.m. Saturday match up between Eastern Washington and Western Illinois at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Synchronized swimmer Becky Kim was named to the 2006 U.S.Senior National Team I Synchronized Swimming squad, U.S.Synchronized Swimming announced Monday. Kim was named to the12-member group after competing in the Senior National team trialsNov. 18-20 in Portland, Ore. Buckeye teammates Leah and LeaynPinette qualified to compete for a chance to remain on the Team IIsquad at the competition, following a stint on the 2005 team. TheTeam II members will be announced at the U.S. NationalChampionships April 23-24, 2006, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Women’svolleyball last week defeated Iowa, 3-0, and lost 0-3 to No. 19Minnesota in home matches. Danielle Meyer had a team-high 20.5points in the win over Iowa. She posted 11.5 points in the loss toMinnesota. Ohio State closes out the regular season with roadmatches at Michigan Friday and Michigan State Saturday. The NCAAwill announce the Division I bracket Sunday afternoon. Followingthree wins last week, three men’s hockey players received CentralCollegiate Hockey Association player of the week honors. Juniorforward Mathieu Beaudoin won offensive accolades, senior DaveCaruso picked up goaltender honors and junior Matt Waddell is thedefenseman of the week. The Buckeyes beat Michigan State lastTuesday, coming from behind for a 3-2 win, before sweeping LakeSuperior State with back-to-back shutouts (3-0, 4-0) over theweekend.
The Buckeyes return to action with a two-game series at Notre Dame this weekend. The teams will meet at 7:35 p.m. Friday in a game televised live on ESPNU and at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.
Defenseman Kevin Montgomery and goalie Joe Palmer, who both play for the U.S. National Team Development Program, have signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to come to Ohio State. Montgomery, from Rochester, N.Y., and Palmer, of Yorkville, N.Y., will enroll in Ohio State and begin playing for the Buckeyes in Fall 2006. An independent scouting service has Palmer rated 24th and Montgomery 31st in its ranking of the top draft-eligible prospects for the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Both appear on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s Watch List.
The men’s soccer team dropped a 1-0 decision at No. 18 SantaClara lats Friday night in the first round of the NCAA men’s soccerchampionship at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., endingthe season with an 11-8-2 record. Three field hockeystudent-athletes were named Dartfish/NFHCA All-Americans asannounced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Tuesday.Sophomore Yesenia Luces was named to the first team, while seniorLeticia Fragapane and junior Saskia Mueller were third teamselections. It is the most All-America honors the Buckeyes havereceived in one season. Tai Lee, from Sorrento, Fla., signed aletter of intent to enroll at Ohio State and compete for the men’sgymnastics team beginning in 2006, Buckeye head coach Miles Averyannounced. Lee comes to Ohio State with national and internationalexperience. Last May he finished sixth in the all-around and firston rings, scoring a 9.9, at the 2005 Junior Olympic NationalChampionships. At the 2005 Visa Championships in Indianapolis,Ind., he placed second in the all-around and first on rings. Heearned a spot on the U.S. Junior National Team in 2004 and trainsunder Casimiro Suarez at Orlando Metro Gymnastics.
Abroad, Lee recently competed in Yokohama, Japan, at the International Junior Gymnastics competition and earned the highest ranking for a U.S. junior gymnast in the world at sixth in the all-around. He was the only U.S. gymnast to earn a medal, garnering a silver medal on rings. Additionally, Lee participated at the 2005 Stella Zakharova Cup in Kiev, Ukraine, and the 2004 Junior Pan American Games in San Salvador, El Salvador, where he placed third on rings at both contests.
The women’s swimming and diving team defeated Kenyon College,116-89, Nov. 18. The team set three NCAA `B’ qualifying timesthroughout the meet. Nicole Maglich, Griet Buelens and GulsahGunenc each recorded a time fast enough for the `B’ qualifyingstandard. The team won nine of 11 events, opening the meet off bywinning four races in a row. Maglich, Buelens and LindaLund-Kristiansen were double-event winners at the meet, while StephFennell recorded a winning time in the 200-yard backstroke. OhioState will play host to the Ohio State Invite Dec. 2-4 at the Billand Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The men’s swimming and divingteam beat Kenyon College, 105-94, last Friday. The Buckeyes woneight of 11 events, including both relay events. Ohio State claimedthe Top 2 spots in five events during the night. The highlight ofthe meet came in the opening 400-yard medley relay. Nate Kingopened the race off with a lifetime-best time of 49.72 in the100-yard backstroke, to help the Buckeyes begin the meet with awin. Ohio State will play host to the Ohio State Invite Dec. 2-4 atthe Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The men’s basketballteam improved to 2-0 with a 79-69 overtime win Tuesday againstButler at Value City Arena. The Buckeyes were led by senior centerTerence Dials’ 24 points and a career-high rebounding effort fromsenior J.J. Sullinger, who led both teams with 14 caroms. TheBuckeyes connected on 11 of 12 foul shots in overtime against theBulldogs while outscoring Butler 19-9 in the extra session. ThadMatta’s charges now begin preparation for the Big Ten/ACC ChallengeMonday. Virginia Tech travels to Columbus for the first of the11-game battle vs. ACC squads. Ohio State and the Hokies will bethe only game played next Monday. That contest will be televisednationally on ESPN2 with a 7:30 p.m. tip. It will be the men’sbasketball team’s Scarlet and Gray game. Bill Raftery and SeanMcDonough will comment on the game for ESPN2. The women’s icehockey team took three of four points in a conference seriesagainst North Dakota Nov. 18-19 at the OSU Ice Rink. The teamsskated to a 3-3 tie Friday before OSU won 5-3 Saturday. TheBuckeyes lead the series against UND with a 4-1-1 record. FiveBuckeyes had multiple points in the series, led by senior JanaHarrigan with four assists. Sophomore Erin Keys had three goals,while junior Amber Bowman also had three points in a goal and twoassists. Junior Katie Maroney scored twice and sophomore MalloryPeckels had two assists. Nine different Buckeyes had a point in theseries.
Ohio State next travels to Bemidji State over Thanksgiving weekend for a two-game WCHA series Nov. 25-26. The Buckeyes have won the last five meetings with the Beavers with the last loss coming Jan. 23, 2004, 4-3 in overtime at the OSU Ice Rink. Jana Harrigan has 17 points in 13 career games against BSU.
Ohio State baseball led the Big Ten in attendance in 2005 bywelcoming an average of 2,570 in 18 home dates at Bill DavisStadium, NCAA attendance figures released last Thursday revealed.The Buckeyes welcomed a total of 46,266 fans to Columbus lastseason which was the 36th best overall figure in the NCAA. The2,570 average ranked 23rd among NCAA institutions. No other Big Tenteam ranked in the Top 50 either in total or average attendance.The women’s tennis team signed top recruits Ally Mueller andChristina Keesey, Buckeye head coach Chuck Merzbacher announcedTuesday. Mueller, who is from Roswell, Ga., and Keesey, aNorthfield, Minn., native, will both begin playing for the Buckeyesin the fall of 2006.
In 2003-04, Mueller was named the team Most Valuable Player at Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell, Ga., where she played the No.1 position and led the team to the Georgia state championship. Since January 2005, Mueller has been playing at the John Newcombe Tennis Academy in New Braunfels, Texas. Mueller received the Sportsmanship Award at the National Gateway Tournament earlier this month, where she placed fourth. She attends New Braunfels High School.
Keesey has been playing in the No.1 spot for the Northfield Raiders since seventh grade. She has an overall record of 155-16 while at Northfield and is undefeated in Missota Conference play. Keesey also was the 2004 Minnesota state runner-up and placed third in the state in 2005.
The softball program has received commitments from fivestudent-athletes to join the Buckeyes for the 2006-07 season, headcoach Linda Kalafatis has announced. The five high school standoutsinclude Ohio’s Leah Ledford, a senior at Lakota West High School,three from California, including Megan Miller (Woodland Hills,Calif./El Camino Real H.S.), Sam Marder, (Calabasas,Calif./Calabasas H.S.) and Whitney Cooper (Barstow, Calif./BarstowH.S.), and Valparaiso, Fla., native Victoria (Tory) Haddad (FortWalton Beach H.S.). The women’s gymnastics program has signed threehigh school seniors to National Letters of Intent to compete forthe Buckeyes, head coach Carey Fagan has announced. Beth AnnBallard (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood H.S.), Hillary Dow (Yorktown,Va./Tabb H.S.) and Kristin Perchatsch (Naperville, Ill./NeuquaValley H.S.) will be freshmen for Ohio State in 2006-07.
Ohio State Athletics Schedule
Tuesday, Nov. 25-Tuesday, Nov. 28
All Times Eastern
Friday, Nov. 25
Women’s Volleyball at Michigan, 6 p.m.
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Women’s Ice Hockey at Bemidji State, 8:07 p.m.
Bemidji, Minn.
Men’s Hockey at Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m.
Notre Dame, Ind.
Saturday, Nov. 26
Women’s Basketball Buckeye Classic
Eastern Washington vs. Western Illinois, 1 p.m.
Ohio State vs. Nicholls State, 3 p.m.
St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Women’s Ice Hockey at Bemidji State, 3:07 p.m.
Bemidji, Minn.
Women’s Volleyball at Michigan State, 7 p.m.
East Lansing, Mich.
Men’s Hockey at Notre Dame, 7:05 p.m.
Notre Dame, Ind.
Sunday, Nov. 27
Women’s Basketball Buckeye Classic
Championship Game, 3 p.m.
Consolation Game, 1 p.m.
St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Monday, Nov. 28
Men’s Basketball vs. Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m.
Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
