Athletics Good Stuff – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 31, 2006
Athletes of the Week
Senior field hockey midfielder Saskia Mueller, a native ofZuerich, Switzerland, scored the game-winning double-overtime goalagainst Michigan State Saturday to clinch the Big Tenregular-season title for No. 5 Ohio State. The goal in the 89thminute was her second overtime gamewinner and third game-winninggoal overall on the year. It also increased her season goal totalto nine, tying her career high. Mueller set up the third Buckeyegoal to record her team-leading 14th assist. It increased hercareer assist total to 45, second most all-time at OSU. She is tiedfor second on the team with 32 points. Mueller earned player of theweek honors three times in the month of October. Overall, it is herfourth weekly conference award this season and the ninth time aBuckeye has been named player of the week in 2006. Juniorgoalkeeper Casey Latchem of the men’s soccer team notched his ninthshutout of the season Sunday as the Buckeyes blanked MichiganState, 2-0, to clinch the No. 2 seed in this week’s Big TenChampionship, which will be hosted by Ohio State in Jesse OwensMemorial Stadium. Latchem’s 69 saves and 0.80 goals against averageare both Top 3 in the Big Ten and his nine shutouts this season aretied for second-most in a single season in OSU history.
Athletics Good Stuff
The fifth-ranked field hockey team (14-2, 5-1 Big Ten) won the2006 Big Ten Regular-Season Championship with a 4-3 double-overtimevictory against Michigan State Oct. 28 at North Turf Field. It isOhio State’s first outright conference title and second overallwith the last one coming in 2001 when the team tied with Michiganfor the crown. By finishing at top of the standings, the Buckeyesearned the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the Big Tentournament this weekend. OSU will play in the semifinal gameSaturday at 11 a.m., against the winner of the Friday game betweenNo. 4-seed Michigan and No. 5-seed Iowa.
Senior Saskia Mueller scored her second overtime game-winning goal of the season in the 89th minute Saturday against Michigan State to clinch at least a share of the title. The Buckeyes won the championship outright when Penn State lost Sunday. Mueller had a goal and an assist in the game to increase her point total to 32, second-highest on the team. Also scoring for Ohio State were seniors Curlyne Wynn and Lauren Kruse as well as junior Jamie Gofgosky.
The men’s basketball team is the preseason favorite in the BigTen Conference, according to a poll taken by league media. TheBuckeyes were picked No. 1 ahead of Wisconsin and Illinois. TheBuckeyes return one starter from the outright Big Ten Championshipteam from a year ago (26-6 overall, 12-4 Big Ten). Ohio State willbe looking to defend its league title for the first time sinceback-to-back championships in 1991-92. In addition to being pickNo. 1 as a team, freshman center Greg Oden was tabbed a preseasonfirst team All-Big Ten selection. It is believed to be the firsttime a true freshman was selected for the preseason squad.
Ohio State opens the exhibition season at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Value City Arena against Findlay and then will host Walsh University at 1 p.m. Nov. 5 in the exhibition season final. The regular season gets underway Nov. 10 (8 p.m.) vs. VMI in the opening round of the SportsTime Ohio BCA Classic.
Jessica Davenport, a senior on the women’s basketball team, wasnamed 2006-07 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Sunday atconference media day in Chicago. Davenport was honored in a vote byboth media and league coaches. The 6-5 center from ColumbusIndependence High School was named preseason P.O.Y last season aswell.
As a unit, Ohio State was voted to successfully defend its two-year claim to the conference crown. Ohio State received all first-place votes from both the coaches and media. The Buckeyes ranked ahead of second-place Purdue and third-place Michigan State.
Susan S. Peal has been named assistant athletics director forcompliance at Ohio State effective Oct. 31. Peal comes to OhioState from the NCAA where she has been the associate director ofmembership services since 1999. While there, she was responsiblefor assisting the membership of the NCAA and other constituenciesin understanding NCAA legislation.
Prior to joining the NCAA, Peal served as the associate athletic director for compliance at Charleston Southern University. She also was the women’s assistant basketball coach before moving to the compliance office. Peal, who has a masters of science degree from Winthrop University, also has taught health education at both the university and middle school levels.
The men’s soccer team shut out Michigan State Sunday, 2-0, toclinch the No. 2 seed in this week’s Big Ten Championship, whichwill begin Thursday in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The Buckeyes(9-6-3, 3-2-1 Big Ten) will face No. 7 seed Michigan State again at4:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to a 7:30 p.m. semifinal gameFriday. The championship game will be at noon Sunday. Ohio Statehonored its six seniors before the game last Sunday and alsorecognized its alumni at halftime. The Buckeyes are 5-1-1 in theirlast seven games and are seeking a repeat of the 2000 Big Tenchampionship in the Jesse, when they won their first Big Ten title.Women’s soccer earned the No. 6 seed in the 2006 Big TenTournament, hosted by Penn State University, Thursday-Sunday, atJeffrey Field in University Park, Pa. Ohio State will face No. 3seed Purdue at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in the first round. The winnerof that match will advance to meet the winner between No. 2Illinois and No. 7 Wisconsin at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
The Buckeyes concluded the regular season Oct. 27 with a 4-1 win over Minnesota. Sophomore Lisa Collison scored two goals for the Scarlet and Gray, while junior Keiana Mitchell and senior Lisa Grubb each contributed a goal.
The six OSU seniors – Emily Francis, Lisa Grubb, Michelle Markus, Melissa Miller, Shannon Neely and Taylor Smith – were honored during pregame, as the group was playing its final game at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Men’s hockey split its weekend series against Northern MichiganOct. 27 and 28. After losing 2-0 in game one, the Buckeyesrebounded with a 4-2 win in game two. Junior Matt McIlvane scoredtwo goals for OSU, including power play and empty net goals andrecorded an assist on John Dingle’s shorthanded goal. Junior JasonDeSantis also notched a goal and assist for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State is back in action Friday and Saturday in a two-game series against Notre Dame in Value City Arena. Game 1 will air on College Sports Television (CSTV) and will begin at 8:05 p.m. Faceoff time for game two is 7:05 p.m.
The women’s hockey team (3-5-0, 1-5-0 WCHA) split its homeseries with No. 6 Minnesota at OSU Ice Rink, falling 4-1 Fridaybefore upsetting the Gophers with a 2-1 victory Saturday. It is thethird-consecutive series the Buckeyes have split nationally-rankedMinnesota. Sophomore Morgan Marziali scored the lone OSU goalFriday with the first shorthanded goal of her career. Junior ErinKeys tallied both goals Saturday, including the gamewinner withjust 1:08 remaining in regulation. Senior goaltender ErikaVanderveer stopped 38 of 39 shots faced Saturday to record herthird game in a row with 30-plus saves and move to 2-2-0 thisseason.
The Buckeyes continue their homestand this weekend with a nonconference series against Connecticut of Hockey East. Games begin at 7:07 p.m. Friday and 4:07 p.m. Saturday at OSU Ice Rink.
The men’s and women’s cross country teams competed Sunday atthe 2006 Big Ten Championship meet in Bloomington, Ind. The men’steam finished seventh with 169 points. The Buckeye women took ninthoverall, totaling 252 team points.
The men’s team, which finished second in the league in 2005, was led by junior Alex Bailey, who finished 21st in 25:13 on the 8-kilometer course. Freshman Sara Foster topped the women’s squad with a 38th-place time of 22:16 on a 6K course.
The rifle team defeated Rose Hulman, 4,471 to 4,379 Sunday atthe Lt. Hugh W. Wyle range in Converse Hall. The Buckeyes outscoredRose Hulman, 2,215 to 2,190 in smallbore and 2,256 to 2,189 in airrifle. Ohio State’s Kelly Lake finished first in air rifle with a575 score. Staci Collins finished second in smallbore at 556. SteveNozaki was second in the two-gun aggregate at 1,122 (552 smallbore,570 air rifle).
Rifle will not host Akron Saturday.
The women’s golf team placed sixth in a field of 12 teams thisweekend at the Landfall Tradition tournament in Wilmington, N.C.The Buckeyes shot a 920 on the par-72 Country Club of Landfall’sJack Nicklaus golf course. Ohio State finished three studentathletes in the Top-20. Dana Je led the way for the squad with afifth place finish, shooting a 223 (72-79-72). Rounding out theTop-20 were Gemma Webster, tied for 14th with a score of 230(74-76-80) and Carling Coffing tied for 18th with a score of 231(80-75-76). The Landfall tradition marked both Wesbter’s lowestround and highest finish this year, as well as the conclusion ofthe Buckeyes fall season.
Ohio State will resume tournament play Feb. 12-14 when they host the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif.
The men’s golf team finished fourth at the Landfall TraditionSunday in its final tournament of the fall season. Two Buckeyesfinished in the Top 10 led by senior Colin Biles. He shot a finalround of 70, the lowest by a Buckeye this season, for a total of220 (76-74-70) to tie for fifth place. Ohio State sophomore DanRush tied for ninth with a season-low three round total of 223(72-77-74). Biles and Rush’s Top-10 finishes marked the first timeOhio State had multiple players place in the Top 10 since Biles andformer Buckeyes Scott Anderson and Zack Randol did so at theMarshall Invitational April 9-10, 2005. Women’s volleyball fell 0-3at No. 12 Minnesota and at No. 14 Wisconsin last week. AnnaSzerszen continued to lead the Buckeyes with 12 kills at Minnesotaand 14 at Wisconsin. Ohio State begins a four-match home stand thisweek by hosting Indiana Friday and No. 13 Purdue Saturday in St.John Arena at 7 p.m. each night. The men’s and women’s tennisprograms are slated to host the ITA National Indoor ChampionshipsThursday through Sunday on the indoor courts of The Racquet Club ofColumbus. The ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships arethe second of three national tournaments for singles and doublesduring the collegiate tennis season. Julie Blackmore will representOhio State for the women’s singles host wild card spot. She willpair up with teammate Caitlin O’Keefe to create the team that willplay for the women’s doubles host wild card spot, as announced byhead coach Chuck Merzbacher. This will be the first time of the2006 fall season that the two players have combined forces on thecourt, yet they comprised the doubles tandem last year that enteredthe ITA Intercollegiate National Indoor as the host wildcarddoubles. Men’s tennis has had champions each of the last threeyears: Jeremy Wurtzman in 2003 (singles) and Scott Green and RossWilson the past two years in doubles. Steven Moneke qualified forthe tournament by winning the 2006 ITA Midwest RegionalsChampionship. As the host school, OSU is awarded a wild card entryinto the singles draw which will be filled by Justin Kronauge.
Ohio State Athletics Schedule
Oct. 31 – Nov. 9
Wednesday, Nov. 1
Men’s Basketball vs. Findlay Exhibition, 7 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Value City Arena
Thursday, Nov. 2
Men’s Soccer vs. Michigan State, 4:30 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
Women’s Soccer vs. Purdue, 10:30 a.m.
State College, Pa.
Men’s Tennis National Indoors Tournament, All Day
Columbus, Ohio
Jesse Owens West Tennis Center
Women’s Tennis National Indoors Tournament, All Day
Columbus, Ohio
Jesse Owens West Tennis Center
Friday, Nov. 3
Men’s Soccer vs. TBA, 7:30 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
Women’s Soccer vs. Illinois/Wisconsin, 4:30 p.m.
State College, Pa.
Women’s Ice Hockey vs. Connecticut, 7 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
OSU Ice Rink
Women’s Volleyball vs. Indiana, 7 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
St. John Arena
Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Notre Dame, 8:05 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Value City Arena
Men’s Tennis National Indoors Tournament, All Day
Columbus, Ohio
Jesse Owens West Tennis Center
Women’s Tennis National Indoors Tournament, All Day
Columbus, Ohio
Jesse Owens West Tennis Center
Saturday, Nov. 4
Football at Illinois, 3:30 p.m.
Champaign, Ill.
Field Hockey vs. Michigan/Iowa, 11 a.m.
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Women’s Swimming vs. Illinois, 1 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatics Pavilion
Women’s Ice Hockey vs. Connecticut, 4 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
OSU Ice Rink
Women’s Volleyball vs. Purdue, 7 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
St. John Arena
Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Notre Dame, 7:05 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Value City Arena
Fencing at Penn State Open, TBA
State College, Pa.
Wrestling at EMU Open, All Day
Ypsilanti, Mich.
Wrestling at WVU Open, All Day
Morgantown, W.V.
Sunday, Nov. 5
Men’s Basketball vs. Walsh, 1 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Value City Arena
Men’s Soccer vs. TBA, Noon
Columbus, Ohio
Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
Women’s Soccer vs. TBA, 1:30 p.m.
State College, Pa.
Field Hockey vs. TBA, 1 p.m.
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Fencing at Penn State Open, TBA
State College, Pa.
Wrestling at Buffalo Open, All Day
Buffalo, N.Y.
Wednesday, Nov. 8
Women’s Volleyball vs. Penn State, 7 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
St. John Arena
Thursday, Nov. 9
Men’s Ice Hockey vs. W. Michigan, 7:05 p.m.
Columbus, Ohio
Value City Arena
