Men’s Hockey Returns Home for Two-Game Non-Conference Series with St. Lawrence – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Ohio State
vs. St. Lawrence
Friday, Dec. 7 – 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 8 – 7:05 p.m.
Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
The Series
Series History Ohio State leads 4-1-0
In Columbus Ohio State leads 2-0-0
In Canton, N.Y. Ohio State leads 1-0-0
Neutral Site Tied 1-1-0
Last Meeting St. Lawrence 7, Ohio State 6 OT (12/28/96)
Pepsi College Hockey Tournament, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Buckeye Bullets
Sophomore goalie Joseph Palmer was named to the U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the IIHF World Junior Championship, USA Hockey announced Tuesday. Palmer is the fifth Buckeye named to the prestigious squad, joining senior Tom Fritsche and former Buckeyes and first-round NHL draft picks Ryan Kesler, Dave Steckel and R.J. Umberger.
The Buckeyes’ series at Michigan closed out a four-game road swing for the. The team returns home for two games with St. Lawrence this weekend before getting back on the road for a series at Alaska Dec. 14-15. The Buckeyes will begin the second part of the season with seven-consecutive home games, including three CCHA series and an exhibition game with the U.S. National Under-18 Team. Ohio State will have just three two-game road series in the second half of the season, with trips to Lake Superior State, Nebraska-Omaha and Notre Dame.
Chris Reed’s assist on Sergio Somma’s gamewinning goal last Friday at Michigan was the first point of his Buckeye career and Brad Gorham had his first assist Saturday vs. the Wolverines. Every Buckeye skater that has played this season has at least one point. Sixteen have at least one goal, 20 have at least one helper and 13 have at least one goal and one assist.
Ohio State’s win over No. 2 Michigan last Friday was the Buckeyes’ first over a Top 3-ranked team since downing No. 3 Miami, 3-0, Jan. 10, 2006, in Columbus.
Faceoff
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State men’s hockey team returns home for the first time since Nov. 18 to host non-conference foe St. Lawrence this weekend. The Buckeyes (4-11-1, 2-8-0) and Saints (5-7-3, 2-4-2 ECAC) will meet at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Value City Arena.
The Broadcast
Both of the Buckeyes’ games this weekend will be broadcast by WOSU Radio (820 AM/wosu.org). Herb Howenstine (Friday) and Paul Barnes (Saturday) will call the action, with former Buckeye John Mowat providing analysis.
Live statistics can be accessed from the men’s hockey schedule page online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com. In addition, a video feed of the games will be available; check OhioStateBuckeyes.com for subscription information.
The Fun Stuff
The Friday night game will feature 25-cent hot dogs (while supplies last).
At the game Saturday, free schedule key tags will be handed out to the first 2,500 fans. There also will be a Meet the Buckeyes postgame autograph session with senior defensemen Jason DeSantis and Kyle Hood.
Both games this weekend will be College ID night. Any college student ID shown at the game will receive the same price as an Ohio State student. (Discount valid day of game only.)
A Buckeye Brief
Ohio State is 4-11-1 on the year and 2-8-0 in the CCHA. The squad is averaging 2.2 goals a game while allowing 3.5.
The Buckeyes have converted 14.4 percent of their power-play chances (13/90) and have stopped opponents on 83.5 percent of their opportunities (71/85).
Senior Tommy Goebel is first with seven goals, five power-play tallies and 12 points for the Buckeyes this season. Classmate Tom Fritsche has a team-best seven assists and ranks second with nine points. Freshman Sergio Somma has five goals to rank second on the team, while seniors Matt McIlvane and Kyle Hood are tied for third with seven points (2g, 5a) each. Goebel, Hood, McIlvane, freshman John Albert and senior Jason DeSantis are tied for second with five helpers each.
In net, sophomore Joseph Palmer has started 15-of-16 games, with a 3.38 goals-against average and .881 save percentage.
Last Time Out
The Buckeyes split a two-game series on the road at No. 2-ranked Michigan last weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich., with a 3-2 win and 4-2 loss.
Friday, senior Tommy Goebel scored twice, sophomore goalie Joseph Palmer made 28 saves and the Buckeye penalty-killing unit was 8-for-8, as Ohio State downed the Wolverines, 3-2.
Goebel put the Buckeyes on the board at 15:28 of the first with an unassisted, shorthanded goal. The score remained 1-0 through the second period before Goebel’s second unassisted goal of the night, this time on the power play at 2:33, put OSU up 2-0. Michigan’s Chad Kolarik cut the OSU lead to one at 17:19, but Buckeye freshman Sergio Somma regained the two-goal edge just 32 seconds later (17:51). Kolarik tallied his second of the period at 18:42, making the score 3-2. Michigan pulled goalie Billy Sauer for the extra attacker, but the Buckeye defense and Palmer held strong for the win.
Michigan outshot the Buckeyes, 30-16. The Buckeyes converted 1-of-5 power-play chances.
Saturday, Michigan jumped out to a 3-0 lead 12:01 into the first period, with two even-strength goals and a power-play marker.
Buckeye senior John Dingle scored unassisted 8:25 into the second to cut the Wolverine lead to two (3-1). UM’s Max Pacioretty then added his second goal of the game at 16:01 to put Michigan back ahead by three. Somma tallied on a delayed penalty 5:02 into the third, but Ohio State could not get any closer, falling, 4-2.
The Buckeyes had 28 shots in the game, including 16 in the third period. Palmer made 30 saves on 34 Wolverine attempts.
Michigan converted 1-of-5 power-play chances, while Ohio State was scoreless on six opportunities.
The win was the Buckeyes’ first over a Top 3-ranked team since downing No. 3 Miami, 3-0, Jan. 10, 2006, in Columbus.
OSU vs. SLU – The Series
Ohio State leads the series with St. Lawrence, 4-1, including 2-0 in Columbus, however, the teams have not met since 1996. In the last meeting, SLU won in overtime, 7-6, in the Pepsi College Hockey Tournament in Grand Rapids, Mich., Dec. 28, 1996.
The series dates to 1973-74, when Ohio State downed SLU, 6-5, in a Thanksgiving tournament. The teams met in Columbus Nov. 9-10, 1978, with Ohio State posting 11-3 and 6-4 victories. The other meeting between the squads was Dec. 28, 1984, an 8-4 Buckeye victory in the Lake Placid Tournament in Lake Placid, N.Y.
From the East
St. Lawrence is a member of the ECAC Hockey League. The Buckeyes are 27-21-9 all-time vs. current ECAC schools – 0-2 vs. Brown, 6-7-2 vs. Clarkson, 4-1-2 vs. Colgate, 6-6 vs. Cornell, 0-0-2 vs. Dartmouth, 3-0 vs. Princeton, 1-0 vs. Quinnipiac, 0-1-3 vs. Rensselaer, 2-1 vs. Union and 2-2 vs. Yale. The Buckeyes have never faced Harvard, but the teams will meet Dec. 29 in the first round of the Ohio Hockey Classic in Columbus.
A Look at the Saints
St. Lawrence is 5-7-3 this season and stands 2-4-2 in the ECAC. The squad is coming off a 4-2 win over Top 10-ranked Clarkson last weekend at home in Canton, N.Y. The Saints last played on the road Nov. 9-10, winning at Princeton (4-3) and tying Quinnipiac (2-2).
The Saints are averaging 2.6 goals a game, while allowing 2.67. The squad has converted 11.1 percent of its power-play opportunities and has stopped 86.8 percent of its opponents’ chances.
Junior Kevin DeVergilio has a team-best 11 points and is tied with sophomore Mike McKenzie for the team lead with seven assists each. Junior Casey Parenteau is first with seven goals and is tied with senior Charlie Griffin (6g, 4a) for second with 10 points each.
Four goalies have seen action for the Saints this season. Sophomore Alex Petizian has played in five games, with a 2-2-1 ledger, 3.54 goals-against average and .881 save percentage. Senior John Hallas is 2-1 this season, with a 1.97 gaa and .920 svpct. Sophomore Kevin Tisi is 0-3-1, has a 2.52 gaa and .888 svpct. Senior Justin Pesony has a 1-1-0 ledger, along with a 3.02 gaa and .895 svpct.
Joe Marsh, a 1977 graduate of New Hampshire, is in his 23rd year at the helm of the Saints. He has a school and career ledger of 407-336-54.
Palmer and the WJC
Sophomore goalie Joseph Palmer has been named to the 2008 U.S. National Junior Team and will compete in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship for Team USA. The tournament, which features the best players in the world under age 20, will be held Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Pardubice and Liberec, Czech Republic.
Live audio for all games will be available online at usahockey.com. Television coverage has not yet been announced.
Palmer and Team USA will open play with an exhibition game at Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Mich., Dec. 18. After traveling to the Czech Republic, the team will face the host country in an exhibition game Dec. 22. Team USA opens tournament play vs. Kazakhstan Dec. 26 and also will take on Switzerland (Dec. 28), Russia (Dec. 29) and Finland (Dec. 31). The quarterfinals will be Jan. 2, followed by the semifinals Jan. 4 and the gold/bronze medal games Jan. 5.
A Yorkville, N.Y., native, Palmer came to Ohio State after spending two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program. He was a Central Collegiate Hockey Association all-rookie team honorable mention selection last season after posting a 15-15-4 record, along with a 2.96 goals-against average and .890 save percentage while starting 33-of-37 Buckeye games. This season, he has started 15-of-16 games, with a 3.38 goals-against average and .881 save percentage. He has two career shutouts, including a whitewash of Western Michigan Nov. 24.
Palmer is the fifth Buckeye but first goalie to be named to the U.S. National Junior Team, joining current senior Tom Fritsche (2006) and former Buckeyes Ryan Kesler (2003, ’04), Dave Steckel (2001, ’02) and R.J. Umberger (2001, ’02).
The Young Ones
For the third-consecutive game, the Buckeyes dressed 10 freshmen skaters, including three defensemen, at Michigan Saturday. The team has had nine rookie skaters play in eight games this season and dressed eight freshmen in four other contests.
So far this season, 13 Buckeye freshmen have seen game action, with 12 skaters and one goalie. Each rookie forward and defenseman that has played has at least one point. Forwards Peter Boyd and John Albert are first with six points, while forward Sergio Somma has five goals to rank first among the team’s rookies.
The Youngsters
Dustin Carlson was the 13th Buckeye freshman to see game action for the Buckeyes this season when he faced Nebraska-Omaha Nov. 9.
Rookies John Albert, Peter Boyd and Sergio Somma have seen action in all 16 games this year. Chris Reed has played in 15 games, while Shane Sims has seen action in 14 contests. Kyle Reed and Patrick Schafer have played in 11 games, followed by C.J. Severyn and Corey Toy with 10 games each. Todd Rudasill has made nine lineups and Erick Belanger and Brad Gorham each have played in six outings. Carlson has played in two games.
Face-Off Factor
The Buckeyes won 60.3 percent of their faceoffs in the series at Michigan last weekend. Junior Corey Elkins led the way with a 21-7 (.750) mark, followed by Matt McIlvane (25-9, .735).
As a team, the Buckeyes won 61.4 percent of the draws last Friday and 59.4 percent Saturday vs. the Wolverines.
Between the Pipes
Buckeye sophomore goalie Joseph Palmer, who posted his second career shutout at Western Michigan Nov. 24, had his career-best shutout streak ended at 123:13 last Friday when Michigan’s Chad Kolarik tallied late in the third period. The shutout streak began in the third period at Western Michigan Nov. 23. Palmer had 58 saves in the weekend series with the Wolverines, with 28 stops in the win Friday and 30 in the Buckeyes’ loss Saturday.
Special Teams
Ohio State killed 23-consecutive penalties before the Wolverines lit the lamp on their first opportunity last Saturday. The Buckeyes had not allowed a power-play goal in the last four games, including an 8-for-8 performance Friday at Michigan. The squad’s 8-for-8 performance was the best since stopping all nine chances at Nebraska-Omaha last season (Feb. 17). OSU was 12-for-13 (92.3 percent) on the penalty kill vs. the Wolverines, who came into the series fifth nationally with the man advantage.
After scoring just two power-play goals over a five-game stretch Oct. 25-Nov. 8, the Buckeyes now have at least one power-play goal in five of their last seven outings (6-for-42).
Winning Rooks
Freshman John Albert has an assist on three of the Buckeyes’ gamewinning goals this season, including the primary helper on Sergio Somma’s tally last Friday night at Michigan. Rookie Chris Reed had the second assist on the third-period goal vs. the Wolverines.
Somma’s goal was the second-consecutive game-winner Buckeye rookies combined for. Freshmen Brad Gorham (goal) and Corey Toy (assist) combined for the first Buckeye goal (the eventual gamewinner) at Western Michigan Nov. 24.
The Man with the Man Advantage
Senior Tommy Goebel has a team-high and career-best five power-play goals this season to tie for sixth nationally and rank fifth (tied) in the CCHA. His previous high for power-play goals in a season was four, set as a freshman at Michigan State in 2003-04. Last season, four Buckeyes shared the team lead with four power-play goals on the year (37 games).
Get Shorty
The Buckeyes are tied for seventh nationally with three shorthanded goals this season – two by Tom Fritsche and one by Tommy Goebel. Fritsche’s two shorties are tied for fourth in the nation and tied for second in the league.
Going It Alone
Three of the Buckeyes’ five goals last weekend in the series at Michigan came unassisted. Tommy Goebel had unassisted power play and shorthanded scores last Friday and John Dingle scored unassisted Saturday. The Buckeyes have five unassisted goals on the season.
Steady
Six Buckeyes, including three freshmen, have played in all 16 games this season. Seniors Matt McIlvane, Jason DeSantis and John Dingle have appeared in every game, along with rookies John Albert, Peter Boyd and Sergio Somma.
Chipping In
Twenty-three Buckeyes (every skater who has played this season, along with goalie Joseph Palmer) have at least one point this season, with 16 scoring a goal and 20 having an assist. Thirteen Buckeyes have at least one goal and one assist this year.
Freshman defenseman Chris Reed had an assist in each game at Michigan last weekend for his first career points. Classmate Brad Gorham had the first assist of his Buckeye career vs. the Wolverines.
Wearing the Scarlet and Gray
Buckeye senior captain Matt McIlvane played in his 131st career game Saturday night at Michigan to lead all current Buckeyes. McIlvane moved ahead of Johann Kroll, who had played in 130-consecutive games before missing the last four games because of injury. Kroll had never missed a game in his career.
Three other Buckeyes have played in more than 100 career games – Jason DeSantis (119), Kyle Hood (116) and Tom Fritsche (113). Tommy Goebel has played in 123 collegiate games, with 76 at Michigan State and 47 at Ohio State.
Four Buckeyes are within three games of the 50-games played mark – Joseph Palmer (49), Corey Elkins (48) and Mathieu Picard (47). Goebel is three away from the 50-game mark at Ohio State. Zach Pelletier, who is out with injury, has played in exactly 50 games for the Scarlet and Gray.
No other Buckeye has played more than 24 games in his Ohio State career.
Multiples Multiply
After recording just five multiple-point games in the team’s first 10 games of the season, Ohio State players have combined for 10 multiple-point performances in the last six games, with seven in the two-game series with Robert Morris, two at Western Michigan and Tommy Goebel’s two-goal game at Michigan last Friday.
Freshman Kyle Reed had a team season-best three points, on a goal and two assists, vs. Robert Morris Nov. 16.
Goebel is first with three two-point games this season, while four other Buckeyes have two two-point games – Jason DeSantis, Tom Fritsche, Matt McIlvane and Nick Biondo.
Kyle Hood, Todd Rudasill and Sergio Somma each have one two-point games this season.
We’re On the Air
Nov. 26 marked the debut of Buckeye Hockey Weekly, head coach John Markell’s weekly radio show, for 2007-08. The show is broadcast on 1460 AM in Columbus and online at 1460thefan.com. There will be no show next week, as the team is traveling to Alaska early in the week. Beginning Jan. 7, the show will run from 8-8:30 p.m. on Mondays for seven-consecutive weeks. More shows may be added depending on the Buckeyes’ postseason schedule.
In the Bigs
Ryan Kesler, the fourth former Buckeye currently in the NHL, has 7-8-15 totals in 27 games for the Vancouver Canucks this season after scoring twice vs. Anaheim Nov. 27. A Buckeye in 2003, he has played in 185 career games in the NHL, with 25 goals, 34 assists and 59 points.
R.J. Umberger, a member of the Philadelphia Flyers this season, has played in 24 games and has three goals and 12 assists for 15 points, including assists in back-to-back games Nov. 28-Dec. 1. A Buckeye from 2001-03, he has seen action in 178 career NHL games and has 39 goals, 42 assists and 81 points.
Former Buckeye and current Washington Capital Dave Steckel, who played for the Buckeyes from 2001-04, has played in 39 career NHL games, including 27 this season. He leads all NHL rookies, ranks in the Top 20 in the NHL in faceoffs and is first on the Capitals with a +3 rating (and has not been minus in the last nine games). Steckel scored his first National Hockey League goal Oct. 24 vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning and also has an assist this season.
Rod Pelley, a Buckeye from 2003-06, and a member of the New Jersey Devils this season, now has four points in 27 games this season and scored the first gamewinner of his NHL career Nov. 23 at Atlanta. He played nine games for the Devils last season.
Nate Guenin, who played at Ohio State from 2003-06, has spent time with both the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and Phantoms (AHL) this season. He has played in two NHL games this year after playing in nine a season ago.
Former Buckeyes Matt Waddell (Hartford Wolf Pack) and Sean Collins (Hershey Bears) also are playing in the AHL.
Starting Off Right
Four Buckeyes had points in their first collegiate games – Peter Boyd (goal) and John Albert (assist) vs. Mercyhurst Oct. 12, Patrick Schafer (goal) against Wisconsin Oct. 13 and Todd Rudasill vs. Ferris State Nov. 2. They were 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.
Boyd and Hood Named CCHA Players of the Week
Peter Boyd and Kyle Hood were named CCHA Rookie and Defenseman of the Week, respectively, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced Oct. 15. The duo helped the Buckeyes win the Lefty McFadden College Hockey Invitational title over the weekend at the E.J. Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio.
Boyd, a forward from Cambridge-Narrows, New Brunswick, scored the gamewinning goal against Mercyhurst in his first collegiate game, breaking a 1-all tie midway through the third period. Against Wisconsin, Boyd had the primary assist on senior John Dingle’s late second-period goal that broke a 3-all tie and stood as the gamewinner in OSU’s 5-3 victory. Boyd had eight shots on the weekend and helped the Buckeye power play convert 4-of-11 (.364) chances in the tournament.
Hood, a native of Osoyoos, British Columbia, blocked three shots in the win over Mercyhurst. Against Wisconsin in the championship game, he assisted on the first two Buckeye goals, as Ohio State jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. His two assists matched his career high, set three times earlier. This is the first league weekly honor for Hood.
Leading the Way
Senior Matt McIlvane was selected the team’s captain prior to the season. He wore an “A” for the squad last season.
Seniors Tommy Goebel and Johann Kroll are the alternate captains for the squad this year.
The Year that Was
Ohio State was 15-17-5 last year and finished seventh in the CCHA with a 12-12-4 mark.
The squad returned 12 letterwinners. Senior Tommy Goebel is the leading returning scorer, posting 26 points last year and ranking second on the squad with 12 goals. Senior defenseman Jason DeSantis was second among blueliners last season with a career-best 25 points, including a team-high 20 assists.
The Buckeye State
Nine Buckeyes hail from the state of Ohio, including the first three Central Ohio products in head coach John Markell’s tenure in Patrick Schafer of Hilliard, Todd Rudasill of Columbus (Powell) and Ryan Markell of Pickerington. Three Buckeyes are from Parma (Tom Fritsche, Nick Biondo, Tommy Goebel), along with John Albert from Concord, John Dingle from Shaker Heights and Chris Reed from Solon.
The Rookies
Ohio State’s 2007-08 recruiting class was rated seventh by Red Line Report and 14th by Inside College Hockey.
In INCH’s individual rankings, Shane Sims was slotted eighth among incoming defensemen.
I Feel a Draft
On the Buckeyes’ 2007-08 roster, six players are NHL draft picks, including seniors Tom Fritsche (Colorado 2005) and Matt McIlvane (Ottawa 2004), sophomore Joseph Palmer (Chicago 2006) and freshmen John Albert (Atlanta 2007), C.J. Severyn (Calgary 2007) and Shane Sims (New York Islanders 2006).
Break it Down
The Ohio State roster for 2007-08 includes nine seniors and 14 freshmen, along with just two juniors and three sophomores. The 14 freshmen mark the biggest rookie class for the Buckeyes since the 1992-93 squad opened the year with 13 freshmen.
Head coach John Markell has opened a season with 11 freshmen three times (1996, 2000, 2004).
Honored Already
Buckeye Jason DeSantis, a senior defenseman from Oxford, Mich., was voted to a spot on the Preseason All-CCHA Second Team by the league’s head coaches. He had a career-best and team-high 20 assists last year and ended the campaign with 25 points to rank fourth (tied) on the team.
Back to School
The fourth-annual Ohio Hockey Classic, hosted by Ohio State, has been moved to Value City Arena in Columbus because of a scheduling conflict. The tournament still will be held Dec. 29-30.
On the opening day, Miami and St. Cloud State will meet at 6 p.m., followed by the Buckeyes taking on Harvard at 9 p.m. Day two includes championship and consolation games at 5 and 8 p.m. Ohio State will play in the late game regardless of the first-day results.
Dec. 29 will be a triple-header with the Ohio State men’s basketball team, as the squad hosts UMBC at 11 a.m. in Value City Arena.
The OHC was held at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus the first three years. The Buckeyes won the 2006 championship, with Miami claiming the title in 2005 and Colorado College winning the inaugural event in 2004.
Up Next
The Buckeyes will close out the first part of the season with two games at Alaska next weekend. The teams will meet at 11:05 p.m. EST Dec. 14-15 at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks, Alaska.
