Buckeyes Face Wilfrid Laurier in Exhibition Game Saturday – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s hockey team will face the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in an exhibition game Saturday in preparation for the 2007-08 season. The game begins at 1 p.m. at OSU Ice Rink. The Buckeyes are 4-3 all-time in exhibition games.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Buckeyes open the season on the road for three of their first four series. Ohio State begins its 2007-08 campaign with a nonconference series at Connecticut, Oct. 5-6. OSU will then travel to Madision, Wis., to face the two-time defending NCAA champion Badgers, Oct. 13-14.
After returning to Columbus for the home-opening series against Minnesota (Oct. 19-20), the Buckeyes then head to Grand Forks to play North Dakota, Oct. 26-27.
LOOKING BACK
The Buckeyes are coming off their best season in the eight-year program history. In 2006-07, they reached the 20-win mark for the first time and finished the year with a 20-13-4 overall record. OSU also had a record 30 points in league standings with a 13-11-4 mark to finish fourth in the WCHA. Ohio State earned home ice for the first time under the conference’s new postseason playoff format and eventually advanced to the WCHA semifinals in Minneapolis. OSU was No. 10 in both of the final polls for USCHO and USA Today.
SCOUTING WILFRID LAURIER
Wilfrid Laurier University is located in Waterloo, Ontario. The Golden Hawks have played three games this season, two of which have been exhibition games. Although this game is an exhibition game for OSU, the Buckeyes will count as a nonconference opponent for WLU.
A WINNING COMBINATION
Ohio State returns nine of its 11 leading scorers, including three All-WCHA selections, in the ninth season under the direction of head coach Jackie Barto. Senior defenseman Tessa Bonhomme captains the team this season after wrapping up her junior season as a Second Team All-America selection by the American Hockey Coaches Association, a First Team All-WCHA honoree and Top 10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Bonhomme had 36 points (14g, 22a) just behind fellow senior defenseman Lisa Chesson with 13 goals and 24 assists for 37 points. Chesson was named Third Team All-WCHA for the second-consecutive season.
Senior forward Erin Keys led the Buckeyes last year with 48 points, the second-highest season total in OSU history. She scored 22 goals, including 12 power-play goals to lead the WCHA, and added 26 assists. Keys was named Second Team All-WCHA and also recognized by U.S. College Hockey Online as the most improved player in the nation.
LEADING THE WAY
Senior defenseman Tessa Bonhomme was voted team captain for the 2007-08 season, announced at the team banquet in the spring. Along with three seniors, Bonhomme was one of four captains in 2006-07. Wearing the A’ for the Buckeyes this season is a trio of seniors in forwards Jody Heywood and Mallory Peckels and defenseman Lisa Chesson. It is the first OSU captain honor for all three.
BUCKEYES PICKED FOURTH IN THE WCHA
Ohio State has been picked to finish fourth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, the league announced Sept. 25. In a poll of the eight head coaches taken by the WCHA, the Buckeyes received 31 points, six points behind No. 3 Minnesota. Two-time defending NCAA champion Wisconsin is No. 1 with 49 points and seven first-place votes, followed by Minnesota Duluth in second with 42 votes and one first-place vote.
Also released Tuesday was the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Preseason Poll in which the Buckeyes were ranked No. 10, starting the season at the same place they finished in 2006-07. Ohio State received 23 points in the preseason poll, nine points behind No. 9 Dartmouth. The Badgers also topped that poll with all 19 first-place votes.
