Buckeyes Back in CCHA Play with Alaska Nanooks This Weekend in VCA – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Faceoff
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State men’s hockey team (6-14-2, 2-9-1 CCHA) returns to Central Collegiate Hockey Association play with a two-game series with Alaska (3-10-3, 3-7-2 CCHA) this weekend. The teams will meet at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Value City Arena.
The Fun Stuff
Trading cards will be handed out to fans prior to the game Saturday. Postgame, the team will participate in an autograph session on the concourse level. In addition, the game Saturday is a Four Pack Day. For $42, fans can receive four tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas, four popcorns and four OSU Ice Rink skating passes.
The Broadcast
The Buckeyes’ games vs. Alaska will be broadcast by WOSU Radio (820 AM Columbus/wosu.org). Paul Barnes and Luke Pavlas will call the action Friday, with Herb Howenstine and John Mowat on the call Saturday.
Live stats will be available for both games. They can be accessed from the men’s hockey schedule page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Last Time Out
The Buckeyes were the runners-up in the 2007 Ohio Hockey Classic last weekend in Value City Arena. Ohio State beat Harvard, 4-2, in the opening game Saturday before falling to Miami, 3-2, Sunday.
The game marked the fourth-consecutive year the Buckeyes played for the tournament title. The loss to the RedHawks was the Buckeyes’ first in OHC play, as the team was 5-0-2 in the first seven games of the tournament (with two shootout losses).
A Buckeye Brief
Overall, the Buckeyes are 6-14-2 and 2-9-1 in Central Collegiate Hockey Association action this season. The team is averaging 2.3 goals a game, while allowing 3.3.
The Buckeyes have converted 14.8 percent of their power-play chances (17-115) and have stopped 82.3 percent of their opponents’ chances (93-113).
Senior Tommy Goebel leads the Buckeye offense this year. He has a team-best 11 goals and 19 points. Classmate Tom Fritsche has a team-high nine assists and ranks second with 12 points. Three other Buckeyes have hit the double-digit mark in points with 10 each – freshman Peter Boyd, with four goals and six assists, senior Matt McIlvane, with three goals and seven helpers, and freshman John Albert, who has two goals and eight assists.
In net, sophomore Joseph Palmer started 19 of the team’s first 20 games, with a 3.22 goals-against average and .887 save percentage, but is not available to the team this weekend because he was selected to the prestigious U.S. National Junior Team and is in the Czech Republic competing for Team USA in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship through Saturday.
Freshman Dustin Carlson started both games of the Ohio Hockey Classic and has three starts in his Buckeye career. He has a 3.15 goals-against average and .896 save percentage.
Welcome to the Club
Buckeye senior Tom Fritsche’s assist vs. Harvard Saturday marked the 100th point of his Buckeye career. He now has 30 goals and 70 assists for the Scarlet and Gray and is the 51st player to reach the century mark. Fritsche is the first Buckeye to hit 100 points since Paul Caponigri, Scott May and Dave Steckel all did in 2003-04.
Getting Closer
Senior Tommy Goebel has 97 collegiate points, with a 22-22-44 line at Ohio State and 21-32-53 line at Michigan State. Goebel had a goal and an assist vs. Harvard and tallied a helper vs. Miami to extend his point streak to six (4-3-7).
Helping Out
Freshman John Albert has at least one point in each of his last four games, with three assists and a goal. He is tied for second on the team with eight helpers this season.
Steady
Rookie goalie Dustin Carlson made the first back-to-back starts of his Buckeye career in the Ohio Hockey Classic. He posted a career-best 35 saves in the win over Harvard and stopped the last 25 shots he faced as the Buckeyes came back to win. He made 21 saves in the loss to Miami, including 12 in the second period. He held the RedHawks, who came into the weekend first in the nation in scoring (4.5 goals per game) to three goals, including just one even-strength tally.
Hitting 50
With an assist vs. Harvard last Saturday and a goal vs. Miami Sunday, senior Jason DeSantis hit the 50-point mark for his Buckeye career. He has 13 goals, 37 assists and 50 points in 125 games as a Buckeye.
WJC Update
Buckeye sophomore goalie Joseph Palmer and Team USA advanced to the medal round of the IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic. Palmer and Team USA were 4-0 in pool play and earned a bye into the semifinals, where they will face Canada at 2 p.m. Friday.
A Look Back
The Buckeyes came from behind to beat Harvard, 4-2, Saturday in the OHC opening round. Ohio State was down, 1-0, just 4:32 into the game. The teams then traded 4-on-4 goals in the final minute of the first period to go into intermission with the Crimson ahead, 2-1. Buckeye freshman Kyle Reed tied the game at 19:06, followed by Brian McCafferty’s tally for the Crimson at 19:58.
Buckeye senior Jason DeSantis tied the game at 2 just 33 seconds into the second period. Shane Sims gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the game at 7:40 of the second with his first career goal. Matt McIlvane closed out the scoring with a power-play tally at 18:18 of the third period.
Against Miami in the second game of the Ohio Hockey Classic, the Buckeyes battled back from a goal down twice. Miami’s Ryan Jones opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 5:16 of the first, followed by K. Reed’s tally less than a minute later (6:13). RedHawk Jarod Palmer regained the Miami lead with a shorthanded score at 14:33 of the first. Buckeye freshman John Albert tallied at 2:08 of the second to again tie the game. The score remained deadlocked until Miami’s Gary Steffes tallied with just 1:38 remaining in regulation to lift Miami to the win and its second OHC title in the last three years.
Honored
Senior Jason DeSantis and freshman Kyle Reed were each named to the Ohio Hockey Classic All-Tournament Team
following the conclusion of the championship game.
OSU vs. UA Series
Ohio State leads the all-time series with Alaska, 20-17-3, including a 7-2-1 record in the last 10 meetings. Eight of the last 12 meetings have been on the Buckeyes’ home ice.
The Series in C-Bus
In games played in Columbus, Ohio State holds a 12-5-1 edge in the series with Alaska. Last season, the Buckeyes swept the Nanooks in Columbus Jan. 5/7 with 6-2 and 3-2 wins.
Leading the Way vs. UA
Buckeye senior Tommy Goebel has a team-high four assists and five points in four games vs. Alaska in the Scarlet and Gray. Senior Tom Fritsche is second with four points, including two goals and two assists.
Together Again
The Buckeyes and Nanooks are in the same CCHA scheduling cluster this season. The teams met in Fairbanks Dec. 14-15, with the Nanooks posting a 2-1 victory in overtime in the series opener before the Buckeyes came from two goals down to tie Alaska, 2-2, in game two.
Look at the Nanooks
Alaska enters the series with the Buckeyes 3-10-3 overall and 3-7-2 in CCHA play. The squad hosted instate foe Alaska Anchorage for two games last weekend, losing 4-2 and tying, 2-2.
Junior Tyler Eckford has a team-best 16 points. Eckford and freshman Landon Novotney are tied for the team goal-scoring lead with six each, while Eckford and junior Adam Naglich share the team assist lead with 10 each. Sophomore Dion Knelsen is second with 14 points, including nine assists, followed by freshman Dustin Sather with 13 points on four goals and nine assists. Naglich is fourth with 12 points on the year.
In net, senior Wylie Rogers has a 3-5-3 record, along with a 2.55 goals-against average and .916 save percentage. Junior Chad Johnson is 0-5-0 this year, posting a 3.40 GAA and .892 svpct.
Doc DelCastillo, a 1992 graduate of St. Cloud State, is in his first season at the helm of the Nanooks and as a collegiate head coach. He previously worked as an assistant coach at CCHA-member school Nebraska-Omaha.
Buckeyes vs. Nanooks
December Recap
The Buckeyes last played Dec. 14-15, when they traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska, for a two-game series with the Alaska Nanooks. The Buckeyes were 0-1-1 in the series, with a 2-1 overtime loss and 2-2 tie.
In the series opener, the Buckeyes took a 1-0 lead early in the second period on Sergio Somma’s power-play tally. Alaska tied the game with a goal with just 47 seconds remaining in the middle period. The score remained tied until the Nanooks’ Jeff Penner scored at 4:21 of overtime, less than a minute after the Buckeyes had a goal disallowed.
In the second contest, the Buckeyes came back from two goals down to tie the game.
Alaska took a two-goal lead with two power-play goals, scoring at 17:39 of the first and 14:54 of the second. The Buckeyes got on the board at 18:08 of the second when Tom Fritsche tallied. Tommy Goebel tied the game with 5:03 remaining, scoring on the power play. The Buckeyes had the only four shots on goal of overtime, but were unable to get the gamewinner past Alaska goalie Wylie Rogers.
BTN Broadcast Cancelled
The Buckeyes’ game vs. Northern Michigan Feb. 16 will no longer be televised by the Big Ten Network. The Buckeyes will make their only appearance on the Network vs. Michigan State Jan. 18.
Comeback Kids
The Buckeyes came from behind to win for the third time this season in the victory over Harvard last Saturday. Against the Crimson, the Buckeyes were down 2-1 after the first before pulling out the 4-2 win.
In the season opener Oct. 12, Ohio State trailed Mercyhurst, 1-0, after the second period but rallied for a 2-1 victory.
Against St. Lawrence Dec. 7, the Buckeyes were down 2-0 after the first and 2-1 after the second before winning in overtime, 3-2.
At Alaska in their last game before break Dec. 14, the Buckeyes were down 2-0 vs. the Nanooks midway through the second before tallying the final two goals of the game for a 2-all tie.
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 21 having an assist. Fourteen Buckeyes have at least one goal and one assist this year.
Steady
Six Buckeyes, including three freshmen, have played in all 22 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.
Back-to-Back
Freshman Kyle Reed had a goal in each game of the Ohio Hockey Classic. He has five goals on the year and has added three assists for eight points. Reed had three points, on a goal and two assists, vs. Robert Morris Nov. 16 to set the Buckeyes’ season high.
Freshman Peter Boyd had two assists in each game of the OHC and now has six assists and 10 points this season.
The Man with the Man Advantage
Senior Tommy Goebel has a team-high and career-best seven power-play goals this season to tie for fourth nationally and third in the CCHA. Goebel’s 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).
Goebel has nearly half of the Buckeyes’ 17 power-play tallies this season.
The Goal Story
On offense, the Buckeyes have improved over the past 12 games, averaging 2.8 goals a game and scoring two or more goals in all but one contest. The squad is averaging just 2.3 goals a game on the year, which includes a stretch of 10 games where they scored more than two goals just once.
He’s Back
After missing six games because of injury, junior Nick Biondo returned to action in the Ohio Hockey Classic. He posted an assist in his first game back and now has a career-best five assists and six points on the year.
Palmer and the WJC
Sophomore goalie Joseph Palmer missed the Ohio Hockey Classic and will miss the series against Alaska because he is with the 2008 U.S. National Junior Team that is currently competing in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship. The tournament, which features the best players in the world under age 20, runs through Jan. 5 in Pardubice and Liberec, Czech Republic.
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).
Finishing Up
Former Buckeye Mike McCormick (1999-02) returned to campus this quarter to complete his undergraduate degree. McCormick, who has been playing in Germany since completing his eligibility at Ohio State, worked with the Student-Athlete Support Services Office (SASSO) and its degree completion program to wrap up his requirements. He took 20 credit hours and worked in SASSO each week to earn his sociology degree. He walked in commencement ceremonies Dec. 9 in St. John Arena.
The Bells are Ringing
Members of the hockey team took turns volunteering as Salvation Army bell ringers at two Columbus grocery stores Dec. 10. From noon-6 p.m., the Buckeyes rang bells and collected donations in the traditional red kettles. Donations are used each holiday season to provide food, clothing and toys for families in need.
Photos from the day can be found on the men’s hockey page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
The Young Ones
For the ninth-consecutive game, the Buckeyes played 10 freshmen (nine skaters and goalie Dustin Carlson) against Miami last Sunday. 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, Sergio Somma and John Albert share the rookie lead with eight points each. Somma is first among the freshmen with six goals and Albert has seven assists to lead all first-year players. Boyd has four goals and four assists for Ohio State.
Wearing the Scarlet & Gray
Buckeye senior captain Matt McIlvane has played in a current team-high 139 career games. Four other Buckeyes have played in more than 100 career games – Johann Kroll (134), Jason DeSantis (125), Kyle Hood (120) and Tom Fritsche (119). Tommy Goebel has played in 129 collegiate games, with 76 at Michigan State and 53 at Ohio State.
Sophomore goalie Joseph Palmer has played in 53 career games for the Scarlet and Gray, followed by junior Corey Elkins (53) and Goebel (53). Sophomore Mathieu Picard played in his 50th career game vs. Alaska Dec. 15 and now has 52 games to his credit. Zach Pelletier, who is out with an injury, has played in exactly 50 games for the Scarlet and Gray.
No other Buckeye has played more than 26 games in his Ohio State career.
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. The show will return Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. It will then run from 8-8:30 p.m. on Mondays for seven-consecutive weeks beginning Jan. 14. More shows may be added depending on the Buckeyes’ postseason schedule.
In the Bigs
R.J. Umberger, a member of the Philadelphia Flyers this season, has played in 35 games and has six goals and 19 assists for 25 points. A Buckeye from 2001-03, he has seen action in 189 career NHL games and has 42 goals, 49 assists and 91 points.
Former Buckeye and current Washington Capital Dave Steckel, who played for the Buckeyes from 2001-04, has played in 50 career NHL games, including 40 this season. He has six points, including three goals and three assists, this season with all three goals coming against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Rod Pelley, a Buckeye from 2003-06, and a member of the New Jersey Devils this season, now has five points, on two goals and three assists, in 39 games this season. He played nine games for the Devils last season.
Ryan Kesler, the fourth former Buckeye currently in the NHL, has 9-9-18 totals in 38 games for the Vancouver Canucks this season. A Buckeye in 2003, he has played in 196 career games in the NHL, with 27 goals, 35 assists and 62 points.
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 Scott May (Binghamton Senators), Matt Waddell (Hartford Wolfpack) 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 (two goals) 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.
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.
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).
Up Next
The Buckeyes remain at home for three more games. The team will host the U.S. National Under-18 Team for an exhibition game at 7:05 p.m. Jan. 11. Ohio State then will host CCHA foe Michigan State for a two-game series Jan. 18-19. The teams will meet at 7:05 p.m. in the first game, televised on the Big Ten Network. Game two will be at 7:35 p.m. and will be televised live on FSN Detroit. Jan. 18 the Ohio State Band will perform Script Ohio on Ice during intermission. Jan. 19 free rally towels will be provided to the first 12,000 fans courtesy of Nationwide. There will be a postgame autograph session with seniors John Dingle and Johann Kroll.
