Men’s Hockey: Buckeyes Open Campaign vs. York Saturday – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Faceoff
The men’s hockey team will open 2008-09 with an exhibition game vs. York at 2:05 p.m. Saturday in the OSU Ice Rink. Admission to the game is free. Please note that because of an event at Ohio Stadium Saturday, hockey fans should park on the east side of the parking lot on the north side of St. John Arena.
Open it Up
The regular season begins next week for the Buckeyes with a home-and-home series with Miami. The teams will meet at 7:05 p.m. Friday (Oct. 10) in Value City Arena in Columbus and at 7:05 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 11) at Steve Cady Arena in Oxford, Ohio.
History
The OSU Ice Rink served as the Buckeyes’ home ice until January 1999 when Value City Arena opened for hockey. The team last played in the ice rink March 2-4, 2007 in a CCHA playoff series vs. Northern Michigan. The squad hosted an exhibition game Sept. 26, 2003 vs. Wilfrid Laurier in its first return to the rink since moving to VCA.
Buckeyes vs. Lions
Ohio State is 6-7-1 all-time vs. York. The teams last met Jan. 13-14, 1989 in Columbus. The teams split the series, with Ohio State winning the opener, 7-1, before the Lions won game two, 5-4.
The York Lions
York University is located in Toronto, Ontario. The Lions compete in the Ontario University Athletics division of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport association. More information on York athletics can be found on its website www.sport.yorku.ca .
The Lions won the York Invitational hockey tournament last weekend with a come-from-behind 3-2 shootout victory over Toronto in the final. Kevin Forrest, who was an assistant coach for the Lions the last two years, was named the team’s head coach Sept. 22.
Wearing the C
Senior Zach Pelletier and sophomore Peter Boyd will serve as captains for the Ohio State men’s hockey team in 2008-09, Buckeye head coach John Markell announced last Friday.
Pelletier, from China Village, Maine, is in his fifth year with the squad after receiving a redshirt in 2007-08 because of a leg injury. He has played in 50 games as a Buckeye, including 24 in 2006-07. Pelletier earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology in Spring 2008.
Boyd, a native of Cambridge-Narrows, New Brunswick, is just the third sophomore to wear a “C” for the Buckeyes, joining current assistant coach Steve Brent (1994-95) and John Israel (1973-74). Boyd was voted the George Burke Most Valuable Freshman by his teammates last year after finishing the campaign second on the team with 24 points and 10 goals. He played in all 41 games and had a team-best four gamewinning goals, along with four power-play tallies.
New Faces
Three new faces are on the Ohio State hockey staff this year, although two are familiar to Buckeye players and fans alike. Steve Brent, a four-time letterwinner and three-time captain, returns to the bench as an assistant coach again after two years in the business world. Two-time captain JB Bittner, also a four-year letterwinner, now is the team’s video coordinator. Jeff Salajko is the team’s volunteer goalie coach.
New this Year
Beginning in 2008-09, college hockey will implement a two-referee and four-official system. It was used in some games a year ago, but will be used in all games this season.
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association has added a shootout for league games this season. If a game remains tied after regulation and a 5-minute overtime, a three-player shootout will be held. The team that wins the shootout will earn two points in the league standings, while the losing team receives one. The games will be recorded as ties for NCAA purposes.
A Young Group
The 27-player Ohio State roster is dominated by underclassmen in 2008-09. The squad includes just three seniors and two juniors, who are joined by 13 sophomores and nine freshmen. Last year, at least nine freshmen were regularly in the Ohio State lineup each game.
Pick Me
Seven NHL draft picks are on the Buckeye roster for this season. Freshman forward Zac Dalpe leads the way. He was the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 2008 draft, the highest Buckeye draft pick since Tom Fritsche went 47th in 2005. Rookies forward Taylor Stefishen (Nashville 2008) and defenseman Matt Bartkowski (Florida 2008) join returning NHL draft picks – goalie Joseph Palmer (Chicago 2006), sophomore defenseman Shane Sims (New York Islanders 2006) and sophomore forwards John Albert (Atlanta 2007) and C.J. Severyn (Calgary 2007).
Sibling Rivalry
Sophomore Hunter Bishop will join his sister, Teal, a sophomore on the Buckeye women’s hockey team, at Ohio State this season. The siblings from Fairbanks, Alaska, have not lived and played in the same city in more than six years.
