Men’s Hockey: Buckeyes and No. 9 Irish Set for CCHA Series – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Ohio State
at No. 9 Notre Dame
Friday, Feb. 22 – 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23 – 7:05 p.m.
Joyce Center, Notre Dame, Ind.
The Series
2006-07 Series
Notre Dame won 1-0-1
Notre Dame 4, at Ohio State 2 (Nov. 3, 2006)
at Ohio State 1, Notre Dame 1 (Nov. 4, 2006)
Series History
Ohio State leads 27-25-7
In Columbus
Tied 13-13-5
In Notre Dame, Ind.
Notre Dame leads 12-11-2
Neutral Site
Ohio State leads 3-0-0
CCHA Regular Season
Ohio State leads 22-19-7
Postseason
Ohio State leads 2-0-0
Overtime
Tied 2-2-7
Last 10
Ohio State leads 7-2-1
Buckeye Bullets
Senior Tommy Goebel is the Buckeye leader in goals (19) and points (30) this season, 11 points more than the Buckeye in second in scoring. He is the first Buckeye to hit the 30-point mark since Tom Fritsche had 30 points in 2005-06. He has not gone more than one game without a point this season.
Freshman Peter Boyd had his second two-goal game of the season and in the last five games with two scores vs. Northern Michigan Saturday. He is second on the team with nine goals this year, the most for a Buckeye rookie since current senior Tom Fritsche had 11 in 2004-05.
Rookie John Albert set up the game-winning goal Saturday, his team-best 15th assist this season and his team-high fifth game-winning assist. He has at least one point in five of the last eight games.
The Buckeyes’ come-from-behind win over Northern Michigan last Saturday was the team’s sixth comeback victory this season.
Faceoff
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State men’s hockey team (10-21-3, 6-16-2 CCHA) travels to face No. 9 Notre Dame (21-10-3, 14-7-3 CCHA) in its final regular-season road series of 2007-08. The teams will face off at 7:35 p.m. Friday and at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at the Joyce Center in Notre Dame, Ind.
The Broadcast
Both of the Buckeyes’ games at Notre Dame will be broadcast by WOSU Radio (820 AM Columbus/wosu.org), with Neil Sika (play-by-play) and former Buckeye John Mowat (analysis) on the call.
A link to live stats will be available from the men’s hockey page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Comcast Local will televise the game Friday with Ben Holden (play-by-play) and Sean Ritchlin (analysis) calling the action. The game is scheduled to be televised in Ohio by SportsTime Ohio.
A Buckeye Brief
Overall, the Buckeyes are 10-21-3 and 6-16-2 in Central Collegiate Hockey Association action this season. The team is averaging 2.4 goals a game, while allowing 3.4.
The Buckeyes have converted 15.2 percent of their power-play chances (25-164) and have stopped 80.8 percent of their opponents’ chances (139-172).
Senior Tommy Goebel has a team-best 19 goals and 30 points. Freshman Peter Boyd is second in goals (9) and points (19). Rookie John Albert has a team-best 15 assists and ranks third with 18 points this season. Freshmen Sergio Somma and Kyle Reed are tied for third with seven goals each. Seniors Jason DeSantis and Tom Fritsche rank second with 12 assists on the year.
In net, sophomore Joseph Palmer has started 26 games and seen action in 27, with a 3.15 goals-against average and .887 save percentage. Freshman Dustin Carlson has started seven games and seen action in nine, with a 3.44 GAA and .886 save percentage.
Last Time Out – A Look Back
The Buckeyes split a home series with Northern Michigan last weekend, losing the opener, 2-0, before coming from behind for a 3-2 victory in game two.
In the series opener last Friday, the teams were scoreless until NMU’s Matt Siddall scored 11:45 into the second. The Buckeyes peppered Wildcat goalie Brian Stewart with 46 shots, including 15 in the third period, but were unable to get the puck in the net. Mark Olver closed out the scoring with an empty-net goal at 19:09 of the third.
Saturday, freshman Peter Boyd put the Buckeyes ahead on a goal with 22 seconds remaining in the first period. The Wildcats tied the game on Gregor Hanson’s goal at 12:01 of the second and took the lead on Olver’s power-play tally at 16:06. In the third, Boyd tied the game with a power-play score at 16:08. With less than a second remaining, freshman John Albert set up Tommy Goebel’s tip-in goal to give the Buckeyes the win.
The Series
Ohio State has a two-game lead in the all-time series with the Irish, 27-25-7. (OSU includes four games ND does not, with a 2-2 mark from 1965-67). In the last 10 meetings, the Buckeyes lead, 7-2-1, but are 0-2-1 in the last three meetings (all in Columbus).
On Irish Ice
The Irish lead the series with the Buckeyes in Notre Dame, 12-11-2. The teams last met in the Joyce Center Nov. 25-26, 2005, with the Buckeyes posting 4-1 and 5-2 wins. Ohio State is 6-0-2 in the last eight games at Notre Dame.
2006-07: The Series
Ohio State and Notre Dame met in Columbus last season. Notre Dame posted a 4-2 win Nov. 3, 2006, before the teams tied, 1-1, Nov. 4, 2006, in Value City Arena.
Buckeyes vs. Irish
Buckeye senior Tom Fritsche has a team-best three goals, four assists and seven points vs. Notre Dame. Senior Tommy Goebel has two goals in two games as a Buckeye vs. Notre Dame.
Irish Items
No. 9-ranked Notre Dame is 21-10-3 this season and stands in fourth place in the CCHA with a 14-7-3 conference ledger.
The Irish are averaging 3.03 goals a game this season, while allowing 2.03. The squad has converted 16.2 percent (30/185) of its power-play chances and is tied for fourth nationally with an 89.1 penalty-killing percentage.
Notre Dame junior Erik Condra leads the team with 21 assists and 33 points and is second with 12 goals. Sophomore Ryan Thang is tied for second with 23 points and has a team-best 15 goals. Senior Mark Van Guilder also has 23 points and has chipped in 10 goals and 13 assists. Sophomore defenseman Kyle Lawson is second on the team with 15 assists.
In net, junior Jordan Pearce has played in 30 games, with a 17-9-3 record and ranks ninth nationally with a 1.97 goals-against average. He has a .915 save percentage.
Jeff Jackson, a 1978 graduate of Michigan State, is in his third year at the helm of the Irish and his ninth year as a collegiate head coach.
Buckeye on the Bench
Former Buckeye Paul Pooley, Ohio State’s all-time leading scorer (270), is in his second season as the associate head coach at Notre Dame. His sweater was retired during the Ohio State-Notre Dame series last season, marking the first Buckeye hockey player to be so honored. Pooley served as an Ohio State assistant coach for three years.
Goebel Good Stuff
Senior Tommy Goebel remains the Buckeyes’ leader in points with 30, including a team-best 19 goals. His six-game scoring streak was stopped in the opener vs. Northern Michigan last weekend, but he rebounded with the last-second gamewinner in game two.
Goebel is tied for 13th in the CCHA in scoring overall, ranks sixth in goals and is tied for fifth in power-play tallies with nine. In conference games only, Goebel is 20th (tied) in points with a 13-7-20 line, is tied for eighth in goals and is seventh with six power-play tallies.
Nationally, Goebel ranks 16th in goals per game (.59) and is tied for seventh in power-play goals.
Goebel now has 109 points as a Division I player, with a 31-25-56 line at Ohio State and 21-32-53 line at Michigan State (2003-04, 04-05).
Goebel has not gone more than one game without a point this season.
Top 15
In addition to Tommy Goebel, four other Buckeyes rank among the CCHA leaders in all games. Jason DeSantis is tied for 11th in scoring among defensemen with 15 points on three goals and 12 assists.
Peter Boyd is tied for 10th in freshman scoring with 19 points (9g, 10a), while John Albert is 15th (3g, 14a).
Boyd is tied for seventh in the league in gamewinning goals with four. Senior Tom Fritsche is tied for seventh in the CCHA with two shorthanded goals this season.
Clutch
Rookie Peter Boyd has four clutch game-winning goals this season. Last Saturday, he tied the game with Northern Michigan with a power-play tally with less than four minutes remaining.
Boyd is tied for 10th nationally in gamewinning goals. He is tied for second among the nation’s freshmen in gamewinners. In the league, Boyd is tied for seventh in gwg.
He scored with less than five minutes remaining vs. Bowling Green Feb. 2 as OSU came back from a 2-1 deficit to win 4-2. The previous week at Lake Superior State (Jan. 25), Boyd broke a 3-all tie with 8.9 seconds remaining in regulation. He also scored the overtime winner vs. St. Lawrence Dec. 7 and had the gamewinner vs. Mercyhurst in the season opener, scoring in the third period of the 2-1 come-from-behind win.
More Boyd Bullets
Freshman Peter Boyd had his second two-goal game of the season and in the last five games with two scores vs. Northern Michigan last Saturday. He also scored twice vs. Bowling Green.
He is second on the team with nine goals this year, the most for a Buckeye rookie since current senior Tom Fritsche had 11 in 2004-05.
30 Between the Pipes
Buckeye senior goalie Phil Lauderdale started the game Saturday on Senior Night, marking his first collegiate action. Lauderdale, in his fourth year as the team’s practice goalie, currently is enrolled in Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law. He played 49 seconds and did not face a shot before he was replaced by sophomore Joseph Palmer.
Double Duty
Freshman defenseman Shane Sims had an assist Saturday and now has 10 points on the year (1g, 9a), while junior defenseman Nick Biondo also had a helper and hit the 10-point mark with four goals and six assists. They are the ninth and 10th Buckeyes to hit the double-digit mark in points this year.
Eyes on the Buckeyes
Last Saturday, 8,099 fans watched the Buckeyes and Wildcats, marking the second-highest attendance for Ohio State this season, behind only the 9,195 vs. Michigan State Jan. 18.
Comeback Kids
The Buckeyes completed their sixth comeback win this season when they defeated Northern Michigan, 3-2, last Saturday. The Buckeyes trailed, 2-1, entering the third period before scoring twice in the final four minutes for the win.
The Buckeyes’ win vs. Bowling Green Feb. 2, when the team scored three unanswered goals for a 4-2 win, was the squad’s fifth come-from-behind win this season.
At Lake Superior State Jan. 25, the team scored two unanswered goals to come back from a 3-2 deficit for the 4-3 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.
The Buckeyes came from behind to win for the third time this season in the victory over Harvard Dec. 29. Against the Crimson, the Buckeyes were down 2-1 after the first before pulling out the 4-2 win.
At Alaska in their last game before break Dec. 15, 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.
Against Alaska Jan. 5, the teams were tied after two periods before Ohio State scored three times in the third for the win.
Shooting Gallery
The Buckeyes put 46 shots on net in their 2-0 shutout loss to Northern Michigan last Friday, marking the fifth time in six games the team had 35 shots on net. The 46 shots were the second-highest total for the team this season, behind the 48 vs. Mercyhurst in the season opener.
The Buckeyes held the Wildcats to 16 shots in their 3-2 victory last Saturday, tying for a Buckeye opponent season low (Nov. 24 at Western Michigan).
On the year, the Buckeyes are averaging 30.53 shots a game, while allowing 28.47.
Man-Up
The Buckeyes’ power-play goal by Peter Boyd in the third period vs. Northern Michigan broke an 0-for-15 streak with the man advantage. It was the team’s first PPG since Feb. 8 at Nebraska-Omaha.
15 Facts
Freshman John Albert is averaging a point a game over the last eight games (1g, 7a), with three two-point outings in the stretch. After a four-game scoreless streak Jan. 4-19, he has not gone more than one game without a point since and has been held off the scoresheet just three times.
Albert leads the Buckeyes with four game-winning assists, including the only assist on Tommy Goebel’s last-second gamewinner last Saturday. He shares the team lead in gamewinning points with classmate Peter Boyd with five each.
Up the Charts
Senior Tom Fritsche has 105 points as a Buckeye, with 31 goals and 74 assists, to tie for 43rd in program history. He is tied for second on the team with 17 points this year.
On the Scoresheet
After posting just two points in his first 22 games, senior defenseman Johann Kroll has a point in three of the last six games. He scored his first goal of the season (and since Nov. 25, 2006 at Rensselaer) at Nebraska-Omaha Feb. 9 and had an assist vs. Northern Michigan last Saturday.
50-cent
Buckeye seniors Tom Fritsche (105) and Tommy Goebel (109) each have hit the 100-point mark in their careers. Three other Buckeyes have reached the 50-point mark.
Senior defenseman Jason DeSantis has 55 points wearing the Scarlet and Gray, with 14 goals and 41 assists. Senior forward/defenseman Kyle Hood has 52 points (17g, 35a) as a Buckeye, while forward Matt McIlvane hit the 50-point (15g, 36a) mark vs. Lake Superior State. Goebel has 56 points in his Buckeye career, on 31 goals and 25 assists. He has 52 career collegiate goals and 57 career assists. Fritsche has 73 assists as a Buckeye.
The Young Ones
The Buckeyes have played at least 10 freshmen in 17 of the last 22 games. The team has had 11 freshmen play in two games, 10 freshmen play in 16 games, nine rookie skaters play in 12 games 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.
Steady
Six Buckeyes, including three freshmen, have played in all 34 games this season. Seniors Matt McIlvane, Jason DeSantis and John Dingle have appeared in every game, joined by 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 19 scoring a goal and 22 having an assist. Eighteen Buckeyes have at least one goal and one assist this year.
A Goalie on the Offense
Buckeye sophomore goalie Joseph Palmer has three assists this season, ranking second (tied) in program history, behind the four Mike Bales recorded in 1991.
Ohio State Season Assists by a Goalie
1. Mike Bales (1991) 4
2. Ray Aho (2000) 3
Roger Beedon (1986) 3
Dave Caruso (2005) 3
Todd Fanning (1990) 3
Jeff Maund (1998) 3
Joseph Palmer (2007) 3
Ohio State Career Assists By a Goalie
1. Mike Bales (1990-02) 8
2. Roger Beedon (1986-89) 5
Dave Caruso (2003-06) 5
Todd Fanning (1987-90) 5
5. Mike Betz (2001-04) 4
Bob Krautsak (1983-86)4
Jeff Maund (1998-99) 4
Looking Ahead
After the initial signing period, Red Line Report ranked the Buckeyes’ recruiting class for 2008-09 second nationally. Seven future Buckeyes signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to enroll in Ohio State and play for the Buckeyes in November.
Team USA
Buckeye sophomore goalie Joseph Palmer returned to the United States Jan. 6 after playing for the U.S. National Junior Team in the IIHF World Junior Championship. Palmer missed the Buckeyes’ games in the Ohio Hockey Classic and against Alaska while with Team USA.
Palmer saw action in two games for the Red, White and Blue. He played in the team’s last pool-play game and also appeared in the bronze medal game. Palmer played the final two periods vs. Russia in the medal-round game, stopping 16-of-17 shots he faced.
Palmer was the fifth Buckeye but first goalie to play for 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 fall 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.
All-Star Buckeye
Former Buckeye Mathieu (Matt) Beaudoin (2004-07) was one of 15 rookies selected to play for the American Conference in the ECHL All-Star Game earlier this season. A reserve forward, he scored a goal in the all-star game.
Beaudoin ranks fourth in the league and second among rookies with 58 points, including 33 goals and 25 assists.
In the Bigs
R.J. Umberger, a member of the Philadelphia Flyers this season, has played in 58 games and has 11 goals and 32 assists for 43 points, ranking third on the team in assists and fourth in points. A Buckeye from 2001-03, he has seen action in 212 career NHL games and has 47 goals, 62 assists and 109 points.
Former Buckeye and current Washington Capital Dave Steckel, who played for the Buckeyes from 2001-04, has played in 70 career NHL games, including 61 this season. He has 11 points, including five goals and six assists, this season.
Rod Pelley, a Buckeye from 2003-06, and a member of the New Jersey Devils this season, now has six points, on two goals and four assists, in 54 games this season. He played nine games for the Devils last season.
Ryan Kesler, the fourth former Buckeye currently in the NHL, has 14-12-26 totals in 58 games for the Vancouver Canucks this season. A Buckeye in 2003, he has played in 216 career games in the NHL, with 32 goals, 38 assists and 69 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 and has seen action in 54 games for the Phantoms this year, with 11 points and 118 penalty minutes. He has played in two NHL games this year after playing in nine a season ago.
Former Buckeyes Scott May (Binghamton Senators) and Tyson Strachan (Peoria Rivermen) 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.
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 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 will close out regular-season action vs. Miami next week. The teams will face off at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 26) in Value City Arena in Columbus and at 7:35 p.m. Friday (Feb. 29) in Steve Cady Arena in Oxford. The game at Miami will be televised live by CSTV.
