Men’s Hockey: Ohio State Heads to Omaha for Two-Game CCHA Series with UNO Mavericks – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Ohio State
at Nebraska-Omaha
Friday, Feb.8 – 7:05 p.m. CT
Saturday, Feb. 9 – 7:05 p.m. CT
Qwest Center, Omaha, Neb.
The Series
2007-08 Series
Nebraska-Omaha leads 2-0-0
Nebraska-Omaha 5, at Ohio State 2 (Nov. 8, 2007)
Nebraska-Omaha 5, at Ohio State 2 (Nov. 9, 2007)
2006-07 Series
Tied 1-1-0
Ohio State 4, at Nebraska-Omaha 3 (Feb. 16, 2007)
at Nebraska-Omaha 2, Ohio State 1 OT (Feb. 17, 2007)
Series History
Tied 11-11-3
In Columbus
Ohio State leads 6-4-2
In Omaha, Neb.
Nebraska-Omaha leads 7-3-1
Neutral Site
Ohio State leads 2-0-0
CCHA Regular Season
Nebraska-Omaha leads 9-8-3
Postseason
Ohio State leads 3-2-0
Overtime
Nebraska-Omaha leads 2-1-3
Last 10
Nebraska-Omaha leads 5-3-2
Buckeye Bullets
Freshman Peter Boyd scored his team-best fourth gamewinning goal in the Buckeyes’ comeback victory over Bowling Green last Saturday. All four of his gamewinners have been in the third or overtime and each has capped a come-from-behind victory. He scored twice in 2:10 to put the Buckeyes ahead in the third period Saturday, marking the first multiple-goal game of his career.
Senior Tommy Goebel leads the Buckeyes in scoring by 11 points with 27 points on the year. He had an assist in the opener and a goal in game two vs. Bowling Green and is on a four-game scoring streak, with a 5-2-7 line. He now has 106 collegiate points, with 29-24-52 at Ohio State and a 21-32-53 line at Michigan State (2003-04, 04-05).
Freshman Todd Rudasill had a team season-best three assists in the win over Bowling Green Saturday in his first game after five-consecutive games as a healthy scratch. After not playing in the first seven games of the season, Rudasill made a splash in his first outing as a Buckeye, scoring twice.Faceoff
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State men’s hockey team (9-19-2, 5-14-1 CCHA) will face Nebraska-Omaha (12-13-3, 9-10-3 CCHA) in a two-game Central Collegiate Hockey Association series this weekend. The teams will meet at 7:05 p.m. CT Friday and Saturday at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.
The Broadcast
WOSU Radio (820 AM Columbus/wosu.org) will broadcast both of the Buckeyes’ games live this weekend, with Neil Sika (play-by-play) and former Buckeye Luke Pavlas (analysis) on the call.
The game Saturday will be televised live by CSTV, marking the Buckeyes’ first appearance on the network this season.
B2 Networks will broadcast both games online through a pay-per-view service ($6/game). More information is available at https://www.b2livetv.com/liveevents/Hockey/NCAA/CCHA/Nebraska-Omaha/billnow.asp.
A Buckeye Brief
The Buckeyes are 9-19-2 overall and 5-14-1 in Central Collegiate Hockey Association action this season. The team is averaging 2.5 goals a game, while allowing 3.4.
The Buckeyes have converted 15.9 percent of their power-play chances (23-145) and have stopped 81.8 percent of their opponents’ chances (126-154).
Senior Tommy Goebel has a team-best 17 goals and 27 points. Freshmen Peter Boyd and Sergio Somma are tied for second with seven goals each. Boyd and senior Tom Fritsche rank second in points with 16 each. Freshman John Albert has a team-high 13 assists, followed by Fritsche and senior Jason DeSantis with 12 each.
In net, sophomore Joseph Palmer has started 23 games, with a 3.28 goals-against average and .885 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
The Buckeyes split a home series with Bowling Green last weekend, losing, 5-2, last Friday and rebounding for a 4-2 victory last Saturdayin Value City Arena.
In the series opener Friday, Bowling Green scored twice in the final seven minutes of the first period to hold a 2-0 lead after one. Derek Whitmore opened the scoring at 13:01 and Kai Kantola added a goal at 19:19.
Buckeye junior Nick Biondo cut the Falcon lead to one (2-1) with a 4-on-4 goal at 15:19 of the second. The Falcons regained their two-goal edge on Jacob Cepis’ breakaway goal at 18:37.
Cepis added his second goal of the game just 49 seconds into the third to extend the Falcon lead to 4-1. Corey Toy then tallied at 16:34 to cut the Falcons’ lead to two (4-2). With 2:12 remaining, the Buckeyes went on the power play and the team pulled goalie Dustin Carlson for a 6-on-4 advantage. The Buckeyes were unable to convert, however, and Whitmore closed out the scoring with a shorthanded, empty-net goal with 27 seconds left.
For the game, the Buckeyes outshot the Falcons, 41-37. Neither team was able to score on the power play – OSU was 0-for-3 and BG was 0-for-6.
Saturday, freshman Peter Boyd scored twice in the final five minutes of regulation to give the Buckeyes a 4-2 comeback win.
The teams were tied after both the first and second periods. Biondo opened the scoring 4:33 into the game before BG’s James Perkin tied the score at 9:37. Tomas Petruska gave the Falcons the lead 3:19 into the second before OSU’s Tommy Goebel scored with 1:55 remaining in the period.
In the third, Boyd put the Buckeyes ahead at 15:39 and gave the squad a two-goal edge at 17:47.
The Buckeyes outshot the Falcons in the game, 44-29. Ohio State converted 1-of-4 power-play chances, while Bowling Green was 0-for-5.
OSU vs. UNO – The Series
The all-time series between the Buckeyes and Mavericks is tied, 11-11-3.
The teams are in the same CCHA scheduling cluster this season. In the first series this season in Columbus, the Mavericks swept the Buckeyes with two 5-2 wins Nov. 8-9 in Value City Arena.
On UNO Ice
In the series between Ohio State and Nebraska-Omaha in Omaha, the Mavericks lead 7-3-1.
The Buckeyes and Mavericks met in Omaha last season, splitting the two-game series in the Civic Auditorium, the former home of the Mavericks. Ohio State won the opener Feb. 16, 4-3, before UNO downed the Buckeyes in overtime, 2-1, Feb. 17.
The last time the squads met in the Mavericks’ new home, Qwest Center Omaha, Ohio State was 0-1-1 Nov. 19-20, 2004. UNO won the opener, 4-0, before the teams tied game two, 4-4. That series marks the only time the Buckeyes have played in the arena.
Buckeyes vs. Mavericks
Buckeye senior Tom Fritsche has a team-best three goals vs. the Mavericks. He and Matt McIlvane, who leads the team with three assists vs. UNO, each have four career points vs. Nebraska-Omaha.
Maverick Minute
Nebraska-Omaha enters the series with the Buckeyes 12-13-3 on the year and 9-10-3 in the CCHA. The team faced off against Michigan State on the road last weekend, winning the opener in overtime, 5-4 on Dan Charleston’s OT goal, before falling in game two, 4-2.
The Mavericks are averaging 3.18 goals a game to rank 10th in the NCAA, while allowing 3.50. The squad is second nationally on the power play, converting 24 percent of its chances (36/150). The team has stopped 84.9 percent of its opponents’ chances (129-152).
UNO senior Bryan Marshall is fourth in the NCAA, averaging 1.46 points a game, and leads the country in assists per game (1.04). He has 12 goals, 29 assists and 41 points this season, ranking second nationally in points.
Senior Mick Lawrence is 10th in the NCAA with .65 goals a game, with a team-best 17 tallies, and is second nationally with 12 power-play goals. Lawrence is second in points with 27, followed by Charleston with 24 points (10g, 14a).
In net, Jerad Kaufman has played in 19 games, with a 2.95 goals-against average, .886 save percentage and 10-7-2 ledger.
Mike Kemp, a 1975 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus and the only coach in Nebraska-Omaha Division I history, has a school and career ledger of 174-200-48 in 10-plus years.
Home Again
Buckeye freshman defenseman Corey Toy spent the last three years in Omaha as a member of the Omaha Lancers in the United States Hockey League. He played in 167 career games for the Lancers, posting 12 goals, 31 assists and 42 points, along with 279 penalty minutes. He graduated from Omaha’s Millard North High School in 2006. Toy grew up in Round Hill, Va., before moving to Omaha for hockey.
Freshman forward Patrick Schafer, a Hilliard, Ohio, native, also played for the Omaha Lancers, spending the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons with the squad. He played in 63 games last year, with 20 goals, 18 assists and 38 points
Toy, Schafer and the Lancers won the USHL West Division Championship last season.
Goebel Good Stuff
Senior Tommy Goebel has a team-high and career-best 17 goals this season and also leads the squad with 27 points, 11 more than the next closest Buckeyes.
Overall, Goebel ranks 10th in the CCHA in points and sixth in goals this season. He is 13th nationally in goals per game (.61).
Goebel also has a team-high eight power-play tallies, tying for fifth nationally and for fourth among conference players.
Goebel’s goal vs. Bowling Green last Saturday was the 50th tally of his collegiate career. He now has 106 points as a Division I player, with a 29-24-52 line at Ohio State and 21-32-53 line at Michigan State (2003-04, 04-05).
Clutch
Rookie Peter Boyd has four clutch game-winning goals this season.
He scored with less than five minutes remaining vs. Bowling Green last Saturday as Ohio State came back from a 2-1 deficit to win 4-2. The week earlier 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 gamewinning score vs. Mercyhurst in the season opener, scoring in the third period of the 2-1 come-from-behind win.
Boyd is tied for sixth in the country and fifth in the CCHA in gamewinning goals this year.
Trifecta
Freshman Todd Rudasill had a career-best three assists and points in the Buckeyes’ win over Bowling Green last Saturday. It matched the Buckeyes’ team season high, set first by Kyle Reed vs. Robert Morris Nov. 16 and matched by Tommy Goebel at Lake Superior State Jan. 26.
It was the Buckeyes’ first three-assist game since Andrew Schembri had three helpers vs. Michigan Feb. 24, 2007.
Comeback Kids
The Buckeyes’ win vs. Bowling Green last Saturday, when the team scored three unanswered goals for a 4-2 win, was the squad’s fifth come-from-behind win this season and the second in two weeks.
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.
On the PK
One week after giving up five power-play goals at Lake Superior State, the Buckeyes held Bowling Green scoreless on all 11 extra-man chances in the series last weekend, including a 6-on-3 advantage with the BG net empty in the final 31 seconds Saturday.
50-cent
Buckeye seniors Tom Fritsche (104) and Tommy Goebel (106) 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 51 points (17g, 34a) as a Buckeye, while forward Matt McIlvane hit the 50-point (15g, 36a) mark vs. Lake Superior State. Goebel has 53 points in his Buckeye career, on 29 goals and 24 assists. He has 50 career collegiate goals and 56 career assists. Fritsche has 73 assists as a Buckeye.
Two for No. 2
Senior defenseman Jason DeSantis is on a four-game scoring streak (1-3-4) and has a point in eight of the last 10 games, including an assist in each game vs. Bowling Green. He leads the Buckeye blueliners with 15 points, including 10 assists, this year.
Back-to-Back
After scoring his first career goal vs. Lake Superior State Jan. 26, freshman defenseman Corey Toy added his second goal of the season in his next time out vs. Bowling Green last Friday. He now has five points this season.
No. 8
Senior Tom Fritsche had an assist in each game vs. Bowling Green and now has 104 points as a Buckeye, with 31 goals and 73 assists, to tie for 45th in program history. He is tied for second on the team with 16 points this year.
Help from 15
Freshman John Albert kept the team assist lead with a helper in the win vs. BG last Saturday. He leads the Buckeyes with 13 assists this year.
Over the Hill
The Buckeyes put more than 40 shots on goal in each game vs. Bowling Green. The team had 44 shots vs. BG last Saturday, the second-highest total this season, and put 41 shots on net last Friday.
The team has 30 or more shots in eight of the last 10 games.
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.
Steady
Six Buckeyes, including three freshmen, have played in all 30 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 18 scoring a goal and 21 having an assist. Sixteen Buckeyes have at least one goal and one assist this year.
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 last week. A reserve forward, he scored a goal in the all-star game.
Beaudoin ranks seventh in the league with 50 points, including 26 goals and 24 assists.
BTN Broadcast Cancelled
The Buckeyes’ game vs. Northern Michigan Feb. 16 will no longer be televised by the Big Ten Network. The Buckeyes made their only appearance on the network vs. Michigan State last Friday.
The Young Ones
The Buckeyes have dressed at least 10 freshmen in 14 of the last 18 games. The team has had 11 freshmen play in two games, 10 freshmen play in 13 games, nine rookie skaters play in 11 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.
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).
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 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.
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.
In the Bigs
R.J. Umberger, a member of the Philadelphia Flyers this season, has played in 49 games and has nine goals and 27 assists for 36 points, ranking third on the team in assists and fourth in points. A Buckeye from 2001-03, he has seen action in 203 career NHL games and has 45 goals, 57 assists and 102 points.
Former Buckeye and current Washington Capital Dave Steckel, who played for the Buckeyes from 2001-04, has played in 62 career NHL games, including 53 this season. He has nine points, including four goals and five assists, this season. He made his NHL debut in Columbus Tuesday night when the Capitals faced the Blue Jackets.
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 53 games this season. He played nine games for the Devils last season.
Ryan Kesler, the fourth former Buckeye currently in the NHL, has 13-10-23 totals in 51 games for the Vancouver Canucks this season. A Buckeye in 2003, he has played in 209 career games in the NHL, with 31 goals, 36 assists and 67 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 46 games for the Phantoms this year. 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.
Goebel Honored by CCHA
Senior forward Tommy Goebel was named the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Jan. 28. Parma, Ohio, native Goebel led the Buckeyes in their series split at Lake Superior State Jan. 25-26, posting four goals and five points in the two games combined.
In the series opener, Goebel scored twice and was the first star of the game. In the team’s come-from-behind 4-3 win, he tied the game twice. His first goal came with 44 seconds left in the second period and tied the game at 2. He then scored on the power play in the third to knot the score at 3. Goebel also drew the penalty that created the power play the Buckeyes converted for the gamewinner with just eight seconds remaining.
In the Buckeyes’ 6-5 overtime loss in the series finale, Goebel scored three points, on two goals and an assist, to match his career high and set a personal best as a Buckeye. He set up Ohio State’s second goal that cut the LSSU lead to 3-2 in the second and scored a goal of his own later in the period to make the score 4-3. In the third, Goebel’s goal tied the game at 5 at the 7:12 mark.
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 return home for their final two-game home series of the regular season. The team will host Northern Michigan at 7:05 p.m. Feb. 15-16 in Value City Arena.
