CCHA Slate Opens for Buckeyes at Ferris State – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Drop the Puck
The Ohio State men’s hockey team (1-2-0) travels to Big Rapids, Mich., to face Ferris State (3-1) to open the Central Collegiate Hockey Association schedule for both teams. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Ewigleben Ice Arena.
A video and audio webcast of the game will be available through America One (formerly B2 Networks) for $7 per game; visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com to register (click on America One icon). Live stats can be accessed through the men’s hockey page on OhioStateBuckeyes.com. The new radio home of the Buckeyes, 1460 AM, will carry the game live in Columbus. Coverage is planned for OhioStateBuckeyes.com, but may not be in place by this weekend. Ferris State will have a free audio broadcast linked from its site. In-game updates will also be at Twitter.com/OhioState_MHKY.
Flashback
The Buckeyes dropped their home opener to Robert Morris, 4-3, Friday night in Value City Arena. After a scoreless first period that saw the Buckeyes kill four RMU power plays, the Colonials took a 2-0 lead with two quick goals at 7:15 and 8:34 of the second. The Buckeyes tied the game before the end of the period, as Sergio Somma scored his third goal in three games at 12:49 and Alex Lippincott netted his first career goal with 31 seconds left in the stanza. Robert Morris again went ahead at 5:52 of the third with a shorthanded tally, but the Buckeyes deadlocked the score at 3 on a C.J. Severyn power-play goal. The gamewinner came just 1:32 later when RMU tallied on a power play of its own.
Buckeye Snapshot
Ohio State is 1-2 this season after splitting a series at Quinnipiac to open the year. The team is averaging 2.67 goals a game while allowing 2.0. On the power play, the Buckeyes are 2-for-9 (22.2 percent) and on the penalty kill the team is 11-for-13 (84.6 percent). Senior forwards Sergio Somma and John Albert share the team lead with four points each. Somma has a team-best three goals, with Albert recording a squad-high three assists. In net Cal Heeter has started all three games, with a 2.04 goals-against average and .938 save percentage.
Buckeyes vs. Bulldogs
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series with Ferris State, 57-43-13, but trail in Big Rapids, 23-29-4. Last year on the Bulldogs’ home ice the Buckeyes lost 8-1 in the opener and the Bulldogs rallied to win in overtime in the second game, 6-5. The teams also met in Columbus, with the Buckeyes winning 5-3 and a tie in the season finale between the teams.
The teams will meet Feb. 24-25 in Columbus to wrap up the regular season.
Success vs. FSU
Buckeye senior Peter Boyd has a team-high nine assists and 11 points in eight career games vs. FSU. He has two career four-point games, both recorded vs. Ferris State last season. Nov. 21 in Big Rapids he had a career-best four assists, while Jan. 29 he had four points with a goal and three helpers.
Bulldog Banter
Ferris State enters the weekend 3-1. The squad opened the season with a split at Alabama-Huntsville (W 4-1, L 4-2) and then swept St. Lawrence at home last weekend (W 4-2, W 3-0). The team is scoring 3.25 goals a game while allowing 1.75. The squad is 4-for-16 on the power play (25 percent) and 14-for-17 (82.4 percent) on the penalty kill.
Senior Nate Hennig has a team-high three goals and is one of six Bulldogs with three points on the year. Six Ferris State players have two assists, while senior defenseman Zach Redmond and junior blueliner Chad Billins each have two goals. Senior Pat Nagle has all three wins in goal, with a 1.00 goals-against average and .951 save percentage. Junior Taylor Nelson has one start and allowed four goals.
Three for Three
Senior Sergio Somma has a goal in all three games to start the year and is first on the squad with three tallies. He added an assist vs. Robert Morris last Friday for his first helper of the year and first multiple-point game of 2010-11. He is the only Buckeye with a point in all three games this season. Somma tied for second on the squad with 15 goals a season ago and was the team’s top returning goal scorer.
Closing in on 100
Senior John Albert leads the current Buckeyes with 94 career points (22 goals, 72 assists), followed by classmate Peter Boyd with 90 (29 goals, 61 assists). The last Buckeye to reach the 100-point mark was Tom Fritsche in 2008. All-time, 51 Buckeyes have posted at least 100 points in their careers.
The Rookies
Five Buckeye freshmen have skated in at least two games this season. Forward Chris Crane tallied in the first period at Quinnipiac Oct. 9, assisted by classmate Travis Statchuk (and senior Kyle Reed), marking the first points for the team’s rookies this year. Alex Lippincott scored his first career goal against Robert Morris last Friday. Alex Szczechura has played in three games this year, with Curtis Gedig skating in both games vs. the Bobcats.
Two for 27
Sophomore defenseman Devon Krogh had the first two-assist game of his Buckeye career and his second career two-point game (Jan. 10 vs. Bowling Green) against Robert Morris last week. He is +1 in each game this season.
On the PK
The Buckeyes are 9-for-10 on the penalty kill in their last two games combined. The squad was 4-for-4 in the win at Quinnipiac and then allowed just one goal on six chances against Robert Morris. Against the Colonials, Ohio State stopped four chances in the first period, including on a major penalty.
Wearing the C
Seniors John Albert, Peter Boyd and Sergio Somma and junior Sean Duddy have been elected captains for the Ohio State men’s hockey team this season. The players, who were voted on by their teammates, will all wear ‘C’s on their jerseys for each game.
Boyd is a captain for the third time, donning a ‘C’ as a sophomore and serving as one of four alternate captains (with no ‘C’) last season. Somma earned an ‘A’ near the end of his sophomore campaign and joined Boyd with an ‘A’ on his jersey last year as well. This is the first time Albert and Duddy will have a letter on their jerseys at Ohio State.
Behind the Bench
The win over Quinnipiac was the first collegiate win for Ohio State head coach Mark Osiecki. He is joined behind the bench by associate head coach Steve Rohlik, assistant coach Steve Brent and volunteer assistant Layne LeBel. JB Bittner is the team’s video coordinator.
Osiecki, a winner on every level, was named head coach April 24, 2010. He was an assistant at Wisconsin the last six years after spending seven seasons as the head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL). Osiecki has been a part of NCAA (both as a player and coach), junior hockey, international and professional championship teams.
On the Road Again
Six of the team’s first seven games will be on the road to open 2010-11. After the series at Quinnipiac the team returned to Columbus for one game with Robert Morris. The squad now opens CCHA play with back-to-back road series at Ferris State and Northern Michigan. The first two-game set in Columbus will be against Alabama-Huntsville Nov. 5-6 and after a series at Michigan State will host its conference opener in Columbus against Alaska Nov. 26-27.
Heeter Honored
Ohio State junior goalie Cal Heeter was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Week after the series at Quinnipiac. Heeter allowed just two goals, making 69 saves, in a road series split at Quinnipiac and posted his second career shutout Saturday. It was his second league weekly honor (Jan. 29, 2010).
In the shutout in the second game vs. the Bobcats, Heeter stopped all 32 shots he faced, including 13 in the first period to help the Buckeyes jump out to a 3-0 lead. Friday Heeter had 37 saves on 39 shots as the Buckeyes dropped a 2-1 decision.
OSU to the CBJ
Former Buckeye Nate Guenin was called up to the Blue Jackets on an emergency recall Saturday and skated vs. the Minnesota Wild that night. He joined former Buckeye R.J. Umberger, who tallied the gamewinner shorthanded in the third period. It was the first time two Buckeyes played on the same team in an NHL game since Jan. 10, 2009 when David Steckel and Sean Collins skated for the Capitals.
Buckeyes in the Bigs
Six Buckeyes are on NHL opening-day rosters, ranking third among CCHA schools. Four NHL regulars from 2009-10 return to their squads for the new year – R.J. Umberger in Columbus, Dave Steckel in Washington, Ryan Kesler in Vancouver and Rod Pelley in New Jersey. Zac Dalpe, who left Ohio State in the spring after two seasons, earned a spot in Carolina’s lineup after his first training camp. Tyson Strachan is on the opening-day roster for St. Louis after playing eight games for the Blues a season ago.
Defensemen Nate Guenin, with the Blue Jackets, and Matt Bartkowski, with Boston, were two of the final players from their respective teams sent to the American Hockey League when NHL rosters had to be cut down. Bartkowski, like Dalpe, ended his Buckeye career after last season and was participating in his first NHL camp. He is currently with the Providence Bruins. Guenin cleared waivers and was with the Springfield Falcons.
Seventeen total former Buckeyes participated in NHL training camps this fall, with many now assigned to AHL squads – Corey Elkins (Manchester/Los Angeles), Sean Collins (Hershey/Washington), Johann Kroll (Hershey/Washington), Matt Beaudoin (San Antonio/Phoenix), Jason DeSantis (Wilkes-Barre Scranton/Pittsburgh) and Tom Fritsche (Lake Erie/Colorado). Joe Palmer was in the Chicago Blackhawks’ camp and now is with the Toledo Walleye in the ECHL. Dave Caruso began the 2010-11 campaign in the New Jersey Devils’ camp and now is with the Trenton Devils in the ECHL. Hunter Bishop, the third Buckeye to sign an NHL contract after 2009-10, was in camp with Montreal but is currently out with an injury.
Follow the Buckeyes
Ohio State men’s hockey games in 2010-11 will be available to fans both on the radio and the internet this year. The Ohio State Buckeyes Radio Network/IMG College will carry 25 regular season games and all postseason action involving the Buckeyes over the air at 1460 AM in Columbus and online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Video streams of nearly every Buckeye game will be available, typically on a pay-per-view basis. All Ohio State home games in Value City Arena that are not televised will be streamed either through BigTenNetwork.com or OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Road games will be available through the home team’s website, with some also streamed on OhioStateBuckeyes.com. (The only games not currently scheduled to have a video stream are Nov. 26-27 vs. Alaska from Nationwide Arena, but an audio feed will be available.)
Links to audio and video broadcasts, as well as live stats, will be available on the men’s hockey schedule page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com prior to the games each weekend.
The Buckeyes will have seven games on television this season, including four on the Big Ten Network. BTN will show three of the Buckeyes’ four games vs. Michigan, beginning Dec. 3 with a game in Value City Arena in Columbus. The network will televise both games from Ann Arbor, Mich., Feb. 11-12. Ohio State also will appear on BTN Feb. 4 when it hosts Michigan State. Ohio State also will appear on CBS College Sports Jan. 7 when it hosts Miami, as well as two road games on Comcast Television (Michigan State, Western Michigan)
Become a Fan and a Follower
Keep up with the Buckeyes on the internet. Weekly and special releases, statistics, biographies and more can be found on OhioStateBuckeyes.com, the official site of Ohio State athletics. The team has an official facebook page – facebook.com/OhioStateMensHockey, as well as a twitter feed – twitter.com/OhioState_MHKY.
Up Next
The Buckeyes will make the trek to Marquette, Mich., for a two-game series at Northern Michigan Oct. 29-30.
