No. 2 Buckeyes vs. No 13/15 Michigan This Weekend – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/10/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 10, 2012
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 13/15 Michigan
Friday, Jan. 13 – 7:35 p.m.
Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
TV: BTN | Radio: 1460 AM/Online | Live stats
Sunday, Jan. 15 – 5:05 p.m.
The Frozen Diamond Faceoff
Progressive Field – Cleveland, Ohio
TV: FSDetroit Plus, FSOhio, BTN (9 p.m.) | Radio: 1460 AM (delayed)/Online | Live stats
Video Previews: Coach Osiecki | Players (Cal Heeter & Sean Duddy)
Buckeye Slapshots
• Ohio State will be playing in its second outdoor game Sunday. Its first was Feb. 11, 2006 against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Second-year Buckeye head coach Mark Osiecki was on the Badger staff for that game and also coached the Badgers in their outdoor game vs. Michigan at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
• The Buckeyes are second in the country in winning percentage (.738) and rank second (tied) in wins with 14. The squad is 12-1-3 in its last 16 outings.
• Ohio State senior goalie Cal Heeter ranks fourth nationally in winning percentage (.794) and save percentage (.932) and is ninth in goals-against average (2.02).
• As a team, the Buckeyes are fourth in the NCAA in defense, holding opponents to 2.05 goals an outing. The squad has allowed more than two goals just twice in the last 16 games, with one of those games a 6-5 victory at Michigan.
• Ohio State’s 12-member freshman class ranks second nationally in scoring with 77 points, led by Ryan Dzingel with 17. The group has eight of the squad’s 14 gamewinning goals this year.
Drop the Puck
The No. 2-ranked Buckeyes (14-4-3, 10-3-3-1 CCHA) will host No. 13/15 Michigan (12-8-4, 6-6-4-1 CCHA) at 7:35 p.m. Friday in Value City Arena in Columbus. Sunday, the teams will meet at 5:05 p.m. in The Frozen Diamond Faceoff outdoors at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
Follow Along
The game Friday will be televised live by BTN. Dan Kelly will provide the play-by-play, Rob Andringa will provide commentary and Lisa Byington will be on the sideline.
The Sunday matchup will be televised on FSDetroit Plus and FSOhio, with a tape-delayed broadcast at 9 p.m. on BTN. Matt Shepard will call the action, Darren Eliot and Billy Jaffe will provide commentary and Shannon Hogan and Dionne Miller will be on the sideline.
Ohio State/IMG Radio will carry the action live online on OhioStateBuckeyes.com for both games, with Herb Howenstine and former Buckeye John Mowat on the call. Coverage of the game Friday will be over the air on 1460 AM beginning at 7:25 p.m. Sunday, 1460 AM will air the hockey game on a delayed basis, beginning after the conclusion of the coverage of the 4 p.m. Ohio State women’s basketball game at Michigan State.
The Buckeye Hockey Gameday page (go.osu.edu/mhkygamecenter) has links to audio and live stats for both games this weekend. There is no video streaming for the series vs. the Wolverines.
Records and Standings
The Buckeyes are 14-4-3 on the year, ranking second nationally in winning percentage (.738) and tying for second in wins. Ohio State remains in first place in the CCHA, with a seven-point advantage over second-place Notre Dame and Western Michigan (with two more games played). With games played even, the Buckeyes are nine points up on fourth-place Lake Superior State and 10 points ahead of the teams tied for fifth place, Miami and Northern Michigan.
In the Rankings
The Buckeyes are ranked No. 2 in the USCHO.com, USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine and InsideCollegeHockey.com polls for the second-consecutive week. It is the highest ranking in the polls since the team was ranked second (by USA Today) in October 2005. The squad was ranked first nationally in the WMPL-Radio coaches poll in November and December 1983.
Buckeye Brief
The Buckeyes are fourth nationally in team defense, holding opponents to 2.05 goals a game, while scoring 3.14 an outing to rank 19th in the NCAA. The power play is 21st nationally, with 21 goals on 102 chances (20.6 percent) and the penalty kill is ranked eighth, allowing 12 goals on 95 chances (87.4 percent). The squad’s 14 wins are tied for second in the country and the team is second in winning percentage (.738). The Buckeyes are 12-1-3 in the last 16 games, dating to Oct. 21, and are unbeaten in their last four games (2-0-2).
Buckeye sophomore Chris Crane leads the squad with 12 goals and 21 points, with senior Danny Dries second with 11 goals and 18 points. Freshman Ryan Dzingel is third with 17 points and has a team-best 12 assists, followed by senior Sean Duddy with 11 helpers.
Buckeye Bash Sunday In Cleveland
Sunday, the Ohio State Alumni Association will host a FREE Buckeye Bash pep rally at Tower City in partnership with the Cleveland Hard Rock Café. The rally will feature Ohio State special guests, the Ohio State University Marching Band, cheerleaders, Brutus Buckeye, and more.
The pep rally is scheduled from 2:30-3:30, and prior Buckeye fans can gather from noon-2 p.m., with food and drink specials available at Hard Rock Café throughout the afternoon. The Bash is free and open to all fans and no registration is necessary. For more information, click HERE.
Fan Fest Saturday
Saturday, the Indians will host The Frozen Diamond Faceoff from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Progressive Field during Indians Snow Days. Admission to the fan fest is $5 and grants fans access to meet and greets with Ohio State and Michigan players and select Lake Erie Monsters players. Fans can watch the Ohio State women’s club hockey team take on Michigan State and both Ohio State and Michigan’s team practices will be open to the public. Throughout the day the CCHA, along with Ohio State and Michigan, will hold giveaways and raffles. Ohio State will hold a signing in the terrace club from 2:30-3 p.m., with the Buckeyes’ practice running from 4:30-5:30 p.m. A full schedule and more details are available HERE.
More Cowbell
At the game in Value City Arena Friday night, cowbells will be handed out to the first 2,000 fans.
Script Ohio on Ice!
The Ohio State band will be performing Script Ohio on Ice after the first period of the Buckeyes’ game vs. Michigan Sunday in Cleveland.
Last Time Out
The Buckeyes skated to two ties at Bowling Green last weekend, rallying for a 2-2 tie Saturday night and then finishing in a 1-1 deadlock Sunday. The Falcons won both shootouts to pick up an extra point in the CCHA standings each night.
With goals from freshmen Al McLean and Max McCormick in the final 3:48 of regulation, along with 35 saves from senior Cal Heeter, Ohio State came from behind for a 2-2 overtime tie at Bowling Green Saturday night The Falcons won the shootout, 2-1 in three rounds. Bowling Green controlled play through much of the game, with early goals in both the first and second periods. In the third, McLean and McCormick scored for the Buckeyes in a 1:23 span to tie the game at 2.
Sunday, Ohio State took a 1-0 lead in the second period on a Chris Crane goal, assisted by Max McCormick and Ryan Dzingel. The Buckeyes held the lead until the Falcons were able to convert a 6-on-4 advantage with a power play and the net empty, scoring with 56 seconds remaining. The shootout went to five rounds, with BG winning 2-1. Nick Oddo scored for the Buckeyes in the shootout. In the game, Heeter had a season-best 38 saves.
Buckeyes vs. Wolverines
The Buckeyes trail the all-time series with Michigan, 33-68-11, but posted a two-game sweep earlier this season at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich., Nov. 18-19 with two one-goal wins (2-1, 6-5). In Columbus, Michigan leads 29-16-5. Michigan leads 4-3 in neutral-site games, with all seven at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The last seven games between the teams have each been decided by one goal.
Wolverine Wisdom
Michigan enters the weekend on a seven-game unbeaten streak (5-0-2), including a 1-0-1 record at home vs. Lake Superior State last weekend. The squad is averaging 3.50 goals a game to rank sixth nationally and allows 2.54 a contest. The power play is 14-for-90 (.156) and the penalty kill is 80-for-99 (.808). Senior David Wohlberg and freshman Alex Guptill share the team goal lead with 10 each and Wohlberg and junior Chris Brown (8g, 13a) are tied for the team point lead with 21 each. Junior defenseman Lee Moffie is first with 16 assists. In net Shawn Hunwick has a 12-7-3 record, with a 2.38 goals-against average and .918 save percentage.
Flashback – Ohio State vs. Michigan in Ann Arbor
Earlier this season, Ohio State won two one-goal games at Michigan, with a 2-1 win in the opener and 6-5 victory in game two.
In the first game Nov. 18, Buckeye freshman Darik Angeli’s second goal of the game broke a one-all tie in the third period and senior Cal Heeter had 29 saves in the victory. Michigan took a lead at 15:26 of the first period but the advantage stood for just 2:16 before Angeli tied the game. Neither team was able to score in the second, with each squad stopping two power play chances, including Ohio State holding the Wolverines scoreless on a shortened major power play in the stanza. In the third, Angeli gave Ohio State its first lead of the night with a goal from a sharp angle at 7:53. Ohio State was able to hold the Wolverines off the rest of the way, including stopping two power-play chances in the final 50 seconds with the UM net empty.
With 11 points combined from the trio of Alex Lippincott, Ryan Dzingel and Chris Crane, Ohio State skated to a 6-5 win over Michigan Nov. 19 in game two. For the second-consecutive game, Michigan opened the scoring, but Ohio State scored twice in less than three minutes for a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period. Lippincott tallied at 6:25 before Crane’s goal at 9:04 for the Buckeyes. At 1:54 of the second period, Michigan tied the game at 2-all. Dzingel then scored twice in a 16-second span with Ohio State on a major power play, giving the Buckeyes a 4-2 lead. The Wolverines netted a power-play goal of their own at 12:03 to draw within one, but a goal from Buckeye Max McCormick at 15:58 gave Ohio State a two-goal lead through 40 minutes. The Wolverines again scored early, tallying a shorthanded goal at 1:46 of the third period to make the score 5-4. Ohio State again responded to a Michigan goal quickly, as Lippincott scored 3:02 later with the Buckeyes on the power play for a 6-4 lead. The Wolverines made it a one-goal game for the sixth time with a tally at 18:20, but the Buckeyes skated to the 6-5 victory, holding off the Wolverines while their net was empty for the extra attacker. Lippincott and Dzingel each had two goals, two assists and four points in the win to set career highs, while Crane had a goal and two assists for a three-point night. It was the Buckeyes’ first sweep at Michigan since Feb. 14-15, 1986.
Noting the Ohio State Squad
• Ohio State is playing its seventh game in Cleveland and first since a 7-4 victory over Robert Morris Dec. 6, 2008 at Quicken Loans Arena. Prior to that game, the Buckeyes last played in Cleveland during the College Hockey Showcase Dec. 29-30, 1992, when the Buckeyes lost to Maine, 9-4, and beat Cornell, 3-0, at the Richfield Coliseum. The Buckeyes also played in Cleveland in holiday tournaments in 1971 and 72. In 1971 the team lost to Yale, 2-1, Dec. 20 before beating Princeton in overtime, 3-2, Dec. 22. The team was 1-1 in 1972, with a 7-2 loss to Michigan State and 9-7 win over Bowling Green Dec. 18-19. The squad is 4-3 in games played in Cleveland all-time.
• The Buckeyes have held opponents to two goals or less in 14 of the last 16 games. The squad is fourth nationally in team defense giving up 2.05 goals an outing. Ohio State has allowed more than three goals just four times this year.
• Ohio State has trailed by a goal in six of its last eight wins, allowing the first goal in each contest. The squad is 7-1-2 when scoring first this year and 7-3-1 when the other team opens the scoring. At Bowling Green last Friday, the squad was down 2-0 before scoring twice in the final four minutes to tie the Falcons.
• Ohio State has scored 26 third-period goals to go along with 19 in the first and 20 in the second period. The squad has given up just 11 second-period goals this year, allowing 14 goals in the first and 18 in the third. The team ranks fifth in the nation in scoring margin (+1.10).
• The Buckeyes are 8-1-0 when leading after the first period this year and 4-1-2 when tied after 20 minutes. After 40 minutes, the squad is 8-0-1 when ahead and 6-1-1 when tied. The squad’s losing record (0-3-1) is when it is behind after the second.
• The Buckeye penalty kill is eighth nationally, stopping 83-of-95 opponent chances (.874). Since Oct. 28, a stretch of 14 games, the team has allowed just six goals on 53 opportunities (.887). The team was 5-for-6 at Bowling Green last week, including a 4-for-4 performance in game one. Ohio State averages 12.9 penalty minutes a game to rank 32nd in the NCAA and has faced two or less power plays in five games this year.
• The Buckeyes’ nine-game winning streak that ended with a 5-3 loss to Miami Dec. 9 was the longest since an 11-game winning streak Nov. 22, 2008-Jan. 16, 2009. The 11-game unbeaten streak was the longest since the team was unbeaten in 13 games Nov. 22, 2008-Jan. 23, 2009. The team’s previous loss was Oct. 20 at Michigan State.
• In the Perani Cup standings, awarded for three star of the game honors in CCHA play only, Chris Crane leads the Buckeyes and the CCHA with 19 points. Cal Heeter is second for the Buckeyes (and tied for sixth in the league) with 16 points, followed by Danny Dries with 12. In all, 13 Buckeyes have been named a star of the game at least once this season, with Crane and Heeter honored in six contests. Complete Perani Cup standings are online at collegehockeystats.net/perani.
• Buckeyes on scoring streaks entering the series vs. Michigan: Max McCormick (2g, 1-2-3) and Chris Crane (3g, 2-1-3).
• Ohio State players have earned seven league player of the week nods, led by Cal Heeter, a two-time CCHA Goaltender of the Week. Nick Oddo, the league’s rookie of the month for December, joins Max McCormick and Ryan Dzingel as rookie of the week selections, Alex Lippincott was named the offensive player of the week and Devon Krogh has been lauded as the league’s defenseman of the week.
Between the Pipes
|• Senior goalie Cal Heeter is 12-2-3 on the year, ranking second in the NCAA in save percentage (.932) and winning percentage (.794), coming in ninth in goals-against average (2.02). His 12 wins rank third and he has posted two shutouts. Heeter has allowed two or fewer goals in 12 of his last 14 games, with two shutouts and five games with just one goal against. He had a 10-game unbeaten streak and eight-game winning streak ended against Miami Dec. 9.
• Heeter has 30+ saves in each of his last four games, including a season-high 38 Sunday vs. Bowling Green. • Fan voting for the 2012 Hobey Baker Award is now open and Heeter is on the ballot. To vote for Cal, visit http://go.osu.edu/voteforcal_hobeybaker.
• Heeter has moved into a tie for ninth in the Buckeye record book with 38 wins, four behind eighth-place Jeff Maund. Heeter has 2,098 career saves to close in on the Top 10 (Roger Beedon, 2,154).
• Junior Brady Hjelle, who transferred to Ohio State entering this year, has started three games for the Buckeyes and has seen action in four games, with a 2-2 record. He has a 1.83 goals-against average, .942 save percentage and one shutout. His last action came Dec. 10 at Miami, a 3-2 win in overtime.
On the Blue Line
• As a team, Ohio State is tied for 10th in the NCAA in scoring among defensemen with 50 points. Junior Devon Krogh and senior Sean Duddy leads the Buckeye blueliners with 11 points each, followed by sophomore Curtis Gedig with 10 points. Freshmen Ben Gallacher and Al McLean each have seven points, with classmates Justin DaSilva and Clark Cristofoli posting three and one assists, respectively.
• Senior defenseman and co-captain Sean Duddy has 11 assists this season after entering the year with nine helpers (and 10 points) in his career. He had a seven-game assist streak ended in game two at Bowling Green but has an assist in nine of his last 12 outings. In conference play, Duddy is tied for third in the CCHA with 10 assists and ranks second among defensemen with 10 points in league action.
• Buckeye blueliners Devon Krogh and Curtis Gedig each have eight points in conference play to tie for eighth among CCHA defensemen in scoring.
• Gedig is closing in on the 12 points he set as a freshman with a 2-8-10 line this year.
• Krogh has hit double-digits for the first time in his career with the Scarlet and Gray, recording 11 points so far this year with a career-best nine assists.
Returnees Up Front
• Sophomore Chris Crane leads the Buckeyes with 12 goals and 21 points this year, tying for fourth in the CCHA in points and ranking third in the league in goals. He had just four goals and 10 points in 37 games a year ago. In conference play Crane has a league-best 10 goals and is second with 17 points. He has a point in seven of the last eight games , with a goal in six of those outings.
• Senior Danny Dries is closing in on the 100-point mark for his collegiate career, entering the Michigan series with 47 goals and 47 assists for 94 points in 128 games. He spent his first two seasons at New Hampshire, where he had 49 points in 71 games, and has 45 points in 57 games as a Buckeye.
• Dries is second in both goals (11) and points (18) for the Buckeyes this year, four goals shy of the career-high 15 he had a season ago and is looking for his fourth 20-point season. He is tied for fourth in the CCHA in goals overall and ranks second (tied) in conference play with eight. Dries, has a team-best six multiple-point games this year, including a hat trick and four-point night at Alabama-Huntsville Nov. 4.
• Senior co-captain Cory Schneider enters the series with Michigan with 98 career games played.
• Sophomore Alex Lippincott, the lone Buckeye from the Cleveland area, has 16 career points in 47 games played, with identical 4-4-8 lines each season.
Noting the Newcomers
• The Buckeye freshmen are second in the NCAA in scoring with 77 points. Ohio State’s rookies are also second in the country in points per game by freshmen (3.67). Mercyhurst is first in both categories (93 points, 4.23 points per game).
• Freshmen have eight of the Buckeyes’ 14 game-winning goals this year, led by Darik Angeli, who is tied for ninth nationally with three. Ryan Dzingel and Nick Oddo each have two GWG and Chad Niddery scored the OT winner Dec. 10 at Miami. Rookie defenseman Ben Gallacher recorded the Buckeyes’ game-tying goal vs. Alaska Oct. 27 and McCormick had the game-tying goal last Saturday at Bowling Green.
• In conference games, three of the top seven rookie point scorers in the CCHA this season are from Ohio State – Ryan Dzingel is second, Darik Angeli is fourth and Max McCormick is tied for fifth. Ben Gallacher and Nick Oddo are tied for 10th, with Al McLean tied for 20th. Gallacher is tied for the rookie defensemen scoring lead, with McLean tied for third.
• Freshman defenseman Al McLean’s goal Saturday at Bowling Green was the first of his career. McLean is +1 or better in each of his last five games and is +9 on the year to tie for second on the squad.
• Rookie Max McCormick had a hand in all three Buckeye goals at Bowling Green, with a goal and assist Saturday and an assist Sunday. It was his second career multiple-point game and first since a three-point night at Notre Dame Oct. 15. McCormick, who has played in 13 games after missing time early with an injury, has nine points this year with three goals and six assists.
• Freshman forward Nick Oddo has a point in seven of his last 12 games, including a four-game point streak 3-2-5) Dec. 3-30.
• Ryan Dzingel is first on the squad with 12 assists and ranks third with 17 points. Among league freshmen, he is tied for second in the CCHA in points overall and in conference games only (12). Dzingel is tied for 15th in the NCAA in rookie points per game (.85).
• Nine of the 12 Buckeye rookies have scored a goal this season, with all 11 rookies who have played in more than two games posting at least one collegiate point.
• Darik Angeli, who had an assist at Bowling Green last Saturday, is eighth in the CCHA in rookie scoring with 11 points, while he is fourth in CCHA games only with nine points.
• Rookie defenseman Ben Gallacher is tied for third among rookie blueliners with seven points this year. In CCHA games only, Gallacher is tied for first among rookie defensemen with six points.
• Thirteen new faces are on the Buckeye roster this year, with 12 freshmen and a junior goalie. All 13 have seen action in at least two games, with 11 playing in more than eight contests.
• The freshmen range in age from 18 (Riley Simpson, who turned 18 at the end of November) to 21 (Chad Niddery, Darik Angeli, Nick Oddo, Justin DaSilva). Simpson is the youngest player in the CCHA (according to collegehockeystats.net). There were nine 18-year olds playing in the league at the start of the season.
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. To receive weekly email updates about the team, email BuckeyeHockeyReport@buckeyes.ath.ohio-state.edu.
Up Next
Ohio State will return home for a series with Ferris State Jan. 20-21 in Value City Arena. The squad will also host Michigan State Feb. 3-4 and Miami Feb. 24 in VCA during the second half of the regular season.
