Buckeyes Back in B1G Play at Penn State – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 8, 2015
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State men’s hockey team returns to Big Ten action with two games at Penn State this weekend. The Buckeyes (6-9-2, 1-2-0-0 B1G) and Nittany Lions (9-6-2, 3-1-0-0 B1G) will meet at 7 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday in Pegula Ice Arena in State College, Pa.
Follow Along
- Both games will be produced by American Sports Network, available in select local outlets in Pennsylvania. The broadcast will also be on BTN2Go for smart phones, tablets and computers. Fans who receive BTN through their cable provider have access to games on BTN2Go.
- The Buckeyes’ radio broadcast will be on 1460 AM in Columbus and online on OhioStateBuckeyes.com through Buckeye Vision subscription packages. Herb Howenstine and former Buckeye Chris Olsgard will call the action.
- Gametracker live stats through can be accessed through OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
- In-game updates will be on Twitter @OhioState_MHKY.
- Audio, video and stats links for all Buckeye games this season are updated prior to each series on the Buckeye hockey gameday page: go.osu.edu/mhkygameday.
Buckeye Snapshot
- The Buckeyes are coming off a 6-3 win and 2-2 overtime tie at Mercyhurst last weekend in Erie, Pa. The team is 6-9-2 overall and 1-2-0-0 in the Big Ten.
- Ohio State is averaging 2.71 goals a game and allowing 3.12 goals a contest. The power play is 10-for-68 (.147) and the penalty kill is 44-for-56 (.786).
- Senior forward Tanner Fritz has a team-best 13 points, followed by sophomore Nick Schilkey with 11 and junior Anthony Greco, seniors Matt Johnson and Chad Niddery and freshman Matthew Weis with 10 each. Greco and Johnson share the team lead with eight goals each, followed by Fritz with six. Niddery and Weis both have a team-high eight assists, with Fritz, Schilkey and freshman Christian Lampasso tied for third with seven each.
- In goal, sophomores Christian Frey and Matt Tomkins have split most weekend starts. Tomkins has played in 11 games total (starting nine) and has a 2.82 goals-against average and .890 save percentage, along with a 4-5-1 record. Frey has started and played in eight games and has a 3.39 goals-against average and .902 save percentage, posting a 2-4-1 ledger.
Johnson Named B1G First Star
- Senior forward Matt Johnson was named the Big Ten First Star of the Week after leading the NCAA with four goals, including his first career hat trick, last week. It was the first career conference weekly award for Johnson.
- Johnson, who was recently tabbed an alternate captain for the Buckeyes, had three goals in the Buckeyes’ 6-3 win at Mercyhurst Friday and then scored in the squad’s 2-2 overtime tie vs. the Lakers Saturday. He recorded goals in the first, second and third periods Friday (including the gamewinner) for his first career hat trick and second multiple-goal game as a Buckeye. He was also a career-high tying +3 in the game one win.
- This season, Johnson has skated in 16 games and has a career-high eight goals (tying for fourth in the Big Ten), adding two assists for 10 points. He is on a five-game point streak, with a 6-1-7 line in the stretch.
Last Time Out – Buckeyes 1-0-1 at Mercyhurst
- The Buckeyes returned from their winter break with a 6-3 win and come from behind 2-2 overtime tie at Mercyhurst last weekend in the Snowtown Throwdown in Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pa. They were the Buckeyes’ final nonconference games of the regular season.
- Ohio State 6, Mercyhurst 3 (Friday): The Buckeyes posted a 6-3 win over Mercyhurst Friday. Ohio State led 3-0 after the first period on goals by Tanner Fritz, Matt Johnson and Nick Schilkey and extended the lead to 4-0 with Johnson’s second goal of the game 2:47 into the second period. The Lakers drew within two (4-2) with two goals in 57 seconds of the second (11:34 and 12:31). In the third, Matthew Weis scored on the power play for a 5-2 Buckeye lead and Phillippe Drouin tallied for Mercyhurst at 13:50 before Johnson completed his hat trick at 16:36 for the 6-3 final. Johnson’s linemates Chad Niddery and Christian Lampasso each had two assists in the win, while Schilkey and Weis both added an assist for a two-point night. Ohio State outshot Mercyhurst, 43-18, and was 1-for-5 on the power play, stopping two Laker chances.
- Ohio State 2, Mercyhurst 2 OT (Saturday): Ohio State and Mercyhurst skated to a 2-2 overtime tie Saturday afternoon to close the series. The Lakers scored on the power play with 19 seconds left in the first period for a 1-0 lead and then took a 2-0 lead at 1:16 of the second. At 10:50 of the middle stanza Johnson scored for the Buckeyes and at 11:32 of the third, junior Anthony Greco deadlocked the score. Neither team was able to score the rest of the way, with Ohio State outshooting Mercyhurst 4-2 in overtime. For the game, the Buckeyes had the edge in shots, 28-26. The Buckeyes were 0-for-4 on the power play, with the Lakers 1-for-3.
Buckeyes vs. Nittany Lions
- Ohio State leads the all-time series with Penn State, 3-2, with the series in State College tied at one win each.
- Last year was the first for the teams as conference foes. The Buckeyes swept Penn State, with 5-1 and 5-2 wins, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2014 in Columbus. The teams met in State College March 14-15, 2014 with Ohio State winning game one 4-2 and PSU claiming a 4-2 win in game two.
- The first matchup between the teams was Dec. 29, 2012 in the Three Rivers Classic at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, a 5-4 Nittany Lion win.
- Ohio State and Penn State will close the regular season series Feb. 27-28 in Value City Arena in Columbus.
Look at the Lions
- Penn State is 9-6-2 this year and stands in first place in the Big Ten with a 3-1-0 ledger. The team split a series at Michigan, with a 3-2 win and 8-1 loss Nov. 21-22 in Ann Arbor and then swept a road series at Wisconsin, 5-2 and 4-2, Dec. 5-6 in Madison, Wis. In their last time out the Nittany Lions suffered losses to Robert Morris (4-2) and Western Michigan (4-1) in the Three Rivers Classic in Pittsburgh Dec. 29-30. The games this weekend are the team’s first at home since sweeping Bentley Oct. 30-31 and open a six-game homestand.
- The Nittany Lions average 3.24 goals a game and are allowing 2.76 an outing. The power play is 16-for-67 (.239) and the penalty kill is 44-for-55 (.800).
- Casey Bailey leads the Big Ten with 11 goals and is tied for third in the league with 19 points. Taylor Holstrom is fifth in the conference with 18 points, ranking second with 14 assists. In goal, Matthew Skoff has played in 12 games and has a 2.45 goals-against average and .914 save percentage, along with a 6-4-2 ledger.
B1G Banter
- The Buckeyes end the regular season with 17-consecutive Big Ten Conference games. The team will take on Minnesota, Wisconsin and Penn State in two-game series on the road and at home, will travel for two games at Michigan State and has three games left vs. Michigan, with two in Columbus and one in Ann Arbor.
- Penn State (3-1-0) and Michigan State (1-2-1) have both played four B1G games, Michigan (2-1-0) and Ohio State (1-2-0) have played three and Minnesota (1-0-1) and Wisconsin (0-2-0) have each played one series. This weekend, in addition to the Buckeyes vs. Nittany Lions series, Minnesota travels for two games at Michigan.
- All six teams qualify for the Big Ten Tournament, which will be held March 19-21 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The tournament winner receives the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
- The Big Ten announced an extensive agreement with Madison Square Garden Dec. 9 that includes men’s basketball and hockey doubleheaders hosted by the legendary arena from 2016 through 2019. The four consecutive doubleheaders will feature conference competition held in late January or early February each year. The first doubleheader will include the Michigan and Penn State basketball and hockey teams playing at The Mecca Jan. 30, 2016.
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