10/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Oct. 21, 2015
PDF Release
Friday: Stats | Video | Audio
Saturday: Stats | Video | Audio
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s hockey team hits the road for two games at No. 3 ranked and defending NCAA champion Providence this weekend. The Buckeyes and Friars will meet at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Schneider Arena in Providence, R.I.
Follow Along
• Both games of the series will be streamed for a fee through CoxHub.com.
• Friars.com will have a radio broadcast online for both games.
• Live stats will be available for the matchups, along with in-game updates on Twitter @OhioState_MHKY.
• All links can be found on the men’s hockey schedule page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com and on the team’s gameday page (go.osu.edu/mhkygameday).
Buckeyes vs. Friars
• Ohio State and Providence have met five times, with all five matchups in Columbus.
• The teams first faced off Nov. 4-5, 1977, with Ohio State posting 8-4 and 6-4 victories. In 1990, the Friars won 7-4 Dec. 21.
• Last year, the teams opened the season with two games in Columbus, splitting overtime decisions. The Buckeyes won game one, 5-4, Oct. 10, 2014, before a 2-1 Providence win Oct. 11, 2014.
• Ohio State has played three games in Providence, R.I., in its history. In the 2003 NCAA East Regional Semifinal at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Ohio State lost to Boston College, 1-0. Nov. 29-30, 1974, the Buckeyes were swept by Brown (9-3 and 6-2) in Providence.
Friar Facts
• Providence is the defending NCAA champion after topping Boston University, 4-3, in the 2015 title game. The squad was 26-13-2 last year, including 13-6-0 at home.
• The Friars are ranked third in this week’s USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey magazine polls.
• This season, the Friars are 2-0-1, opening the campaign with a 7-3 win and 2-2 overtime tie at Miami before downing Holy Cross, 4-1, last Saturday in Providence.
• The Friars are averaging 4.3 goals per game this season, while allowing 2.0 an outing. The power play is 2-for-13 (.154) and the penalty kill is 13-for-14 (.929).
• Mark Jankowski leads Providence with seven points and five assists through the first three games. Trevor Mingoia has four assists and six points to rank second, while Jankowski, Mingoia and Jake Walman have all scored twice for the Friars. In goal, Nick Ellis has a 1.95 goals-against average and .929 save percentage while starting all three games.
• Providence is a member of Hockey East, where it is joined by Boston College, Boston University, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, UMass Lowell, Merrimack, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Notre Dame and Vermont.
Buckeyes vs. Friars in 2014-15
• In its first series of the 2014-15 season, Ohio State won and lost in overtime against No. 3-ranked Providence in Value City Arena.
• Game One – Ohio State 5, Providence 4 OT (Oct. 10, 2014): In its season opener, Ohio State came from a goal down four times to force overtime. Just 28 seconds into the extra session, Anthony Greco gave the Buckeyes the win, scoring his third goal – and the Buckeyes’ third power play tally – of the game. The Buckeyes recorded the game’s final two goals, with Tanner Fritz, who had two goals and two assists, tying the game at four at 12:10 of the third period. The Buckeyes gave up the first goal at 13:44 of the first period, but answered just 19 seconds later. Providence scored late for a 2-1 lead after the first 20 minutes. Greco tallied at 6:48 of the second to tie the game at two, but another late Friar goal gave PC a 3-2 advantage heading into the third. At 3:15 of the third, Fritz tied the game but Providence responded at 8:18 for a 4-3 edge. Fritz then deadlocked the score at four at 12:10 and Greco gave the Buckeyes their only lead of the night with the GWG in OT. Ohio State’s last three goals all came on the power play, as the team was 3-for-7 in the game (scoring on three of its final four chances).
• Game Two – Providence 2, Ohio State 1 OT (Oct. 11, 2014): For the second night in a row, Ohio State came from a goal down and went to overtime vs. Providence. However, the Friars came away with the win in game two, 2-1, on a goal by Brian Pinho with 45 seconds left in overtime. The teams were scoreless until the 8:09 mark of the third period when Logan Day put the Friars on the board. Ohio State’s Luke Stork responded just 42 seconds later, however, to tie the game at one. Neither team was able to grab a lead through the end of regulation. Ohio State’s penalty kill was 3-for-3 in the game, including stopping a full five-minute major advantage. Buckeye goalie Matt Tomkins made 27 saves in the loss.
Noting the Buckeyes As a Team …
• Ohio State is 0-4-0 this season, losing both ends of home-and-home series to Bowling Green (Oct. 9-10) and Miami (Oct. 16-17). The squad is averaging 1.50 goals a game and allowing 3.5 an outing.
• After allowing six goals in the season opener, Ohio State has allowed three or fewer in each of the last three games, all of which have been decided by two or less goals.
• The Buckeye power play is 1-for-16 this season after it was shut out with the man advantage in each of the last three games.
• On the penalty kill, Ohio State is 10-for-12 (.833) this year. The squad stopped all seven chances it faced in the first three games of the season before Miami was 2-for-5 last Saturday.
• The squad had six or fewer minutes in each of its first three games before six penalties for 23 minutes in game two vs. the RedHawks. Last season, Ohio State averaged 9.4 penalty minutes a game.
• Ohio State is facing teams ranked in the Top 16 in the USCHO preseason poll in each of its first three series – No. 7 Providence, No. 11 Miami and No. 16 Bowling Green. This week, Providence is ranked third, with the Falcons 12th and RedHawks 15th. In addition the team will also face preseason No. 10 Omaha (now No. 2) and preseason No. 1 Boston College (now No. 4) in non-conference action.
• Ohio State has 10 freshmen on its roster this season, with all but one seeing action so far this season. In game two vs. Miami last week, eight Buckeye rookies were in the lineup.
Noting the Buckeyes on Offense …
• Senior Anthony Greco and junior David Gust lead the Buckeyes with three points each. Greco and junior Nick Schilkey are first on the team with two goals each, while Gust, sophomore defenseman Victor Bjorkung and sophomore Luke Stork each have two assists.
• Senior Anthony Greco had the Buckeyes’ second two-goal game of the season Friday vs. Miami. Junior Nick Schilkey scored twice vs. Bowling Green in the season opener Oct. 9. Greco, who now has 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 points in 93 games as a Buckeye, has three career multiple goal games after two hat tricks last season.
• Greco’s first goal vs. the RedHawks was shorthanded, the second shorthanded tally of his career and the Buckeyes’ first since he scored a man down Jan. 16 vs. Michigan. That was the Buckeyes’ lone shorthanded goal last season. The tally was Greco’s fifth career unassisted score.
• Mason Jobst scored vs. Miami in game two, notching the first goal and point for a Buckeye rookie this year. Jobst has won 55.9 (38-of-68) of his faceoffs this season, leading all Buckeyes who have taken more than 10 draws in winning percentage.
Noting the Buckeyes on Defense and Between the Pipes …
• Junior goalie Matt Tomkins has started each of the last three games, stopping 93 shots on 101 shots faced for a 2.74 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in 175:15 between the pipes. Tomkins’ goals-against average is third in the Big Ten.
• Ohio State has blocked 47 shots this year, led by junior defenseman Drew Brevig with seven and senior defenseman Craig Dalrymple and junior blueliner Josh Healey with six each.
Last Time Out
• Ohio State lost to Miami in both games of a home-and-home series last weekend, falling 3-2 in Columbus and 3-1 in Oxford.
• Game One – Miami 3, Ohio State 2 (Oct. 16): In the opening game of the home-and-home series Friday in Value City Arena, Ohio State came from a goal down twice to tie No. 18 Miami, but the RedHawks responded to the Buckeyes’ second goal just 1:12 later for a 3-2 win. Miami scored the only goal of the first period at 9:56 and Buckeye senior Anthony Greco tied the game at 6:54 of the second with an unassisted shorthanded goal. In the third, the RedHawks went ahead 2-1 at 3:14. At 17:15 Greco scored off a pass from junior David Gust to deadlock the score at two. Just 1:12 later, Miami’s Jack Roslovic scored the gamewinner at 18:28.
• Game Two – Miami 3, Ohio State 1 (Oct. 17): Ohio State lost to 18 Miami, 3-1, Saturday in Steve Cady Arena in Oxford, Ohio. Miami led 1-0 after the first period before the Buckeyes tied the game early in the second. The RedHawks broke the deadlock later in the stanza and added an insurance goal on the power play early in the third. Junior goalie Matt Tomkins had 38 saves in the net for the Buckeyes, while freshman Mason Jobst scored his first career goal.
Up Next
• The Buckeyes will return home to host Mercyhurst Oct. 30 at 7 p.m and Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.
• A canned food drive for the Mid Ohio Foodbank will be held at the Oct. 30 game, with fans who donate receiving a voucher for a buy one, get one free ticket for the game that night. In addition, fans will receive a coupon for $1 off concessions per can donated, up to $5 off per person (available for the first 200 cans donated).
• At the Oct. 31 Halloween game, fans are encouraged to wear their costumes and there will be a postgame meet and greet with the 2015-16 Buckeyes on the concourse level.
