No. 18 Buckeyes Host Sun Devils in VCA
12/16/2020 1:10:10 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The No. 18 Ohio State men’s hockey team (3-5-0, 3-5-0-0-1-0 B1G) wraps up the first part of its season with a nonconference series against Arizona State (3-6-1) this week. The teams will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday in Value City Arena. Both games will be streamed through BTN Plus and aired on Ohio State Radio, with Herb Howenstine and John Mowat on the call.
The Ohio State Department of Athletics has determined fans, including family members of the players and coaching staffs of teams competing on campus through the end of 2020, will not be permitted into any university sporting event. The decision aligns with the Columbus Department of Health’s stay at home advisory.
Buckeye Notes to Know
- The Buckeyes are closing the first part of their season with four games in seven days, with a series split at Notre Dame over the weekend and the series against Arizona State. Arizona State is coming off two overtime losses at Penn State last weekend.
- Ohio State is 3-0-1 all-time vs. the Sun Devils. The teams met in Columbus Jan. 13-14, 2017, with the Buckeyes 1-0-1, before an Ohio State sweep in Tempe Oct. 12-13, 2018.
- This is the first of two scheduled series between the Buckeyes and Sun Devils this season. Arizona State entered a scheduling agreement with the Big Ten teams to play four road games against each Big Ten school this year.
- After losing two games at Minnesota to open the year, the Buckeyes split each of their last three series, all Big Ten matchups.
- Junior Quinn Preston is tied for second nationally with three power play goals. He scored two with the man advantage Sunday at Notre Dame in a 45-second span, tying the game and then tallying the gamewinner.
- The Buckeyes scored a season-best three power play goals Sunday at Notre Dame. It was the first game with three PPG since Oct. 18, 2019 vs. Omaha. The squad is 6-for-27 (.222) this season.
- Steve Miller, the Buckeyes’ associate head coach, is currently with Team USA for the World Junior Championship. Miller is on the Team USA staff for the fifth championship in a row.
- Tommy Nappier is sixth among current NCAA goalies with a .933 career save percentage. He has a career 2.00 goals-against average in 66 games played (with 63 starts) in the Scarlet and Gray.
Buckeye Snapshot
- Ohio State is 3-5-0 this season. After losing two games at Minnesota to open the year, the squad split series with Michigan State and Wisconsin at home and a road series at Notre Dame.
- The Buckeyes are scoring 1.88 goals a night and allowing 2.62 per outing. The squad has been outshot on average, 33.4-25.6.
- Ohio State’s power play is 6-for-27 (.222) and the penalty kill is 23-for-28 (.821).
- Quinn Preston has a team-best four goals, followed by Grant Gabriele, Travis Treloar and Gustaf Westlund with three each.
- Mark Cheremeta ranks first with six assists, followed by Treloar with five.
- Treloar is first on the team with eight points, with Cheremeta second with seven and Preston and Westlund tied for third with five.
- In goal, Tommy Nappier has started all eight games and has a 2.58 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.
Buckeyes vs. Sun Devils
- This will be the third series between Ohio State and Arizona State.
- The teams first met in Columbus Jan. 13-14, 2017. The Buckeyes posted a 6-1 win and the teams then tied, 2-2.
- Ohio State opened 2018-19 with a sweep of the Sun Devils in Tempe with 3-2 and 3-0 victories.
- Arizona State entered a scheduling agreement with the six Big Ten schools for this season and will play four (nonconference) games against each team, all on the road.
OSU vs. ASU – The Last Series
- Ohio State started the 2018-19 season at Arizona State, winning both games Oct. 12-13, 2018. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 nationally at the time of the series.
- Game One (Ohio State 3, Arizona State 2): The Buckeyes led 1-0 after the first period on a goal from Freddy Gerard. The Sun Devils tied the game just 50 seconds into the second period with a power play tally. Ohio State then scored two power play goals in a 2:15 span, with Dakota Joshua and Carson Meyer tallying, for a 3-1 lead. ASU drew within one on a goal with two seconds left in the second. Buckeye goalie Sean Romeo made 12 of his 24 saves in the third period to preserve the lead. Mason Jobst had two assists and Meyer added a helper to each post two-point nights.
- Game Two (Ohio State 3, Arizona State 0): The teams were scoreless after 20 minutes. With just 1:04 left in the second Ronnie Hein put the Buckeyes on the board. The Buckeyes maintained their one-goal edge until Mason Jobst converted a penalty shot at 13:26 of the third. With 20 seconds left in the game and the ASU net empty, Hein put in the rebound of a Miguel Fidler shot that hit the post to seal the win. Tommy Nappier stopped all 27 shots he faced for his second career shutout. The Buckeye penalty kill was 6-for-6 in the win, with two stops in each period. The power play was scoreless on six chances.
The Sun Devils
- Arizona State is 3-6-1 this year and last played Friday and Sunday at Penn State, dropping both games in overtime (3-2, 5-4).
- The squad is scoring 2.90 goals a game and allowing 3.60 a night. The power play is 3-for-33 (.091) and the penalty kill is 20-for-27 (.741). The Sun Devils average 29.0 shots on goal a night, allowing 39.3, and have averaged 6.2 penalty minutes per game.
- Matthew Kopperud leads the team with six goals and 11 points. Jax Murray is second with five goals and tied with Willie Knierim (4g, 3a) for second with seven points each.
Special Teams
- Ohio State has scored on the power play in three games this season (all in the last five outings) and has converted 6-of-27 chances (.222) overall.
- The squad was 3-for-8 in game two at Notre Dame, with two goals on a major. It was the most in a game since Oct. 18, 2019.
- The penalty kill was 8-for-8 in the series at Notre Dame, including 5-for-5 Sunday.
- On the year the PK is 23-for-28 (.821).
The Scoring Leaders
- Two newcomers and a junior stand atop the Buckeye goal, assist and point lists this year.
- Freshman Travis Treloar is first on the squad with eight points and has a team-best three multiple-point outings. He had two assists in game two at Notre Dame and has five on the year. He is sixth nationally in points among freshmen.
- Mark Cheremeta, a sophomore who started his career at BU and played juniors last year, has a team-high six assists. He factored in all three games Sunday at Notre Dame, scoring his first collegiate goal and adding two first assists.
- Quinn Preston, a junior and alternate captain, leads the Buckeyes with four goals, including three power play tallies. He scored the gametying and gamewinning goals in a 45 seconds span Sunday at Notre Dame. He is tied for second in the NCAA with three power play goals this year.
Between the Pipes
- Senior Tommy Nappier started the Buckeyes’ first eight games, making 240 saves on 260 shots faced, for a 2.58 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.
- He is second nationally in saves this year, including two 42-stop nights.
- As a Buckeye, Nappier, the 2019 Big Ten Goalie of the Year, has a 2.00 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in 66 games played (with 63 starts).
Buckeye This and That
- Ohio State has been shut out twice this season, with a 2-0 loss at Minnesota Nov. 24 and a 3-0 defeat at Notre Dame Saturday. The loss at Minnesota was the first time the team was shut out on the road since Oct. 10, 2015 and the first time the team was shut out overall since March 29, 2019 vs. Denver in the NCAA Tournament. This is the first time the Buckeyes have been shut out twice in a year since 2013-14 (1/24/14 at Michigan State, 3/20/14 vs. Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament).
- The Buckeyes outshot their opponent for just the second time this season Sunday at Notre Dame (21-19). That game was the first time this year Ohio State allowed fewer than 27 shots on goal. The Buckeyes have been held to 31 or less shots in all eight games, including five games with 22 or fewer shots on net.
- Ohio State has played on every day of the week except Wednesday this season. The year started with each of the first six games on a different day.
A New Grad
- Sam Jardine, a Buckeye from 2013-15, earned his bachelor’s degree in communication from Ohio State this fall.
- Jardine signed with AHL Rockford after his junior season and is in his sixth pro season. He is currently skating with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in the ECHL. He was with the Cardiff Devils in England last season and was part of an ECHL title with the Newfoundland Growlers in 2019.
Up Next
- The Big Ten has not yet released the second part of the schedule for the conference teams.
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