Men's Hockey
Buckeyes Begin Four-Game Home Stand with Non-League Series
By Paula C. Weston
The Buckeyes (5-3-0, 5-1-0 CCHA) return to Value City
Arena for a four-game homestand, beginning with this weekend's two-game
series against nonconference opponent Sacred Heart.
"I don't think by any means are we going to underestimate Sacred
Heart," says head coach John Markell.
"Our team is enthusiastic to be playing four home games instead
of playing on the road."
While the Bucks are happy to be home, the road has been a relatively
friendly place for OSU this season, at least in league play.
Four of OSU's five CCHA wins have come on the road, all against clustermates,
including last weekend's 5-2 win against Western Michigan in the notoriously
tough Lawson Arena, in Kalamazoo.
The Buckeyes dropped the opening game to the Broncos 6-3, allowing
four unanswered goals in the third period Friday night, but took the
second game 5-2 with four unanswered late goals of their own.
"Western Michigan was very good Friday night and we still had
a chance to win that game. I don't think we had too many guys that
were 'off,'" says Markell.
"[The Broncos] played with a lot of emotion. They came off two
losses and I'm sure Jimmy [Culhane] did a lot to pump them up for
the weekend and they did a good job of it with the lead. They stayed
with it.
"But I compliment our guys for coming back the next night and
playing with emotion, too. Western Michigan was there, mostly, but
it was a matter of our specialty teams working Saturday that didn't
work Friday."
Rod Pelley, JB Bittner, and Johann Kroll had the goals in the loss;
Dan Knapp, Matt Beaudoin, Bittner, Bryce Anderson, and John Dingle
had the markers in the win. Bittner's game-winning goal was the 10th
of his career. Kroll's and Dingle's goals were their first as Buckeyes,
and Anderson's empty-net tally was his first of the season, in his
first game back from a wrist injury.
The Buckeye power play went 2-for-17 on the weekend, while allowing
three goals on 17 Bronco man-advantage chances. David Caruso 26 saves
in each game.
"We're ecstatic the way we've come through this," says
Markell of the early season road schedule. "Were we concerned?
Absolutely. But we have to continue here at home.
"This is a different year. This is a different team. We really
like the way our team is responding. They are sponges for learning.
We can see it in practice, and that enthusiasm is carrying over to
games."
This weekend's opponent is a stranger to the Buckeyes; OSU and Sacred
Heart have never met before, but the Buckeyes are 2-1-0 all-time against
opponents from the Atlantic Hockey league, which was previously known
as the MAAC Hockey League. Other teams in the conference include American
International, Army, Bentley, Canisius, Connecticut, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst,
and Quinnipiac.
Sacred Heart (3-3-0, 3-0-0 Atlantic Hockey), located in Fairfield,
Conn., is coached by Shaun Hannah, a 1994 graduate of Cornell. That's
the connection with OSU; Buckeye associate head coach Casey Jones
is s 1990 graduate of Cornell.
Pierre-Luc O'Brien (3-3-6) and Scott Marchesi (2-4-6) lead the Pioneers
in scoring. Jason Smith (4.00 GAA, .862 SV%) and Kevin LaPointe (4.25
GAA, .863 SV%) split time in the Sacred Heart net.
Traditionally, these early season nonconference games allow the coaching
staff a chance to give ice time to players who don't usually see much
of it.
"It would be nice to see some guys have success this weekend,"
says Markell, "get on the scoreboard. Maybe give time to some
different guys we think are capable of playing. It's a good series
at home to maybe get some guys in the games.
"We're looking forward to the series and to different possibilities
and seeing some guys maybe expand their roles, to put guys in crucial
situations and see how they respond."
Markell says "there's a good possibility" that freshman
goaltender Ian Keserich will play this weekend. "Dave's done
a good job, but he's one of the guys I'm thinking of that has to get
some playing time."
Markell says that the coaches "haven't even mentioned"
Northern Michigan, OSU's next opponent after Sacred Heart. Markell
added, "We hope we win this weekend and they run it out."
If the Buckeyes sweep the Pioneers and the Pioneers go on to have
a good season, OSU's stock rises in the all-important PairWise Rankings
and Ratings Percentage Index later in the year, indicators of who
will be invited to the NCAA tournament.
The games are at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Friday's game is
"Wing Night," giving fans the pleasure of 20-cent wings
and the cleanup crew the opportunity to curse loudly and often. The
first 1,000 fans through the doors Saturday will receive rally towels,
which would probably be handier Friday night.
Notes:
OSU is 0-2 in nonconference play this season, having lost to New
Hampshire (Hockey East) and St. Cloud State (WCHA) in the Ice Breaker
at the start of the year.
Senior captain JB Bittner posted a career-high three points in the
win over WMU, with a goal and two assists.
Streaks: Freshman Dominic Maiani has a four-game scoring streak entering
the weekend; junior Dan Knapp rides a seven-game scoring streak into
the games against Sacred Heart; junior Rod Pelley's goal and point-scoring
streaks were stopped at five games in the win against WMU.
Pelley is tied for the lead in the nation and leads the CCHA in power-play
goals (5). Only one of Pelley's goals this season - in the loss to
WMU - has been scored even strength.
The Broncos' second-period, power-play goal in their 6-3 win was
the first allowed by OSU in 26 opponent power plays.
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