Men's Hockey
Youth Dominated Buckeyes in 2004-2005
By John Porentas

The tone was gloomy in the OSU locker room after a 3-2 loss to Cornell last weekend. Senior JB Bittner, who played his final game as a Buckeye, sat in his uniform a full hour after the game, not wanting to take it off for the last time. The Buckeyes felt they had let one get away, a game they could have won to advance in the NCAA tournament and perhaps return to Columbus for the Frozen Four. Instead of moving on to the next round, they were heading back to Columbus, their season ended.

Senior J.B. Bittner celebrates his goal verses Michigan in the CCHA Tournament. Photo by Jim Davidson

Despite the mood following the Cornell game, the future of OSU hockey is anything but gloomy. The 2004-2005 OSU roster showed just two players playing in their final seasons, Bittner and Lee Spector. Four roster-members were in their junior seasons, nine in the sophomore seasons and 10 in their freshman seasons.

With 19 of 25 roster members freshmen or sophomores, the Buckeyes can look forward to maintaining a strong level of play for a number of years. Even more impressive is the contribution the underclassmen made to his year's excellent 27-11-4 season (21-5-2 CCHA).

OSU's top six scorers return next season. Freshman Tom Fritsche led all scorers with 45 points (11 goals, 34 assists) and also led OSU in plus/minus with a +21 rating. Junior Rod Pelley accounted for 41 points and was OSU's leading goal scorer with 22 tallies and 19 assists.

Junior Dan Knapp accounted for 22 points (12 goals and 23 assists), sophomore Matt Beaudoin 34 points (23 goals, 11 assists)), freshman Domenic Maiani 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists) and sophomore Sean Collins 26 points (9 goals, 17 assists.

The Buckeyes registered 390 points in 2004-2005 on 142 goals and 148 assists. Players accounting for 96.6% of those points (377 points) return for the 2005-2006 season. Ohio State also returns every defenseman who saw the ice in 2004.

Hockey is game dominated by goal tenders, and OSU's Dave Carusso will return for his senior season in 2005-2006. In 2004-2005 Carusso allowed just 2.14 goals per game and saved 91.7% of the shots put on him in compiling a 25-9 record this year. Carusso's backup, freshman Ian Kaserich, also returns after posting a 2.42 goals against record and saving 90.0% of shots on him in his six appearances in 2004-2005.

Though Bitner will not be back on 2005-2006, he sees the OSU program as one that has been on the rise during is career in Columbus and one that will continue to be just that.

"I was looking back at some old pictures from my freshman year, and what struck me was all the empty seats in the arena," said Bitner.

"Now, that doesn't happen, and there were nights this year where we had 14,000, 15,000, 16,000 people in the arena.

"I don't think there is a top program anywhere that has the number of freshmen and sophomores we have. I think the experience those guys got this year will help them to the next level. I think that this team will be in the Frozen Four next year."

Leading Scorers in 2004-2005

Breakdown by Class in 2004-2005

Freshmen 10

Sophomore 9

Junior 4

Senior 2

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