No. 9/8 Buckeyes Hit the Road for B1G Series at No. 5 Notre Dame
Ohio State enters weekend 6-1-1 overall and on four-game winning streak
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The No. 9/8 Ohio State men’s hockey team travels to No. 5 Notre Dame this weekend for a Big Ten series. The Buckeyes (6-1-1, 2-0-0-0 B1G) and Irish (5-0-1, 1-0-1-0 B1G) will meet at 8 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday in Compton Family Ice Arena in Notre Dame, Ind. NBCSN will televise Friday’s game, with both games on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Ohio State radio will carry the games as well on 1460 AM and the TuneIn app. (Gameday Links)
Buckeye Notes to Know
- Ohio State enters the weekend on a four-game winning streak, sweeping a road series at Mercyhurst and winning two games vs. Michigan last weekend in Columbus.
The Buckeyes won the series vs. Notre Dame last year, 3-1-0. The squads split the series on Irish ice in November before an Ohio State home sweep in February. - Ohio State is the defending Big Ten regular season champion after posting a 13-7-4-3 ledger in conference play in 2018-19. Notre Dame won the 2019 Big Ten Tournament, as well as the regular season and tournament titles in 2018.
- The Buckeyes are 3-0-1 in road and neutral site games this season. The squad opened the year winning the Ice Breaker Tournament in Toledo.
- Ohio State and goalie Tommy Nappier allowed two or fewer goals in each game so far this season. The squad is tied for third nationally in team defense (1.62 goals allowed per game). Ohio State is the only school to have played more than two games and not allowed more than two goals in a game.
- All-American Tanner Laczynski is second among active NCAA skaters in career points (118) and leads all seniors with 1.07 points per game. He paces Ohio State with eight assists and nine points.
- The Buckeyes have converted 30.2 percent of their power play chances this season, going 13-for-43 to rank eighth nationally. The squad has an NCAA-best 13 power play goals on the year.
- Four of the Buckeyes’ six gamewinning goals this season, as well as their gametying goal, have been scored in the third period this season.
In the Polls
- Ohio State moved into the Top 10 of both polls this week after its second sweep in a row. The squad had been No. 13 last week.
- The squad is No. 9 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 8 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls.
- Big Ten teams joining the Buckeyes in the polls include No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 6 Penn State and No. 12 Wisconsin. Minnesota is receiving votes in the USCHO poll.
Buckeye Snapshot
- The Buckeyes are averaging 3.17 goals a game this year (ranking 15th in the NCAA), allowing 1.67 a night (t-7th). The squad has averaged 33.2 shots on goal, with opponents putting 27.8 on net.
- Ohio State’s power play is 10-for-37 (.270) to rank sixth in the country with the most total PPG. The penalty kill has stopped 25-of-28 (.893) opponent chances to tie for 15th in the NCAA.
- Sophomore Gustaf Westlund leads the team with four goals and eight points, while senior Tanner Laczynski is first with six assists and second with seven points. Wyatt Ege is second with three goals and Matt Miller, Carson Meyer and Ronnie Hein each have two tallies. Westlund is second with four helpers, followed by Ege, Miller, Meyer and Tate Singleton with three each.
- Tommy Nappier has started all six games in goal, with a 1.66 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.
A B1G Star Between the Pipes
- Tommy Nappier started the first eight games for the Buckeyes, making 202 saves on 215 shots for a 1.62 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.
- He is sixth in the NCAA in both save percentage and goals-against average, leading the B1G in gaa and ranking second in save percentage.
- Nappier was named a Big Ten Star of the Week for the second time this season Tuesday after allowing just three goals in a sweep of Michigan with one-goal wins in each game.
- In the season opener vs. Western Michigan Oct. 11, Nappier had a career-high 44 saves in regulation and 5×5 overtime. He also had five stops in 3×3 overtime and made four saves on five shots as the Buckeyes won the shootout.
- Prior to this season, Nappier had not started both games on a weekend for the Buckeyes. Last season he and Sean Romeo split starts each series until Nappier got the nod in the Big Ten semifinal and NCAA first round games.
- Nappier is 22-5-4 overall, with a .938 save percentage and 1.73 goals-against average in the Scarlet and Gray.
Buckeyes vs. Irish
- All-time, Ohio State leads the series with the Irish, 39-37-10, with the first game Feb. 13, 1965. On Irish home ice, Notre Dame leads 20-15-4. In Big Ten regular season action, each team has four wins.
- Last year, Ohio State won the series between the teams, 3-1-0. The squads opened Big Ten play in Notre Dame Nov. 2-3, 2018, splitting a series with a 1-0 Buckeye victory and 2-1 Irish win. In Columbus Feb. 1-2, Ohio State posted a sweep with 4-2 and 2-0 victories.
- The Buckeyes are the defending Big Ten regular season champions, while the Irish won the 2019 Big Ten Tournament. Notre Dame won the 2018 regular season title in its first year in the league and defeated the Buckeyes in the B1G Tournament championship game that season.
- Ohio State and Notre Dame skated as members of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association until 2012-13 when the league was disbanded. Ohio State was a founding member of the conference in 1971-72 and played for two years before leaving for three seasons (1973-74, `74-75, `75-76) and skating as an independent. Ohio State then rejoined the CCHA for the 1975-1976 campaign and remained until 2013. The Irish were in the league in 1981-82 and `82-83 and then rejoined in 1992-93. The Buckeyes and Irish last met as CCHA foes March 23, 2013 in the CCHA Tournament semifinals, a 3-1 win for Notre Dame at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Notre Dame is 5-0-1 this year, one of four teams without a loss, with a 1-0-1-0 record in Big Ten play. Last week, the Irish opened league play at Minnesota. The teams tied 2-2 in the first game, with the Gophers scoring in 3×3 overtime. In game two, Notre Dame won 5-3 with two third-period goals.
- The Irish are third nationally in scoring offense, averaging 4.67 goals a game, and are allowing 2.5 a night.
- Notre Dame averages 6.3 penalty minutes a game, the second-lowest average nationally. The squad is ninth in the NCAA on the power play (6-for-20, .300) and the penalty kill is seventh (16-for-17, .941).
- Cal Burke has a team-high nine assists and 13 points (ranking second with four goals), while Mike O’Leary is first with five goals and second with 12 points and seven assists.
- In goal, Cale Morris has a 2.92 goals-against average and .894 save percentage, with a 2-0-1 record. Ryan Bischel has a 2.00 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and 3-0-0 mark.
Special Teams
- Ohio State is 13-for-43 (.302) on the power play this season, with at least one power play goal in six of eight games. The squad is eighth in the NCAA in power play percentage.
- Last weekend vs. Michigan, the Buckeyes were 3-for-6, converting 2-of-3 chances Friday and 1-of-3 Saturday.
- Ohio State is fourth in the NCAA with 5.38 power play attempts per game. The squad is first with 13 power play goals, followed by Mercyhurst and Penn State with 11 each.
- Quinn Preston, Wyatt Ege, Ronnie Hein and Matt Miller lead the Buckeyes with two power play goals each. Tate Singleton, Michael Gildon, Tanner Laczynski, Carson Meyer and Gustaf Westlund have also scored on the PP.
- Laczynski is tied for the NCAA lead with seven power play assists and eight power play points this year.
- On the penalty kill, the Buckeyes are 28-for-32 (.375). Last weekend, the squad was 1-for-2 in game one and 2-for-2 in game two.
- Last season, Ohio State was 33-for-158 (.209) on the power play and 108-for-132 (.818) on the PK.
Scoresheet News and Notes
- The Buckeyes are averaging 3.0 goals per game, with three or more goals in five outings.
- In all, 13 Buckeyes have at least one goal this season.
- Ohio State has been outscored 6-4 in the first period this season, but has scored 10 goals in both the second and the third stanzas, allowing three and four goals, respectively, in the second and third periods.
- Senior Ronnie Hein’s assist Saturday vs. Michigan was the 50th point of his Buckeye career. Tanner Laczynski is the only current member of the Century Club with 118 collegiate points. Carson Meyer (63) and Matt Miller (52) are the other Buckeyes with 50+ points, while Wyatt Ege has 49 collegiate points.
- In game one at Mercyhurst Oct. 25, redshirt senior defenseman Wyatt Ege scored three goals, the first hat trick for a Buckeye in three years. It was the first three-goal outing for a Buckeye blueliner since Dan Mandich Feb. 13, 1981 at Bowling Green.
Away from Columbus
- Under head coach Steve Rohlik, Ohio State is 59-43-20 in road and neutral games over the last six-plus years (49-34-18 road, 10-9-2 neutral).
- In the last three seasons, the Buckeyes have combined for a 36-9-10 road record and 4-5-2 neutral site ledger (38-14-12 overall).
- Last year’s squad was 10-2-5 on the road and 0-1-0 in its lone neutral site game.
The Schedule Ahead
The Buckeyes have a bye next weekend (Nov. 15-16). The team then heads to Penn State Nov. 22-23 and will return to Columbus for six straight home games – Nov. 30/Dec. 1 vs. Michigan State and Dec. 6-7 vs. Minnesota, along with hosting Colgate after break Dec. 27-28.