Buckeye Dan Cousineau seems to have no problem making the transition to defender from his customary winger position.’I feel comfortable playing defense now, but it was a tough transition,’ Cousineau said. ‘I have played forward my whole life.’Cousineau’s transition not only is earning him playing time for the first time in his three years at Ohio State, it is also earning him league recognition.This week he was named CCHA’s Defensive Player of the Week after his play this weekend against Notre Dame.Against the Irish he posted a plus/minus rating of +4 and helped limit the Irish to 51 total shots.He was on the ice for five of Ohio State’s nine goals including an assist on the Buckeye’s third goal on Friday.Cousineau came into OSU as a physical winger under then coach Jerry Welsh but never really blossomed or got the chance to play until this season when Buckeye coach John Markell made him a defender.’Cousineau hasn’t played for two years and was a forward at the beginning of the year,’ Markell said. ‘So it is a compliment to him and his playing partner Ryan Root and individually he did his job and is receiving some accolades for it.’On the season Cousineau has joined Root in making a solid defense that has helped goalie Ray Aho adjust to college hockey.Cousineau has also been a part of the Buckeye’s power-play and penalty-kill units in addition to his play on the special teams. He has assists on five Buckeye goals.