Ready! Aim! Fire!
The Ohio State men’s hockey team used this philosophy in a two-game sweep of the Bowling Green Falcons this weekend.
The Buckeyes had 50 shots on Friday and another 53 on Saturday.
“The more opportunities you have, the more you can figure it out,” said OSU men’s hockey coach John Markell. “Creating those opportunities is what’s key. That’s what we want to do, keep generating (shots).”
OSU set the tone early as Reed Whiting sent a pass to Dave Steckel who motored through the Falcon defense. After bringing the puck into the offensive zone, Steckel feathered a pass to Daymen Bencharski, who promptly buried it into the back of the net.
Moments later, Ryan Kesler backhanded a shot past BGSU goaltender Tyler Masters. Doug Andress and R.J. Umberger assisted on the goal.
The lone BG highlight was Alex Rogosheske scoring the only Falcon goal. Consequently, the goal broke goaltender Dave Caruso’s shutout streak of over 148 minutes. The score stood 3-1 going into the third period.
“Going into the locker room after the second, we had to make sure we played a good period compared to yesterday, where we didn’t have a good third,” Caruso said. “We wanted to come out strong and have a good period and finish the job.”
OSU came out determined in the third, scoring three unanswered goals. The game ended 6-1, and coupled with the Ferris State loss, the Buckeyes moved into a tie for the No. 1 spot in the CCHA.
More than 11,000 Buckeye fans braved the frigid temperature outside Saturday to see the Buckeyes demolish the Falcons.
The team is unbeaten in its last 10 games, recording nine wins and one tie.
Most of Saturday and Sunday, OSU was rolling on all cylinders with all four of their lines, said Bowling Green men’s hockey coach Scott Paluch.
“I think if you look at the score sheet from both nights, a lot of scoring (came) from different people,” Paluch said. “Their depth was very evident and like good teams, they found a lot of ways to beat us on the weekend.”
As a result of the win, OSU clinched a piece of the Ohio Cup, an intrastate battle between OSU, BGSU, and the Miami RedHawks.
“It was definitely a good feeling in the locker room. The guys were ready to go work hard,” OSU captain Scott Titus said. “First place was on the line and we just wanted to go out there and get it.”
OSU faces off against the University of Nebraska-Omaha at the Omaha Civic Auditorium on Friday and Saturday. The Buckeyes swept UNO earlier this season and look to continue the unbeaten streak.
