Get ready for the final home game of this calendar year. The No. 6/7 Ohio State men’s ice hockey team takes to the ice for a home-and-home series against in-state rival Miami this weekend.
Tomorrow night the Buckeyes (11-5-0, 8-3-0 CCHA) will host the RedHawks (8-6-2, 6-3-1 CCHA) at the Schottenstein Center. The teams will then square off Saturday night at Goggin Ice Arena in Oxford, Ohio. OSU is currently tied for first place in the CCHA with Notre Dame, while third-place Miami trails by three points.
“We’re real excited to be playing them,” senior forward Scott May said. “This weekend could set us up real well for the second half of the season.”
OSU has reason to be proud of where it is sitting in the standings. After being shutout 4-0 at home by Michigan nearly three weeks ago, the Buckeyes have come out roaring. OSU is on a four-game winning streak after an impressive 7-0 road victory against conference foe Bowling Green State University.
“It shows how good we can be when we come to play,” sophomore defenseman Nate Guenin said of the victory.
Guenin was one of six Buckeyes to post two points Saturday night against the Falcons.
Not only did OSU stop BGSU on all seven of their power play opportunities, but senior forward Dave Steckel scored two short-handed goals. Both came during the Buckeyes’ four-goal burst during the second period which helped put the Falcons away for good.
“Those were big-time goals,” Guenin said. “They really got our entire bench pumped up.”
OSU got the all-important first goal of the game from May, but it almost didn’t happen that way. BGSU had a goal disallowed near the end of the first period that allowed the teams to skate to the locker room tied at zero after one period.
The Buckeyes then blew the game wide open with four second-period goals.
“We weathered their storm; they were really intense in the first period,” May said.
Goalie Mike Betz continued to be impressive for the Buckeyes, stopping all 26 Falcon shots he faced en route to his tenth career shutout. He is now tied with Bill McKenzie as the career leader in shutouts at OSU.
“He’s Mr. Consistency,” Guenin said of Betz. “Bowling Green put some great shots on net, but he made some great saves.”
May was quick to agree with Guenin.
“His focus and determination to win is rubbing off on the team,” May said.
The special teams also excelled for OSU against the Falcons. The team was 3-of-7 on the power play while killing all seven BGSU power plays.
“We’re a team that prides ourselves on our special teams,” May said.
The Buckeyes are now focused on a showdown with rival Miami. The team is hoping to avoid its typical sluggish Friday night performance and come out hungry.
“We’ve got to be ready for them,” Guenin said. “We cannot have another Friday night letdown.”
All players agreed that the game is not only for the league title, but for the players themselves.
“It’s something special. We always get up for them, and they get up for us,” Betz said.
“It doesn’t get much bigger than this,” May said. “This is an opportunity for us to make a statement.”
