Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

[osualum86]

I am late on this one. I was offline for a couple days. Ohio State has been playing much better lately than they were earlier this season. Last weekend the Buckeyes were blanked by #1 Minnesota 6-0 on Friday night, but responded with a shootout win on Saturday. Lisa Steffes stopped all nine Gopher shooters she faced and sophomore Kendall Curtis scored the game-winner on a nifty backhand to beat the Minnesota goaltender. This weekend the Buckeyes will face another stiff challenge with a road trip to Duluth. Ohio State was swept by UMD earlier this season, but last year both teams won on the others' ice. The Bulldogs defeated Ohio State in Columbus, and the Bucks returned to Duluth for the WCHA Playoffs and swept the Bulldogs to advance to the WCHA Final Four. Should be an interesting series. Maybe Blackbeard can give us the latest on how UMD's season is going.

[Blackbeard]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

I am late on this one. I was offline for a couple days. Ohio State has been playing much better lately than they were earlier this season. Last weekend the Buckeyes were blanked by #1 Minnesota 6-0 on Friday night, but responded with a shootout win on Saturday. Lisa Steffes stopped all nine Gopher shooters she faced and sophomore Kendall Curtis scored the game-winner on a nifty backhand to beat the Minnesota goaltender. This weekend the Buckeyes will face another stiff challenge with a road trip to Duluth. Ohio State was swept by UMD earlier this season, but last year both teams won on the others' ice. The Bulldogs defeated Ohio State in Columbus, and the Bucks returned to Duluth for the WCHA Playoffs and swept the Bulldogs to advance to the WCHA Final Four. Should be an interesting series. Maybe Blackbeard can give us the latest on how UMD's season is going.

Don't think I have anything to tell you that you don't already know. UMD swept MSU last weekend which put them just one point behind UND in the WCHA standings...they're neck and neck for third place. UMD's season has not gone swimmingly but I don't need to tell you what that's like. (Then again, four years ago the situation was somewhat similar and they went on a tear starting in January and ended up winning the Frozen Four, so who knows how much better things might get. And no, I'm certainly not predicting the same season culminating victory...the aggregate talent level four years ago was much different).

As I alluded to in your last series thread I was extremely impressed with the game OSU played last Saturday. Too bad that 2 on 0 worked out the way it did because it would have been very interesting to see how the game would have turned out had you gained a two goal lead in that third period. I thought that had OSU won in regulation time it might be even more interesting to see how the rest of the season played out for each team...meaning how much of an affect the result of that game may have had on each team.

I hope OSU plays at the same level and that UMD is up to the task to make it competitive.

Anyway, good luck this weekend.

[ARM]

UMD swept MSU last weekend which put them just one point behind UND in the WCHA standings...they're neck and neck for third place.

The gap for third is bigger than it appears, because UND has two games in hand and is done with Wisconsin.

What were your impressions of the debut of Katerina Marazova? Will she be on the Russian Olympic Team?

[CrankIt]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

What were your impressions of the debut of Katerina Marazova? Will she be on the Russian Olympic Team?

Mrazova is from the Czech Republic and plays for the Czech National Team. In regards to her play, she's a really intelligent, talented player. At times against MSUM, she would draw the attention of four Mavericks and still find a way to make the extra pass to an open teammate. Also extremely unselfish which is what this UMD team has seemed to lack in the last couple seasons. Hopefully this trend continues and spreads to her teammates.

[Blackbeard]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

The gap for third is bigger than it appears, because UND has two games in hand and is done with Wisconsin.

What were your impressions of the debut of Katerina Marazova? Will she be on the Russian Olympic Team?

On the first point, thanks for the bad news, I had seen that a couple of days ago and had forgotten...the foothills are now higher.

With respect to your questions, unfortunately I have no impression to share because I didn't get to watch their last two games. Even so, however, I think I can confidently tell you that she will not be on the Russian Olympic Team any time soon. (She's from the Czech Republic).

[Hux]

Mrazova is from the Czech Republic and plays for the Czech National Team. In regards to her play, she's a really intelligent, talented player. At times against MSUM, she would draw the attention of four Mavericks and still find a way to make the extra pass to an open teammate. Also extremely unselfish which is what this UMD team has seemed to lack in the last couple seasons. Hopefully this trend continues and spreads to her teammates.

"Frosty" is a great kid, with good hands and game sense along with deceptive speed. Glad to see things worked out for her.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

Just thinking out loud, I'm going to take a wild guess and say this thread isn't going to extend to five pages like last weekend's version.

It does appear that both teams are coming together nicely. Clearly both teams would like to move up in the standings. Should make for two great games. Here's to hoping.

[brookyone]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

Just thinking out loud, I'm going to take a wild guess and say this thread isn't going to extend to five pages like last weekend's version.

Unless there be a return of the flying water bottles!

[Eeyore]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

Just thinking out loud, I'm going to take a wild guess and say this thread isn't going to extend to five pages like last weekend's version.

I'll try to keep my posting to a minimum.

[ARM]

Unless there be a return of the flying water bottles!

IIRC, as it concerns OSU at UMD, the issue was more about the water flying than the bottles.

Does the former chancellor even attend games anymore? I haven't noticed her in a while, but then I tend to mingle far less in Duluth because many of the people I once knew are no longer there.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

IIRC, as it concerns OSU at UMD, the issue was more about the water flying than the bottles.

Correct. In the incident remembered here as Watergate, it was a matter of Singing in the Rain. But it wasn't raining cats and dogs -- or water bottles.

[Blackbeard]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

What were your impressions of the debut of Katerina Marazova?

Well, she just scored the only goal in the shootout today and it was with a nifty move. Apparently Hickel and Huertes both feel that she was the missing piece on their line, so, time will tell if that line can increase its production.

[Blackbeard]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

UMD 1 - OSU 0 after the shootout.

Missed the first period. The second was rather uneventful, maybe more like a yawner, but the third got interesting with both teams seeming to get serious and playing with some intensity.

A scoreless tie was not what I had in mind when I was hoping for a competitive game. Different story if it had been a high intensity game with lots of scoring chances for both teams...although, UMD had a number of opportunities in the third but couldn't bury it.

I thought Steffes played extremely well with UMD having a decided advantage in the shots on goal.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

Thanks, Blackbeard; appreciate the reports.

[pokechecker]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 1/18 - 1/19

.. is a great kid,

22 year old freshman