Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

[osualum86]

Ohio State returns home after splitting with Minnesota-Duluth on the road this past weekend. That shows the improvement this team has made as UMD swept the Buckeyes in Columbus back in December. Ohio State will certainly have an opportunity to measure that improvement this weekend when #2-ranked Wisconsin visits the OSU Ice Rink. Wisconsin did not have much trouble with the Bucks last fall, sweeping both games by a combined score of 15-0 in the second weekend of the season. Wisconsin comes in with a record of 26-1-1 (20-1-1 WCHA), and I just saw on the WCHA website that junior netminder Ann-Renee Desbiens now has the third-most shutouts in NCAA history at 31, so I guess Ohio State isn't the only team she is shutting out. Wisconsin fans, let us know your thoughts on the season so far. I would say you have to be pleased. You are getting great goaltending (obviously), and your team is scoring enough goals to win games. I recall some Wisconsin fans early in the season were concerned regarding where the goals would come from. Your team has a legitimate shot to win it all this season. Safe travels to the Wisconsin fans who are making the trip to the OSU Ice Rink this weekend. Hopefully we see two good games and no injuries!

[Timothy A]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

UW is having some issues scoring right now. Johnson juggled the lines this last weekend. He may have found a partial solution with Cogan playing with Pankowski and Clark. The D has been a little porous in allowing breakaways the last few weekend, but ARD has been spectacular. One of our best D has been hurt for months, but obviously it has not hurt in the performance of the D. I am hoping playing OSU and Mankato back to back will help them get their scoring juju back before the trip to rodentsota.

Overall I am surprised they are as good as they are this year. I knew ARD could be better than Rigsby, and she is. The O overall has been better than I thought. Clark is such a burner, she's on a roll right now.

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

Timothy A, thanks for the response to this thread. That is one heck of a team you have up there this year. It will be a big challenge for us this weekend. Mrs 86 and I are making the trip up to Madison next season. Last fall, the Wisconsin games fell on a weekend that Mrs 86 had to work, so we ended up going to Lindenwood the week before instead. OSU is such an outpost in the WCHA that all the road trips are far, but we try to get to one road trip a season. The last couple seasons it was Wisconsin (closest league team), this season it was Lindenwood.

[Terry Switzer]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

For the first time I have seen more women's games this season then men games. Plan on going to New Hampshire.

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

I just might take the camera this weekend. It's not everyday that we have someone from the 1980 Miracle On Ice team coming to the OSU Ice Rink.

[WiscDC]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

Clark is such a burner, she's on a roll right now.

She seemed to be able to take the puck and keep it on her stick at will last weekend.

[Badger Booster]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

http://www.uwbadgers.com/news/2016/2...204160911.aspx

Series news/notes/videos via UW athletics.

I have to believe that the Buckeyes will be much more competitive than the first series in Madison. Ohio State was out-of-sync all weekend and the Badgers just jumped them.

[frozenfeet]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

I just might take the camera this weekend. It's not everyday that we have someone from the 1980 Miracle On Ice team coming to the OSU Ice Rink.

Ya.. it was way back in October

[Timothy A]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

Ya.. it was way back in October

He doesn't count.

[ne7minder]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

I just might take the camera this weekend. It's not everyday that we have someone from the 1980 Miracle On Ice team coming to the OSU Ice Rink.

You get it twice a year now.

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

You get it twice a year now.

Yeah, I know, I should have mentioned John Harrington. When we played the Mavericks, the games were in the Schott so I couldn't get a picture or a handshake. Things aren't quite as intimate at the Schott as they are at the OSU Ice Rink. It's tough to even sneak downstairs to see my own team, let alone the other team or coaches.

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

http://www.uwbadgers.com/news/2016/2...204160911.aspx

Series news/notes/videos via UW athletics.

I have to believe that the Buckeyes will be much more competitive than the first series in Madison. Ohio State was out-of-sync all weekend and the Badgers just jumped them.

I forget who said it, but I remember one Wisconsin poster saying it was the worst he had seen Ohio State look in years. I believe we have improved since then and agree that we'll be more competitive this time around. Here's to some good women's hockey this weekend and no injuries!

[ne7minder]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

Yeah, I know, I should have mentioned John Harrington. When we played the Mavericks, the games were in the Schott so I couldn't get a picture or a handshake. Things aren't quite as intimate at the Schott as they are at the OSU Ice Rink. It's tough to even sneak downstairs to see my own team, let alone the other team or coaches.

He was our guest for the coaches brunch this year and a heck of an entertainer! Johnson was good but not as good. Best lines while discussing "Miracle":
"My son saw it and called me up, Dad, you never played on the power play in your life!"
"At the party I thanked (director)David Anspaugh, he gave me more ice time than Brooks did!"
"Herb's son saw the final cut before it was released, I asked him what he thought: They didn't make dad mean enough!"

He also did a great job of discussing his team and their future.

[Timothy A]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

So what are the dimensions of the ice sheet being used this weekend? There's been some chatter about the smaller rink size. LaBahn is 200 x 90. NHL size is....200 x 85?

I expect OSU to play better than the first meeting as they are now used to the new systems and coaches.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Ohio State vs Wisconsin 2/5 - 2/6

So what are the dimensions of the ice sheet being used this weekend? There's been some chatter about the smaller rink size. LaBahn is 200 x 90. NHL size is....200 x 85?

You are correct about NHL size; and that is the stated size of the current OSU Ice Rink. I haven't gone out on the ice with a tape measure, but I believe it really is 200x85, or extremely close. As such, informed people are talking about the 5 foot difference in width.

You probably already know this, but an Olympic size hockey rink is 200x100. The extra 15 feet of width is really noticeable when you play on Olympic ice; there's tons of extra room. I've never been to LaBahn, but I'm guessing the 5 foot difference is much more subtle. Just a little bit of home ice advantage for the Badgers, but not a huge game-changer.

Finally, you need a little bit of history to complete this story. Pre-renovations -- meaning before the launch of OSU Women's Varsity Hockey in 1999-2000 -- the ice sheet was decidedly smaller. If memory serves, it was 187 feet long, meaning 13 feet shorter than the standard NHL length. It was also 2-3 feet narrow. Those dimensions are comparable to the old Chicago Stadium and the old Boston Garden. And yes, the small size definitely had a big impact on how the game was played; particularly in the unusually small neutral zone.

I bring this up because the Men's Varsity played on the 187 foot rink for many years. People from all corners of the college hockey world were aware that the Buckeye Men played on an unusually small ice sheet. For that reason, some hockey people from other campuses remain under the impression we're staging games using the old, compact size. But that's never been the case for the Women's Varsity. It's been 200x85 from the start.