The beards are starting to grow out on the Ohio State men’s hockey players, which means one thing — playoffs.
“Everybody tries to get them (beards) going,” goaltender Mike Betz said. “Some guys are more successful than others, but it’s that time of year. When it’s the playoffs, the beards come out, and hopefully the hair dye too.”
The ritual of the playoff beard started long ago, and many players continue growing them today. As for hair dying, the OSU team has done it before, and it brings the team together.
The No. 3-seeded Buckeyes will battle No. 10 seed Nebraska-Omaha in the first round of the CCHA Tournament.
The teams, which split the season series two games apiece, will meet at Nationwide Arena at 7:05 p.m. tomorrow and 1:05 p.m. on Saturday. If the two teams split the first two games, a third game will be played at 7:05 p.m. Sunday at the Schottenstein Center.
“What I worry about going into the playoffs is momentum,” OSU coach John Markell said. “I think we have good momentum and our guys are focused. If you would have asked me three weeks ago if we were playing like we did against Miami and Alaska, it would be a different frame of mind, but our guys know.”
The Buckeyes finished the season with two ties against archrival Michigan and looked like the team that started the season who could play with any team.
“We got to get to them early,” forward R.J. Umberger said. “I think if you get on to (Dan) Ellis (Nebraska-Omaha’s goalie) in the first period, things change. I think if we throw the puck on net and get guys up front, get one in early, we’ll be good.”
Umberger, along with Betz, earned All-CCHA honors yesterday. Umberger was named first team all-conference, while Betz snagged second-team honors.
OSU had trouble scoring in Nebraska, putting in only one goal in two games. Earlier in the year, the Buckeyes notched seven goals in the two games in Columbus. When OSU scores three goals in a game, its record is 20-1-3.
Another key component to the Buckeye success is Betz. Betz led the CCHA with the lowest goals against average.
“We have the best goalie in the league,” Markell said. “Dan Ellis is a good goaltender, but I watch him on tape and he gets beat.
“Like anybody else, Mike Betz gets beat — they all get beat if you create enough opportunities,” Markell said. “But (Ellis) is not coming in here and scaring us.”
Betz and Ellis are quite familiar with each other because they played junior hockey together.
“This is our 12th meeting in college already,” Betz said. “He’s a great goaltender, but I think the playoffs bring out the best in me. Playing against him, I kind of know him personally — we played against each other in juniors.”
While most players dream of playing on NHL ice, the Buckeyes have mixed reactions to playing at Nationwide for the first two games.
“We’re going to try to not let it affect us,” Betz said. “We don’t want it to be an issue, but obviously we’re more comfortable in (the Schott).”
“I don’t think anybody is really thinking about it, to tell you the truth,” captain Scott Titus said. “We’re just trying to get ready to play two games whether they were (at the Schott), Nationwide or on the road.”
Umberger may be playing in more professional arenas soon since he was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks. With the NHL’s trade deadline passing on Tuesday, Umberger kept a close eye on what was transpiring across the NHL.
“I’m waiting to see what happens,” Umberger said. “There have been a lot of rumors coming out of Vancouver.”
However, the main concern for Umberger and the rest of the Buckeyes is Nebraska-Omaha.
“We’re looking to sweep in the first two games,” Umberger said. “We don’t want to make it go three, because if you go three, Ellis could steal the third. So, you never know. We’re going in hoping to take the first two.”
