The Ohio State Buckeyes face off with the Michigan Wolverines in the puck drop before the Ohio State-Michigan game on Feb. 20. Ohio State lost 0-6. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
The Ohio State and Michigan men’s hockey teams are set to resume the schools’ long-standing rivalry on the ice this weekend.
The No. 17 Buckeyes (9-5-0, 5-3-0 Big Ten) will host the No. 3 Wolverines (13-5-0, 6-4-0 Big Ten) for a two-game series Friday and Saturday. Michigan will come to Columbus in fine form, having won three of its last four contests.
Head coach Steve Rohlik, who’s been behind the Buckeyes’ bench for nine seasons now, has been in Columbus long enough to know that his team will be under a microscope against the Wolverines.
“Anytime you can step on the ice — and especially with this rivalry — when you step foot on campus here at Ohio State, you understand, in any sport when you get to play the team up north, it’s special,” Rohlik said.
Will Riedell, a graduate transfer defenseman from Lake Superior State, recently saw the excitement and buzz surrounding the football game between the two schools and said he’s ready to be a part of it in the rink.
“There’s a little bit more focus I’d say. Anytime that Ohio State is playing Michigan — it’s big time,” Riedell said. “I think we’re all ready to go this weekend. Excited to go to work.”
The Mel Pearson-led Wolverines possess plenty of firepower. Five Michigan skaters were drafted in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, including four of the first five selections.
Fortunately for Ohio State, Michigan will be without sophomore defenseman Owen Power and sophomore defenseman Kent Johnson this weekend as they report to Hockey Canada for World Juniors camp. Power went No. 1 overall to the Buffalo Sabres, while Johnson was selected fifth by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The absence of Power and Johnson is a huge blow to the Wolverines, as the two Canadians are currently tied for the team lead in points with 23.
Rohlik said he was unaware Michigan would be without two of their best players.
“I haven’t even paid attention,” Rohlik said. “I know who they are, I know how good they are, I know how many good players they have. We’ve got to be at our best.”
Without Power and Johnson, the likes of sophomore forward Matty Beniers and fifth-year forward Michael Pastujov will have to carry the load. Beniers leads the Wolverines with 11 goals, while Pastujov scored three goals against Minnesota Saturday.
Friday’s matchup will be the Buckeyes’ first look at Michigan since the Wolverines ended their season in last year’s Big Ten Tournament. The series also provides Ohio State with an opportunity to make a big move in the conference standings.
Ohio State presently sits third in the league with 15 points, five behind its rival’s 20. Two wins in regulation this weekend would catapult the Buckeyes to the top of the Big Ten, something the team is certainly aware of.
“We’re right up there in the top three coming into Christmas break for the Big Ten,” senior defenseman Grant Gabriele said. “These two games are super important.”
Sweeping the visitors is a tall task, as Michigan has dropped consecutive games just once this season. A huge reason for that is its ability to put the puck in the back of the net. The Wolverines average 4.17 goals per game, tops in the Big Ten and fourth nationally.
Defense is a strength of the Buckeyes, as they sit second in the Big Ten with a goals-allowed average of 2.21. Rohlik said he believes his team has what it takes to slow down the maize and blue’s potent attack.
“We’ve just got to play with our structure. We know how good they are,” Rohlik said. “We know how they like to fly around the rink. They handle the puck. We’ve got to be us. We’ve got to go out there, be disciplined in our structure, and our work ethic has got to be off the chart. I think that’s the biggest thing. We’ve got to be able to dig in and compete in those one-on-one battles.”
When the Buckeyes have the puck, they’ll look to break Michigan down by committee. Although Ohio State doesn’t have a player with more than 12 points, it falls inside the top 20 nationally with 3.29 goals per contest.
Junior forward Tate Singleton is a Buckeye who’s enjoyed individual success against the Wolverines throughout his tenure at Ohio State. The West Lebanon, New Hampshire, native has lit the lamp four times in nine career contests against his team’s archrival.
Five Buckeyes — including Gabriele — hail from the state up north. The Brighton, Michigan, native said playing against his home-state school always means more to him personally.
“I don’t know why, but it seems like a lot of guys know people on Michigan for some reason,” Gabriele said. “Like I said, it’s just kind of more personal when you know guys. It’s that fight that everybody has. I think, individually, this is always a big weekend, but as a team, it’s another two games that we need to win.”
Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Schottenstein Center. Both contests will be aired on Big Ten Network.
