Davis Burnside; Men’s ice hockey versus Michigan; Faceoff on The Lake Feb. 18, 2023. Credit: Katie Good | Lantern File
After facing a challenging series against Michigan State at home where it was swept, the No. 19 Ohio State men’s ice hockey team (3-3-3, 0-3-1 Big Ten) aims to rebound as it prepares to face unranked Notre Dame (4-3-2) in South Bend, Indiana, this weekend.
Seeking a turnaround, the Buckeyes are determined to showcase their resilience and regain momentum in the upcoming matchup against the Fighting Irish.
Head coach Steve Rohlik said he is not pleased with this season’s outcome thus far and made it clear that he wanted to attack the struggles they faced Friday and Saturday.
“You want to win every game you play. That’s the intent,” Rohlik said. “We put ourselves in that position, and we fought through it there on Saturday, and unfortunately, we gave up three face-off goals, which is unbelievable, and you can’t do that and try to win a game.”
Starting goalie Logan Terness had a rough series against the Spartans but said his confidence has remained strong after the two-game set.
“It’s just onto the next game,” Terness said. “You can’t get too high, can’t get too low, or else you’re not going to be able to shake games like that.”
Terness will face a Notre Dame team that opened Big Ten Conference play at Penn State last weekend, earning 3 points on the weekend between a pair of shootouts inside Pegula Ice Arena.
The Irish are led by head coach Jeff Jackson, whose Notre Dame teams have made 12 trips to the NCAA Championship (2007-09, 2011, 2013-14, 2016-19, 2021-22), advancing to the Frozen Four four times and playing in the 2008 and 2018 national title games.
Rohlik said he has high admiration for his counterpart and much respect for Notre Dame’s toughness.
“You’re playing against a legendary coach, great coaching staff, and obviously their team plays that way. Great goaltending — they’re tough to play,” Rohlik said. “He’s done it for a long time. And he’s done it the right way. And I have a lot of respect for him and his staff. And again, that forces you to be the best you can be, and that’s what we’re trying to do this week.”
Sophomore forward Davis Burnside said his team needs better starts going into the two-game weekend series this season.
“Friday nights, we’ve struggled this year,” Burnside said. “So I think being more consistent for 60 minutes on Friday, and hopefully that’ll translate to a win, and then we can worry about Saturday, but I think that’s the biggest thing is getting a good start.”
A player to watch out for at Notre Dame is senior forward Landon Slaggert, who already has seven goals. Slaggert’s younger brother Carter is also on the team.
In 98 all-time meetings between the Irish and the Buckeyes, Notre Dame holds a narrow 44-42-12 edge over Ohio State.
The puck is set to drop on Friday at 7:30 p.m. EST, and will stream on Peacock.
