The then-No. 14 Buckeyes huddle together prior to their 3-2 victory over Lindenwood. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
The Ohio State men’s ice hockey team is aiming for the Big Ten title this season, but the road to contention won’t be easy.
Last year, the Buckeyes had a solid start, much like this year, winning most of their non-conference games. In the end, however, they finished 14-20-4 overall and 3-18-2 in Big Ten play.
That result will simply not land Ohio State success in the Big Ten, in which it will face opponents such as Michigan, Minnesota and Michigan State.
However, the young team finished strong, upsetting the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, before eventually falling to No. 1 Michigan State.
Head Coach Steve Rohlik is now in his 12th season in Columbus, hoping to mirror his accomplishment of making the NCAA quarterfinals two years ago.
Rohlik welcomed back 18 players from the 2023-24 squad and added 10 newcomers — three transfers and seven freshmen.
Rohlik said “every team has a different personality,” and this year’s squad has plenty of room to grow.
“I like our depth. I like how hard we work,” Rohlik said. “I’d like to get more consistency; I think that’s the biggest thing I’m searching for right now, is consistency in all facets of our game.”
Forward Thomas Weis said he knows “every point matters” en route to the postseason.
“Towards the end of the year in the playoffs, we were so close as a team, and everybody was playing together, working towards the same goal,” Weis said. “I think we’re not quite there yet this year, and that’s where we need to get in order to have success later in the year.”
Ohio State has gotten off to a hot 7-0-1 start this year, and forward Sam Deckhut said he credits this to the team’s offseason preparation, as the players met for two months over the summer to bond and train together.
“We had all the guys here, all the new guys,” Deckhut said. “We got really close, and we trained really hard, so we got a lot better, a lot stronger, which I think has helped us start the season strong.”
However, the Buckeyes have had six straight road games since their unbeaten start, for which they compiled a 2-4 record.
This begs the question: Is this 2024-25 team a contender or pretender?
Is this a repeat of last year’s mid-season struggles, or is this a team that will compete in the Big Ten gauntlet like years past?
Rohlik said “consistency” is crucial for the team to succeed in what he calls the best conference in the country, with the best teams in the country.
“To make this run through the Big Ten, you got to be your best, you have to be consistent,” Rohlik said. “Mistakes are going to happen, but if we can elevate, compete and try to stay consistent, it’s going to give us our best chance.”
Ohio State looks ahead with a homestand against Penn State Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Notre Dame behind them.
