After eight games of non-conference action, No. 4 Penn State opens Big Ten play with a Halloween road series against No. 17 Ohio State. The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are off to solid regular season starts
but are looking to find more consistency at both ends of the ice as the journey to the Big Ten crown begins.
How to Watch
Who: Ohio State Buckeyes
When: Thursday, October 30 and Friday, October 31
Where: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Times: 6:30pm (both games)
TV: Big Ten Network (Thursday), Big Ten Plus (Friday)
Radio: Penn State Sports Network
Opponent Preview
Ohio State is 4-2 to start the season with some peaks and valleys. The Buckeyes split on the road with UConn two weeks ago, including an impressive 4-2 win in the second game. Ohio State fell in overtime at home to Sacred Heart last Friday, though they were able to manage a split with a win in Game 2.
A trio of Buckeyes have at least three goals this season- Max Montes, Riley Thompson, and RPI transfer Felix Caron. As a team, Ohio State is tied for 29th in goals per game (3.0) and 16th in shots on goal per game (34.3). This is an offense that has not been consistent in the first six games of the season, but despite losing five of its top eight point scorers from a season ago, there are weapons up and down the lineup that can get going at any time. With Penn State’s defense struggling, this will be a significant challenge on the road.
Ohio State gives up just 24.8 shots on goal per game, good for 12th in the NCAA. Kristoffer Eberly has been one of the best goaltenders in the country this season, posting a .933 save percentage and 1.67 GAA in all six of Ohio State’s regular season games. Penn State will need to attack early and often to solve the Buckeyes’ defense and goaltending.
Ohio State is tied for 29th on the power play at 19%, and the penalty kill is tied for 7th at 90.9%. Power play goals may be hard to come by this series, with Penn State boasting the No. 5 penalty kill in the NCAA.
News & Notes
- Gavin McKenna was named the Big Ten Third Star of the Week.
- Guy Gadowsky and Steve Rohlik are the two current longest tenured coaches in the Big Ten.
- Ohio State leads the all-time series 28-23-5.
- Charlie Cerrato (17 points) and JJ Wiebusch (15 points) are the two highest point scorers in the NCAA entering this weekend.
Around the Big Ten
- Minnesota’s struggles continued, as the Gophers scored just one goal on home ice across two games against Minnesota-Duluth.
- Michigan lost its first game of the season, a 5-2 defeat to Western Michigan on the road.
- Michigan State easily swept Northern Michigan on the road.
- Wisconsin quietly enters conference play with zero regulation losses through six games.
Key Games This Weekend
Big Ten
- No. 19 Minnesota at No. 14 Wisconsin- Thursday (9pm on BTN) and Saturday (7pm on Big Ten Plus).
- No. 2 Michigan at Notre Dame- Friday (7pm on Peacock) and Saturday (6pm on Peacock).
Around the Country
- No. 5 Boston University at No. 12 Maine- Friday (7pm on ESPN+) and Saturday (7pm on ESPN+).
- No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth at No. 8 North Dakota- Friday (8pm) and Saturday (7pm).
Prediction
There have been warning signs for Penn State entering conference play. The penalties, bad defense, inconsistent goaltending and power play, lack of depth scoring. The Nittany Lions got away with subpar play against weaker non-conference teams, but the real test begins tonight. Ohio State is a very good team that is going to show us if the Nittany Lions are contenders or pretenders. I choose to remain optimistic. Penn State’s offense is good enough to win a game, but the Buckeyes are too good to be swept at home.
Penn State 5-4, Ohio State 4-2
