Ohio State Hockey: Buckeyes are preparing for Big Ten Tournament
By Alex Austin
The Ohio State men’s hockey team needs to make a statement in the Big Ten tournament to be in the best position for the larger NCAA Frozen Four tournament. That starts this week with Wisconsin.
Ohio State will host Wisconsin in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament this weekend, in dire need to right the ship and make a statement.
The Buckeyes ended their regular season with a series against the Badgers losing one game and tying the other. That was also played in Columbus where the quarterfinals will be held.
Wisconsin (14-18-2) has a worse record than Ohio State (18-11-5), but that didn’t stop the Badgers winning the season series with two wins and tie against just one loss.
These games become vital because of the current ranking of the Buckeyes. Currently Ohio State is ranked #11 by the USA Today and OSCHA polls, dropping one spot from No. 10 after dropping the final series to Wisconsin.
For the NCAA tournament, the winners of each conference tournament have an automatic spot with the other 10 spots being at-large bids. Ohio State is probably looking like a lock to make the tournament, but seeding becomes vitally important.
The other reason this is an important tournament is because the Buckeyes have never won the Big Ten Tournament in hockey. This season, Penn State is the only Big Ten team ranked ahead of them leaving the field open for a run.
It is also a great opportunity for two Ohio State players, senior Tanner Laczynski and Tommy Nappier. The two are in contention for the Hobey Baker Award (the top player in college hockey), and a memorable performance by either will certainly help with the fan voting in full swing.
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Making a strong statement against the Badgers will help build the confidence for the Buckeyes. And send a strong message to the NCAA selection committee this team deserves to be seeded highly.