With the Gophers on the postseason bubble and just four regular season games left, Minnesota is in desperate need of a strong weekend. They will get the chance as they travel to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in a crucial two-game stretch. There is no room for error as the former No. 1 team in the country looks to mount a late-season run.
“We’re guaranteed five games,” said Don Lucia. “That’s all the team is guaranteed at this point in time. If we win, we’ll play into the postseason but if we falter, you get what you earn.”
PREGAME NOTES
No 15 Minnesota (18-11-3 overall, 9-4-3 Big Ten) vs. Ohio State (11-17-2 overall, 6-10-0 Big Ten)
Friday, 4:02 p.m. CT on ESPNU – Value City Arena (17,500)
Saturday, 5:00 p.m. CT on ESPNews – Value City Arena
Last Meeting
When the Buckeyes came to Mariucci a month ago, the Gophers had just started to come out of their midseason slump. A two-game series with a banged up Ohio State squad was just what Minnesota needed. As they have all season, the Gophers power play was dominant, tallying two goals on four chances as Minnesota went on to win, 4-2 in the opener.
Saturday’s series finale was a memorable one as the Gophers topped the Buckeyes, 6-2, completing the much-needed sweep. Travis Boyd recorded a hat trick and ended the weekend with four goals and an assist. At the time, Ohio State was in the midst of a six-game losing streak that could be attributed to a number of injuries heading into their trip to Minnesota.
“I remember shaking hands on Saturday after Ohio State, I said to the coaches, ‘Steve [Rohlik], now you’re going to get to find out what your team is,’” said Lucia. “That week coming into our series they were just getting they’re guys back but they really hadn’t had practice opportunities with their team.”
Since Then
The Buckeyes have rebounded well after getting swept by the Golden Gophers in early February. OSU has rattled off four wins in six games; which included victories over Michigan, Wisconsin, and a sweep of PSU. The Buckeyes have played particularly well at home, recently, a point the Gophers are well aware of as they travel to Columbus this weekend.
“They’re a much different team,” said Don Lucia. “I think you’ve seen that with winning their last three home games beating Michigan and sweeping Penn State.”
Buckeye to Watch
Not known as a high-scoring team, Ohio State has been able to find the back of the net recently, averaging 4.5 goals per contest over their last four games.
“They’ve got good team speed,” said Lucia. “They’ve got pretty good balance up front and now you’re seeing them score. They scored five goals each night last weekend against Penn State.”
A big reason for the scoring outburst has been the play of Tanner Fritz. During that stretch, the senior has tallied eight points and was named the Big Ten’s third star for his two-goal, two-assist weekend in the Buckeye’s recent sweep of Penn State. As Gopher fans have seen in their own team, late in the season is when seniors tend to shine and Fritz is no exception.