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LGHL Four Storylines: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No 6 North Carolina
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Four Storylines: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No 6 North Carolina
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jay LaPrete/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
What to watch in the round of 32 between the Buckeyes and Tar Heels
Monday at 4:00 p.m. ET, the NCAA Tournament plays its last game in Columbus, Ohio. Across the men and women’s sides, Ohio’s capital city featured a historic upset, Power Five conferences on display and loud home crowds. It culminates when the Ohio State women’s basketball team welcomes the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Here are four storylines running throughout the game.
The underlying tone of Sunday's media availability for North Carolina was freshman forward Cotie McMahon. McMahon was called everything from a problem to the equivalent of a tight end in football and compared to someone Ohioans, and the world, knows well.
“She’s like LeBron James in a lot of ways. She’s really physical,” said Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart. “So her physicality is part of what you’re guarding in that way and she’s playing fearlessly.”
So far this postseason, McMahon has lived up to the hype. Against James Madison on Saturday, McMahon led the field in scoring with 18 points, plus five rebounds two blocks and a steal. For all intents and purposes, a quieter performance as of late.
McMahon averages 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds in four postseason games. Monday, Ohio State will need more of that from the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Inside those numbers, McMahon’s leveraged abilities in and out of the paint. Although the last two games have been quieter rebounding performances, Ohio State will need the version of McMahon grabbing close to 10 boards per game, with the freshman hauling in 26 in the first two games of the Big Ten Tournament.
If shooting from the perimeter continues to be quiet, the Buckeyes hit 2-for-17 from deep on Saturday, the spins and moves towards the rim that McMahon brings will also give the team’s shooting time to heat up.
Quickly, McMahon has become one the most indispensable players not only for the Buckeyes but in the Big Ten.
Ohio State and North Carolina have one thing in common: They can force turnovers. Each team leads their respective conferences, the Big Ten and ACC, in forced turnovers per game. The Buckeyes’ 20.3 forced per game comes from a blistering full-court press. A defensive press that not only leads to steals but 10-second violations and errant passing.
For North Carolina, it comes a little differently.
“I think they game plan really well. So they kind of look at your actions and try to figure out ways to take it away,” said Buckeyes head coach Kevin McGuff. “They have got really, really, you know, fast, quick athletic players who get their hands on a lot of balls and disrupt you, and so make it a little bit harder to run offense.”
That means Ohio State will need to be more careful with their passing. Sometimes, in an effort to move the ball quickly, sloppy passes give opponents extra possessions.
The Scarlet & Gray will have an easier time staying calm if shots can fall. Overall, the two sides protect the ball well, each fourth in their conference in giving the ball away per game. Ohio State has a slight edge, allowing only 13.6 turnovers per game compared to the Tar Heels 14.4.
Saturday’s Buckeyes’ win looked like the last two games for Ohio State in the shooting efficiency department. Here are the first half shooting percentages in the last three games for Ohio State:
All far below Ohio State’s 46.3% average on the season. In each game, it wasn’t poor shot selection. Instead, the shots for the Buckeyes weren’t falling. To correct that, look for more passing.
To help that, more driving and dishing would serve Ohio State well. This season, the Buckeyes are at their best when McMahon, Taylor Thierry and the more aggressive players in the paint running to the basket, drawing in the defense, and finding open looks from deep.
That means giving guards Taylor Mikesell and Jacy Sheldon space to hit deep shots, but the three-point shot isn’t all Ohio State needs.
“If we’re not getting balance, we’re settling for threes,” said McGuff. “So we have to try to get to the rim, maybe get to the free throw line, just to generate some offense early to allow us to get in an offensive rhythm.”
After playing 155 NCAA games in a standout five-season career, Monday is Mikesell’s final game in Columbus, Ohio. Mikesell is the first to downplay the moment, because after all the guard wants to win more than anything.
Should Monday be the last game overall for the Buckeyes or not, Mikesell’s level of fierce competition will be sorely missed by Ohio State. The guard is stoic in her leadership off the court and always communicating on the court with her teammates during the game.
The best way for Mikesell to go out is having a classic Mikesell performance. Lately, Mikesell’s offensive numbers have been stifled slightly, with defenses committing one player to Mikesell exclusively, keeping a hand in the guard’s face.
Sheldon’s return, McMahon’s presence and Thierry’s consistency will give Ohio State more chances to let Mikesell shoot.
As the end of the season drew closer, Mikesell’s teammates shared publicly that the Massillon, Ohio graduate senior’s final collegiate season is added motivation. The team wants to send Mikesell out on a high note, which would come with five more wins in the 22-23 season.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jay LaPrete/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
What to watch in the round of 32 between the Buckeyes and Tar Heels
Monday at 4:00 p.m. ET, the NCAA Tournament plays its last game in Columbus, Ohio. Across the men and women’s sides, Ohio’s capital city featured a historic upset, Power Five conferences on display and loud home crowds. It culminates when the Ohio State women’s basketball team welcomes the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Here are four storylines running throughout the game.
Cotie McMahon Causing Problems
The underlying tone of Sunday's media availability for North Carolina was freshman forward Cotie McMahon. McMahon was called everything from a problem to the equivalent of a tight end in football and compared to someone Ohioans, and the world, knows well.
“She’s like LeBron James in a lot of ways. She’s really physical,” said Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart. “So her physicality is part of what you’re guarding in that way and she’s playing fearlessly.”
So far this postseason, McMahon has lived up to the hype. Against James Madison on Saturday, McMahon led the field in scoring with 18 points, plus five rebounds two blocks and a steal. For all intents and purposes, a quieter performance as of late.
McMahon averages 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds in four postseason games. Monday, Ohio State will need more of that from the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Inside those numbers, McMahon’s leveraged abilities in and out of the paint. Although the last two games have been quieter rebounding performances, Ohio State will need the version of McMahon grabbing close to 10 boards per game, with the freshman hauling in 26 in the first two games of the Big Ten Tournament.
If shooting from the perimeter continues to be quiet, the Buckeyes hit 2-for-17 from deep on Saturday, the spins and moves towards the rim that McMahon brings will also give the team’s shooting time to heat up.
Quickly, McMahon has become one the most indispensable players not only for the Buckeyes but in the Big Ten.
Turnovers
Ohio State and North Carolina have one thing in common: They can force turnovers. Each team leads their respective conferences, the Big Ten and ACC, in forced turnovers per game. The Buckeyes’ 20.3 forced per game comes from a blistering full-court press. A defensive press that not only leads to steals but 10-second violations and errant passing.
For North Carolina, it comes a little differently.
“I think they game plan really well. So they kind of look at your actions and try to figure out ways to take it away,” said Buckeyes head coach Kevin McGuff. “They have got really, really, you know, fast, quick athletic players who get their hands on a lot of balls and disrupt you, and so make it a little bit harder to run offense.”
That means Ohio State will need to be more careful with their passing. Sometimes, in an effort to move the ball quickly, sloppy passes give opponents extra possessions.
The Scarlet & Gray will have an easier time staying calm if shots can fall. Overall, the two sides protect the ball well, each fourth in their conference in giving the ball away per game. Ohio State has a slight edge, allowing only 13.6 turnovers per game compared to the Tar Heels 14.4.
Even Shooting for Four Quarters
Saturday’s Buckeyes’ win looked like the last two games for Ohio State in the shooting efficiency department. Here are the first half shooting percentages in the last three games for Ohio State:
All far below Ohio State’s 46.3% average on the season. In each game, it wasn’t poor shot selection. Instead, the shots for the Buckeyes weren’t falling. To correct that, look for more passing.
To help that, more driving and dishing would serve Ohio State well. This season, the Buckeyes are at their best when McMahon, Taylor Thierry and the more aggressive players in the paint running to the basket, drawing in the defense, and finding open looks from deep.
That means giving guards Taylor Mikesell and Jacy Sheldon space to hit deep shots, but the three-point shot isn’t all Ohio State needs.
“If we’re not getting balance, we’re settling for threes,” said McGuff. “So we have to try to get to the rim, maybe get to the free throw line, just to generate some offense early to allow us to get in an offensive rhythm.”
A Final Home Game for Taylor Mikesell
After playing 155 NCAA games in a standout five-season career, Monday is Mikesell’s final game in Columbus, Ohio. Mikesell is the first to downplay the moment, because after all the guard wants to win more than anything.
Should Monday be the last game overall for the Buckeyes or not, Mikesell’s level of fierce competition will be sorely missed by Ohio State. The guard is stoic in her leadership off the court and always communicating on the court with her teammates during the game.
The best way for Mikesell to go out is having a classic Mikesell performance. Lately, Mikesell’s offensive numbers have been stifled slightly, with defenses committing one player to Mikesell exclusively, keeping a hand in the guard’s face.
Sheldon’s return, McMahon’s presence and Thierry’s consistency will give Ohio State more chances to let Mikesell shoot.
As the end of the season drew closer, Mikesell’s teammates shared publicly that the Massillon, Ohio graduate senior’s final collegiate season is added motivation. The team wants to send Mikesell out on a high note, which would come with five more wins in the 22-23 season.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State’s women’s hockey team battles Wisconsin with a national title on the line
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Ohio State’s women’s hockey team battles Wisconsin with a national title on the line
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Justin Berl/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Following a 3-0 win over Northeastern on Friday, a second straight national title for the Buckeyes is just a win away.
For the second year in a row, two WCHA teams will square off in the women’s hockey NCAA Championship Game. After beating Minnesota-Duluth in last year’s title game, this year Ohio State will take on Wisconsin. The WCHA has dominated women’s hockey over the last two decades, with the conference winning 18 of the 21 national championships in the sport.
To get to the final, Ohio State beat Northeastern 3-0 on Friday in St. Paul. The Buckeyes struck early when Sloane Matthews scored her sixth goal of the season just over a minute into the game. Matthews became the first Ohio State freshman to score a goal in the Frozen Four.
The Buckeyes added two more goals in the second period to put some distance on the Huskies. Makenna Webster scored her 15th goal of the year just over halfway through the period. Hadley Hartmetz closed out the scoring in the game seven minutes later with her sixth goal of the season.
While Ohio State kept up the pressure throughout the game, registering 53 shots on goal, the same can’t be said about Northeastern. The Huskies were only able to muster 15 shots on goal, which Amanda Thiele stopped all of. The shutout was Thiele’s fourth of the season, and the second by a Buckeye goalie in an NCAA Tournament game. The 20 wins this year by Thiele ties a school single-season record.
After the Buckeyes beat the Huskies on Friday, Minnesota and Wisconsin battled in the second semifinal. The Golden Gophers struck first, but Laila Edwards evened the score at the 6:32 mark of the third period. The Badgers took the lead under a minute later when Sophie Shirley found the net. Minnesota tied the score with just over a minute left in regulation, forcing overtime.
Wisconsin clinched their spot in today’s title game when Caroline Harvey scored 16:47 into the first overtime period. Harvey has had a phenomenal first season at Wisconsin, becoming the second Badger freshman to earn All-American honors when she was named a second-team All-American.
The Badgers were able to get some revenge on Minnesota after the Golden Gophers beat Wisconsin 4-2 in a WCHA Frozen Four semifinal game a couple weeks ago. Now the Badgers will try and beat an Ohio State team that won three of the four regular season meetings between the schools this year.
The first game between the teams came in Columbus on Jan. 13, with Ohio State winning 2-1 in overtime when Sophie Jaques scored with less than a minute left in the extra period. The Buckeyes would cruise the next night, shutting out the Badgers 5-0. Paetyn Levis recorded a hat trick, while Amanda Thiele stopped all 17 shots she faced.
The lone win for Wisconsin would come a month later in Madison. The Badgers scored four goals in the first period, but Ohio State would fight back to tie the game 5-5 and force overtime when Emma Maltais scored with just over two minutes left in regulation. Kirsten Simms scored two minutes into overtime to secure the victory.
The momentum for the Badgers wouldn’t last long, as the Buckeyes were able to win their first-ever regular season title the next day. After falling behind 1-0, Ohio State did all their damage in the last five minutes of the third period. Maltais tied the game at the 15:43 mark, and Madison Bizal broke the tie with 55 seconds to go. Bizal would add a second goal 30 seconds later to secure the victory for Ohio State.
Even though Ohio State won three of the four matchups with the Badgers this year, Wisconsin is one of the few teams in the country that can match the firepower of the Buckeyes. The Badgers notched 168 goals this year heading into this game, while Ohio State enters with 169 goals. Wisconsin has nine players with at least 10 goals this season, led by Casey O’Brien and Britta Curl, who both have scored 19 goals this year. The Buckeyes have seven players with at least 10 tallies this year, paced by Sophie Jaques’ 24 goals.
Last year Sophie Jaques was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which is given annually to the best women’s collegiate hockey player in the country. Jaques fell just short at earning the honor last year, as Minnesota’s Taylor Heise was announced as the winner. This year Jaques was again a finalist, and the result was much different.
The Buckeye defenseman edged Northeastern’s Alina Mueller and Danielle Serdachny of Colgate. Jaques holds the WCHA record for most career goals by a defenseman with 61, and her 156 points are the most by a defenseman in Ohio State history.
Now Jaques will look to cap off an incredible career in scarlet and gray with a second straight national championship.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Justin Berl/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Following a 3-0 win over Northeastern on Friday, a second straight national title for the Buckeyes is just a win away.
For the second year in a row, two WCHA teams will square off in the women’s hockey NCAA Championship Game. After beating Minnesota-Duluth in last year’s title game, this year Ohio State will take on Wisconsin. The WCHA has dominated women’s hockey over the last two decades, with the conference winning 18 of the 21 national championships in the sport.
To get to the final, Ohio State beat Northeastern 3-0 on Friday in St. Paul. The Buckeyes struck early when Sloane Matthews scored her sixth goal of the season just over a minute into the game. Matthews became the first Ohio State freshman to score a goal in the Frozen Four.
The Buckeyes added two more goals in the second period to put some distance on the Huskies. Makenna Webster scored her 15th goal of the year just over halfway through the period. Hadley Hartmetz closed out the scoring in the game seven minutes later with her sixth goal of the season.
While Ohio State kept up the pressure throughout the game, registering 53 shots on goal, the same can’t be said about Northeastern. The Huskies were only able to muster 15 shots on goal, which Amanda Thiele stopped all of. The shutout was Thiele’s fourth of the season, and the second by a Buckeye goalie in an NCAA Tournament game. The 20 wins this year by Thiele ties a school single-season record.
Preview
After the Buckeyes beat the Huskies on Friday, Minnesota and Wisconsin battled in the second semifinal. The Golden Gophers struck first, but Laila Edwards evened the score at the 6:32 mark of the third period. The Badgers took the lead under a minute later when Sophie Shirley found the net. Minnesota tied the score with just over a minute left in regulation, forcing overtime.
Wisconsin clinched their spot in today’s title game when Caroline Harvey scored 16:47 into the first overtime period. Harvey has had a phenomenal first season at Wisconsin, becoming the second Badger freshman to earn All-American honors when she was named a second-team All-American.
The Badgers were able to get some revenge on Minnesota after the Golden Gophers beat Wisconsin 4-2 in a WCHA Frozen Four semifinal game a couple weeks ago. Now the Badgers will try and beat an Ohio State team that won three of the four regular season meetings between the schools this year.
The first game between the teams came in Columbus on Jan. 13, with Ohio State winning 2-1 in overtime when Sophie Jaques scored with less than a minute left in the extra period. The Buckeyes would cruise the next night, shutting out the Badgers 5-0. Paetyn Levis recorded a hat trick, while Amanda Thiele stopped all 17 shots she faced.
The lone win for Wisconsin would come a month later in Madison. The Badgers scored four goals in the first period, but Ohio State would fight back to tie the game 5-5 and force overtime when Emma Maltais scored with just over two minutes left in regulation. Kirsten Simms scored two minutes into overtime to secure the victory.
The momentum for the Badgers wouldn’t last long, as the Buckeyes were able to win their first-ever regular season title the next day. After falling behind 1-0, Ohio State did all their damage in the last five minutes of the third period. Maltais tied the game at the 15:43 mark, and Madison Bizal broke the tie with 55 seconds to go. Bizal would add a second goal 30 seconds later to secure the victory for Ohio State.
Even though Ohio State won three of the four matchups with the Badgers this year, Wisconsin is one of the few teams in the country that can match the firepower of the Buckeyes. The Badgers notched 168 goals this year heading into this game, while Ohio State enters with 169 goals. Wisconsin has nine players with at least 10 goals this season, led by Casey O’Brien and Britta Curl, who both have scored 19 goals this year. The Buckeyes have seven players with at least 10 tallies this year, paced by Sophie Jaques’ 24 goals.
Last year Sophie Jaques was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which is given annually to the best women’s collegiate hockey player in the country. Jaques fell just short at earning the honor last year, as Minnesota’s Taylor Heise was announced as the winner. This year Jaques was again a finalist, and the result was much different.
The Buckeye defenseman edged Northeastern’s Alina Mueller and Danielle Serdachny of Colgate. Jaques holds the WCHA record for most career goals by a defenseman with 61, and her 156 points are the most by a defenseman in Ohio State history.
Now Jaques will look to cap off an incredible career in scarlet and gray with a second straight national championship.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Continue reading...