College hockey is back in full swing, and all four NCAA D1 teams in Ohio have finally returned to regular season play (that’s Ohio State’s women’s team, and the men’s teams at Bowling Green, Miami, and Ohio State). To celebrate, I’m starting a semi-weekly feature here at Buckeye State Hockey, the Three Stars of Ohio College Hockey.
We have a great group to pick from this week, with some big program victories and inspiring individual performances.
First Star: Kassidy Sauve, G, Ohio State
2-1-1, .967 SV%, 1 Shutout
Kassidy Sauve is one of the great (as of yet) under reported stories in college sports. The goalie took Ohio State by storm in her freshman year, playing in 20 games and finishing with a .925 SV%, one of the 16 best performances in the nation (via College Hockey Inc). Unfortunately for the Buckeyes and even worse for the goalie: medical issues derailed Sauve for the entire 2015-16 season. The netminder chronicled a pair of hip surgeries on her own blog, and it’s well worth exploring.
I’ll admit: sometimes I forget the human aspect of sports, and it’s a shortcoming I need to keep in the front of my mind. Kassidy Sauve’s blog is an immediate and grounding account, an active engagement with personal struggles and (in recent days) personal triumph. In a post from January, some six months after surgery, Sauve lamented. She wrote, “Hockey has been my life since I was just a kid and without it, I’m only half of me. Life off of the ice rink is half as sunny, half as exciting and holds only half my memories.” The change in tone throughout recovery is powerful. Just three months after the dour tidings, Sauve shared a post about the joy of skating in goalie gear again, and it’s worth a full read especially considered in such contrast to the saddest moments.
Fast-forward to September 30th and October 1st 2016, the first games of the new season for Ohio State, Kassidy Sauve’s first games since the 2014-15 season ended. In Troy, New York, Kassidy Sauve was the starter for the scarlet and gray, and went right back to work. Two games, two wins at RPI, one shutout, a .985 SV% over the course of the weekend.
It’s easy to get caught up in a two game sample, and I know better than to say one weekend will give an accurate outlook on the future. It’s also the absolute perfect resolution to a human story. Sauve met her challenges head-on, and came out healthy and as high-impact as ever before.
The good news for Sauve and the Buckeyes? The story has continued in a positive direction. This past weekend, Ohio State traveled to Wisconsin to take on the top-ranked Badgers. While the team-wide outcome wasn’t perfect (0-1-1), the OSU goalie held up her end of the bargain, leading her team to an unexpected Saturday tie. Wisconsin dominated the shot battle 47-15 on Friday, and again 38-7 on Saturday. Sauve still managed an impressive .936 SV% in the first match, and a massive .974 SV% in the second.
Ohio State is back on the road this Friday and Saturday at Bemidji State, and the Buckeyes open their home schedule October 21st and 22nd against Minnesota.
Second Star: John Wiitala, LW, Ohio State
GWG vs Denver, 2-0-2 and 8 shots over 2 games in Ice Breaker Tournament
The Ohio State men’s team opened their regular season in Colorado, participants in the Ice Breaker Tournament at the University of Denver. OSU (and Air Force) played the spoiler role in the opening round. The Buckeyes beat host Denver on Friday; OSU never trailed against the nation’s #3 team, scoring first and picking up two second period goals to lock up a 3-2 win.
The tournament final between Ohio State and Air Force was more complicated, but the game officially ended in a 3-3 tie. OSU had to claw back from a 3-1 deficit, eventually drawing even with about 5 minutes left in the game. (The teams participated in a shootout to determine tournament winner. Air Force came out victorious, but that result that won’t impact the PairWise rankings).
OSU’s scoring was fairly diffuse, with five Buckeyes picking up at least a goal, and 7 other players factoring in assists only. My pick for second star goes to the sole Buckeye to score two goals: John Wiitala, a sophomore winger. Wiitala’s tally off a rebound against the Pioneers ended up the game winner. You can watch the goal on Denver’s game highlights below (the play begins around the 1:59 mark).
Wiitala’s Saturday goal (his second of the weekend) was part of the third period rally versus the Falcons. The scoring effort also pairs well with the shot total, as Wiitala tied for second on the team (his 8 only behind Mason Jobst’s 11, via College Hockey Inc). Those efforts were also recognized in Colorado, as Wiitala was picked to the Ice Breaker All-Tournament team.
Ohio State is back on the road in Oxford to face Miami this Friday. The Buckeyes face Bowling Green in a home-and-home at BG October 21st, and opening their home schedule on October 22nd.
Third Star: Kiefer Sherwood, C, Miami
GWG at Providence, 1-1-2 and 4 shots over two games in Providence
The Redhawks opened the year in Rhode Island, splitting a two game series at Providence. Miami dropped game one 3-4, giving up a shorthanded game winning goal late in the 3rd period. The visitors regrouped on Saturday, improving their shot total defense and beating the Friars 2-1. Miami ended up with and impressive five powerplay goals on the weekend.
My pick for third star of the week goes to sophomore Kiefer Sherwood (a Columbus-area native, and brother of CBJ prospect Kole Sherwood). Kiefer was one of three Redhawks to pick up two points over the weekend, and his goal Saturday was a 5-on-3 powerplay laser off a nice feed from Louie Belpedio. You can watch the tally on the Providence highlights package below (the Miami play queuing up around the 1:24 mark).
Sherwood also finished with a powerplay assist on the first Saturday goal. The center’s shot total (4) has him tied for 4th on Miami (via College Hockey Inc), helping complete his impactful weekend on the ice.
Miami will host Ohio State this Friday, and plays two at home versus Maine next weekend.
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