Here's the summary of Ohio State-UIC Friday night at the OSU Ice Rink:
      1  2  3
UIC   1  0  1--2
OSU   3  1  0--4
 
FIRST PERIOD
1. OSU Loney (Painter) 8:59 (pp)
2. OSU Dave Smith [no relation] (Loney, Brandt) 16:41
3. UIC Judson (Dennis) 19:20
4. OSU D. Smith (Loney, Graham) 19:42
SECOND PERIOD
5. OSU Schriner (Richards, Walsh) 5:27
THIRD PERIOD
6. UIC Kanoor (Zulinick) 14:19 (sh)
 
SHOTS ON GOAL
      1  2  3
UIC   11 15 7--33
OSU   11 7  8--26
 
GOALIES:
UIC--Hillebrandt--26 shots, 22 saves
OSU--Bales--33 shots, 31 saves
 
The Columbus Dispatch does not give penalties or power play stats in their box
scores, but unofficially, I had UIC 0 for 8 on the power play and OSU 1 for 6.
 
A--812 (cap. 1450)
 
As I said earlier, this one could have been very different.  In the first
period, both teams were carrying the puck across the blue line and getting
ridden off.  Both teams were thus just going up and down the ice without
generating any chances and without really contesting the neutral zone at all.
Both teams mounted pressure on early power plays, but OSU's Brian Loney caught
a break when Hillebrandt lost sight of the puck in front of him.  Loney poked
it home for OSU's first goal.
 
After that, OSU really picked up on the physical play, but still, nether team
could really control the puck in the offensive zone.  OSU's second goal was a
bit flukey as Smith and White broke in for a 2 on 1.  The UIC defenseman went
down to block the passing lane and forced Smith to take a qick wrist shot which
deflected off the defenseman and over Hillebrandt's glove.
 
The UIC goal came with less than a minute to play as OSU tried to break out of
its own zone.  Smith skated past UIC's Judson who reached behaind him and
literally took the puck off Smith's stick.  Since most of OSU's player were up
ice, Judson was alone between the circles and fired a good, low shot to Bales'
stick side which went over his leg.
 
Smith answered for OSU :20 later as a clog developed in the slot and Loney slid
the puck into it where Smith somehow found it and knocked it home.
 
The second period was a little different.  UIC generated lots of chances,
outshooting OSU 15-7, but Bales was spectacular.  UIC had two 2 on 0 chances
where Bales stuffed both the initail shot and the rebound, a 3 on 1 where Bales
used his stick to deflect a shot off a nice centering pass, and a 1 on 0 where
Bales again was able to stuff the shot.  The saves were good, but in each case,
UIC seemed to wait much too long to shoot, and on the 2 on 0 chances, the
player with the puck always went right down the slot instead of moving over,
allowing his trailer to go down the slot, and forcing Bales to commit to one or
the other.  OSU's goal came after Richards took a hard drive from his point and
Shcriner stayed with the rebound and slid it under Hillebrandt.
 
The final period was pretty boring as it was dominated by the referee, Graff.
There was only about 5:30 of 5 on 5 and Graff called two penalties
simultaneously on UIC (very weak hooking and slashing calls) late in the game
(19:14) which killed any hopes they had
of coming back.  Graff seemed intent to call any and all hooking or holding and
I believe that the UIC coach was very upset with the officiating overall.
The UIC goal came shorthanded (the 4th allowed by OSU in 3 games) as they were
fianlly able to convert on a breakaway opportunity.
 
The OSU defense played a bit better last night, at least, they were clearing
away rebounds well.  They just don't seem to understand when the ice is
unbalanced and someone needs to get back.  A defenseman will be the only man
between the goal and three opposing players, no one will get back, the
defenseman will come up and challenge for the puck, lose, and the breakaway is
on.  I still say that is something that is the coach's fault.  He should be
able to teach his players that kind of basic ice sense.
 
OSU-UIC play again tonight at 7:30 in the Ice Rink.  (Bill F., I'm going for
your record in game summary lengths.)
 
--
Dave [log in to unmask]
Cornell '91 OSU Med '95
Let's Go Red!
"If I have seen further, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of
giants."
               --Sir Isaac Newton