Ohio State Buckeyes 2022-2023 ... The Drive For Duluth

[pgb-ohio]

ARM covered most of this, but I am literally one person who does all the women's DI writing and I don't have an editor. I would LOVE to be able to travel and cover more, but the very frank answer is I do not make enough money for that to be possible. I try to travel to at least one or two out-of-state series a year, but because of where I am, that's not super feasible. Also, I drive to keep costs down and because this is a winter sport, that means making judgement calls about snow and ice. It's an hour drive each way for me to go to games in Madison, which I happily do very frequently, but even that sometimes just isn't possible.

You do a ton of good stuff and I greatly appreciate you.

The short of it is, if I'm in house for a game, I'll do a recap, regardless of the opponent. That's because I have access to line charts and go to the post-game to talk to coaches and players. I do not write gamers when I don't have those things. Generally, I try to stay home and watch a bunch of streams at least one weekend day. If Wisconsin is playing a ranked opponent, I'll make the trip to Madison for both games. I personally feel like I learn a lot more about a team and get more information seeing teams in person. Streams are much harder to glean things from.

Amen. A Gigantic Amen!

You do far more for USCHO than I do as one poster. But this is analogous to why I only do my "3 Stars" Posts for Home Games I attend in person.

I do not write up games I just watch on streams because anything I write would be inferior to what the teams put up on their own sites as recaps. I also usually have 2-3 games on at any given time. It's hard to do any of them justice. None of this is ideal, but it is the system I've come up with. I used to feel like I had to be at every Wisconsin home game, but that was really difficult and meant I didn't get to watch as many teams, so I stay home more often with my multi-screen set up.

I know I don't get over here to post as often as folks would probably like, but I do try to come over and read through stuff and add in my two cents or any info I have. As one person trying to cover 42 teams, it's impossible to do it all. But also, feel free to Tweet (@nicolehaase) at me. I'm pretty open and accessible and am so appreciative of you all.

It's great that you posted this. I'm sure that those who are critical are simply unaware of how few people actively serve as USCHO Staff. When you think about it, it's actually quite a compliment to you. You and ARM pull off the illusion of a larger staff with more resources. And not just on Wednesdays. (winking emoticon here.)

[pgb-ohio]

We came alive in the 3rd but I hope we have strong first periods next weekend against Duluth.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with "came alive." I thought we played hard all game. The Buckeyes had a territorial advantage and a shots advantage throughout. But the stingy Bemidji defense prevented most Grade 'A' scoring chances. And the Beavers generated some truly dangerous opportunities on the counter. Of course all of that is just Bemidji being Bemidji. 1-0 after two periods wasn't a bad result.

Sophie's goal to open the 3rd was enormous. Now down by two goals with less than a period to play, Bemidji had no choice but to open things up, and go more on the attack. It's no coincidence that the Buckeyes were able to create more high quality chances on offense. Thankfully we cashed in on a couple.

[Offsides Guy]

Apologize if this has been covered elsewhere but why hasn’t Webster been in the line up for OSU?

[pgb-ohio]

Confidential To Kelly Of Bemidji: Gotta believe your Second Star was #21 Morrow, not #27 Levis. Unless I missed a tip, Morrow had the GWG.

Regardless, I enjoyed your call of both games this weekend; thanks!

[pgb-ohio]

Apologize if this has been covered elsewhere but why hasn’t Webster been in the line up for OSU?

She played in the Saturday St. Cloud Game, back on October 8th. Bagged 1 Assist.

Otherwise I presume she's been with the Field Hockey team. But the latter is me presuming, not knowing.

[Offsides Guy]

She played in the Saturday St. Cloud Game, back on October 8th. Bagged 1 Assist.

Otherwise I presume she's been with the Field Hockey team. But the latter is me presuming, not knowing.

Ah, I forgot about the field hockey piece. Thanks!

[osualum86]

We came alive in the 3rd but I hope we have strong first periods next weekend against Duluth.

Totally agree with this. It's Alumni Weekend, so there will be big crowds! Looking forward to it!

[osualum86]

Bemidji State put up a good fight earlier today, but the Buckeye Women completed the sweep earlier by a final score of 5-2. The Buckeyes opened the scoring on a goal by Emma Maltais and that was the only scoring in the first period. Ohio State's Riley Brengman lit the lamp in the second period to put the Buckeyes up 2-0. The Beavers answered on a goal from Genevieve Hendrickson and the teams went into the final intermission with the Buckeyes clinging to a 2-1 lead. Kendra Fortin would score for the Beavers to tie things up at 2-2 in the third period. From that point on, it was all Buckeyes when it comes to goals scored. Ohio State got a goal from Sydney Morrow and two goals from Sophie Jaques, the latter being an empty-netter to make the final score 5-2. The Buckeyes outshot the Beavers by a wide margin in this one, 50-10. Buckeye netminder Amanda Thiele stopped 8 of the 10 shots she faced to get the win. Beaver goaltender Hannah Hogenson stopped 45 of the 49 shots she faced in a valiant effort for Bemidji. The Buckeyes will return home next weekend for a big series against the UMD Bulldogs. It doesn't get any easier for the Beavers as they will travel to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers.

[ARM]

When you think about it, it's actually quite a compliment to you. You and ARM pull off the illusion of a larger staff with more resources. And not just on Wednesdays. (winking emoticon here.)

Other than the column with Nicole, I haven't written for USCHO for more than two years. Over the years, teams have gotten better about making streams and highlights available. Fans have less need to read about what happened when they can watch it themselves. We can add quotes from the postgame, but a number of the coaches of the higher profile teams are so careful about what they say that those quotes don't add a lot. Many of the players are so selfless, that their quotes are sometimes not much better in terms of being informative.
Q: "Can you talk about the play where you stole the puck on the PK and scored an unassisted, breakaway goal?"
A: "I have to give all the credit to my teammates; they were setting me up all game."
I applaud all that Nicole has taken on to write about the sport. She's covered both D-I and D-III simultaneously, and just doing D-I only, I used to feel like there was something that I was supposed to be writing just about every day. It has to be a labor of love, because parking and gas more than offsets the compensation, and that was when gas was more affordable than it is now.

After a while, you start to feel like no matter what you write, you've written it before and it's time for a new voice. Writing with Nicole was fun, because at least she was constantly adding new ideas and directions, and it wasn't like talking to yourself. I've written enough recaps of 8-0 type games that I have no fresh way of telling those stories. Hopefully, new writers will emerge.

[Hockeybuckeye]

Today's game had me a bit nervous, especially when the Beavers tied it at 2-2. Yes, we got the win and the sweep but I thought we should have been more dominate but there again Minnesota's last win against the Beavers was by 3 goals as well which to me speaks well of the Beavers not being a pushover.
With Duluth coming to town with no doubt a very large chip on their shoulders it's going to be a very intense series! I have no doubt Coach Nadine will have the team well prepared.

[osualum86]

Today's game had me a bit nervous, especially when the Beavers tied it at 2-2. Yes, we got the win and the sweep but I thought we should have been more dominate but there again Minnesota's last win against the Beavers was by 3 goals as well which to me speaks well of the Beavers not being a pushover.
With Duluth coming to town with no doubt a very large chip on their shoulders it's going to be a very intense series! I have no doubt Coach Nadine will have the team well prepared.

Give the Beavers credit for coming back on us and tying it. One note about Bemidji's series with the Gophers is that it was at Minnesota. We were playing them on their ice. Duluth may come to town with a chip on their shoulder, but I agree Coach Nadine will have our team ready. I am stoked for next weekend. For the Duluth fans who are coming down, I want to apologize in advance for our home football game Saturday and the fact that you will have to pay $20 to park and your parking spot will likely not be close to the OSU Ice Rink. I don't like that OSU does this, but football pays the bills, so we live with it. Don't get me wrong, I am as big an OSU Football fan as the next guy. It's just kind of a pain when there is a home football game the same Saturday as Women's Hockey. Thankfully, this is only happening once this season where there is a home football game on the same Saturday where Women's Hockey is home.

[pgb-ohio]

Other than the column with Nicole, I haven't written for USCHO for more than two years.

Ouch. So maybe it is just on Wednesdays? (Weak Smile Emoticon Here)

Over the years, teams have gotten better about making streams and highlights available. Fans have less need to read about what happened when they can watch it themselves.

I've certainly noticed this and agree.

We can add quotes from the postgame, but a number of the coaches of the higher profile teams are so careful about what they say that those quotes don't add a lot. Many of the players are so selfless, that their quotes are sometimes not much better in terms of being informative.
Q: "Can you talk about the play where you stole the puck on the PK and scored an unassisted, breakaway goal?"
A: "I have to give all the credit to my teammates; they were setting me up all game."

And at least at Ohio State, the unedited pressers can often be viewed simply by clicking on a link on the website. Thus further cutting reporters out of the process. And as you say, the content is becoming more limited in value. Of course it's fun for people to have access to the pressers. But if they're always ultra-vanilla, is that really access?

I applaud all that Nicole has taken on to write about the sport. She's covered both D-I and D-III simultaneously, and just doing D-I only, I used to feel like there was something that I was supposed to be writing just about every day. It has to be a labor of love, because parking and gas more than offsets the compensation, and that was when gas was more affordable than it is now.

After a while, you start to feel like no matter what you write, you've written it before and it's time for a new voice. Writing with Nicole was fun, because at least she was constantly adding new ideas and directions, and it wasn't like talking to yourself. I've written enough recaps of 8-0 type games that I have no fresh way of telling those stories. Hopefully, new writers will emerge.

I certainly don't have any easy answers for all of this. And clearly I was paying less attention than I thought I was!

"New Writers" have to be able to put bread on the table somehow. When it's strictly a hobby, then the mission is limited to the hobby time one has available. And for many talented people, that amounts to "not much."

These days this is a pervasive problem for any sort of journalism; USCHO is just one example. While we're willing to put substantial $$ into computer hardware, internet service and so on, we tend to draw the line at paying for content.

I agree with Hockeybuckeye's original post on one important level -- the players deserve much more attention than they get. But when writing jobs are for volunteers only, then just where is that content supposed to come from?

[Lindsay]

I think ARM may have written a Muzerall coach of the year piece last year. Perhaps a Buckeye fan can understandably be mistaken about his presence on the writing staff.

Really enjoying the conversation around coverage. I’ve yet to hear Richard Deitsch dig into the womens hockey media coverage landscape, darn it! Once again the USCHO site shows it’s value to womens hockey fans.

[ARM]

... the players deserve much more attention than they get. But when writing jobs are for volunteers only, then just where is that content supposed to come from?

To clarify this, you can get paid to write freelance content for women's hockey. But if writing is how you're earning a living, women's hockey has to be just one of the things you write about, not a sport on which you focus.

Even when the full-time writers of the local newspapers cover the Gophers -- and these days, this mostly happens for a tournament or some "newsworthy" event like the winning streak or Kessel returning after her battle with concussions -- the quality varies. Betsy Helfand covered the team for The Minnesota Daily while a student, so now that she covers the Twins for the Pioneer Press, she is more likely to push to cover women's hockey. Rachel Blount and Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune provide high-quality writing whenever they are assigned to GWH. Others? The first time I remember columnist Patrick Reusse writing about women's hockey was the 2006 Championship, and the focus of his piece was to laugh at fan's of the men's hockey team that had just lost to Holy Cross, so a sport that badly needs publicity mostly gets ignored at its own final.

All we can do is wait for the next Gabriella Fundaro or Grant Salzano to arrive. Or as others have tried in the past, you can contact your local newspaper and push for more coverage. Papers tend to limit this to editing the team's press release down to a paragraph or two as filler. That might draw attention of a couple of new fans, but it doesn't provide "The 17" with anything interesting to read.

[Hockeybuckeye]

12:01 and officially GameDay.
Can't wait!