2023-24 Penn State Nittany Lions

[robertearle]

Sorry but it was as inside information as you can get, but the source is confidential. If you don't want to believe it that's your business. I know what I know.

I don't care if you heard it from Woody Freaking Hayes.

The math is the math. The bracket is seeded as the Pairwise dictated.

IF they had deviated from that bracket - and they did NOT -, you could call that "reseeding". But it was NOT reseeded. It was seeded as dictated by the Pairwise. Penn State and St Lawrence are coming to Madaosn because that is what the Pairwise dictated. This is not a matter of opinion or debate. Period. Full Stop.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

I don't care if you heard it from Woody Freaking Hayes.

If you only knew. LOL!
(ps- Woody lived a half mile from me!)

 

[ZedLeppelin]

Holy moly. That game went to 3OT. Definitive answer that yes the rink has the potential to impact the play of the game if you have a team walking from the far side of the field house. Even the wasted minutes not getting to rest or debrief because you’re on an Ohio State walking tour.

So do all of Ohio State's opponents during the season have to do that long trek between periods?

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

So do all of Ohio State's opponents during the season have to do that long trek between periods?

It's like maybe 40 feet from the ice sheet doors to the stairs down to the locker room right at the bottom of the stairs so no excessive walking. I've had to use that locker room and stairs in games I've played in there so I know they are a pain. Also I'm pretty certain that's where I picked up foot & nail fungus!
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[pgb-ohio]

So do all of Ohio State's opponents during the season have to do that long trek between periods?

Nope. The Visitors' Locker Room is inside the Ice Rink building. The only time a 3rd Room is needed is when we host a Regional.

Also, I'm quite certain that the 3rd Locker Room has been in St. John Arena, not the Field House. (The far side of the Field House -- a separate building -- would be a lot further.) The Buckeyes Room is in the near side of St. John; the 3rd Room is on the far side of St. John. And presumably will be again next weekend.

I won't say "the walk" is much ado about nothing. But if there is any ado, it's about very little. The Buckeyes make a similar walk at every home game, all year long.

Of course this is one more reason Women's Hockey needs a new facility. The set-up is unorthodox enough to be a distraction. But here's the thing. Suppose we were hosting the Regional in the Schottenstein Center. The number of steps from the Visitors' Room to the Zamboni entrance (where the visiting team hits the ice) isn't all that different.

 

[pgb-ohio]

It's like maybe 40 feet from the ice sheet doors to the stairs down to the locker room right at the bottom of the stairs so no excessive walking. I've had to use that locker room and stairs in games I've played in there so I know they are a pain. Also I'm pretty certain that's where I picked up foot & nail fungus!
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Don't know about the fungus! (ouch)

But you're describing the location of the normal Visitors' Locker Room, not the 3rd room used only for the Thursday game of a Regional.

 

[Lindsay]

Nope. The Visitors' Locker is inside the Ice Rink building. The only time a 3rd Room is needed is when we host a Regional.

Also, I'm quite certain that the 3rd Locker Room has been in St. John Arena, not the Field House. (The far side of the Field House -- a separate building -- would be a lot further.) The Buckeyes Room is in the near side of St. John; the 3rd Room is on the far side of St. John. And presumably will be again next weekend.

I won't say "the walk" is much ado about nothing. But if there is any ado, it's about very little. The Buckeyes make a similar walk at every home game, all year long.

Of course this is one more reason Women's Hockey needs a new facility. The set-up is unorthodox enough to be a distraction. But here's the thing. Suppose we were hosting the Regional in the Schottenstein Center. The number of steps from the Visitors' Room to the Zamboni entrance (where the visiting team hits the ice) isn't all that different.

My error, I was saying field house when I meant St. John’s Arena. I believe there is a pic of a team one year walking across the playing surface in St. John’s Arena, then they get to the hall that presumably OSU walks down too.

St Lawrence Penn State should be a great game.

 

[pgb-ohio]

My error, I was saying field house when I meant St. John’s Arena. I believe there is a pic of a team one year walking across the playing surface in St. John’s Arena, then they get to the hall that presumably OSU walks down too.

I figured that's what was going on. Trouble was, that perfectly understandable error doubled the length of the walk!

One more nitpicking correction: The players aren't walking in skates across the wooden playing surface of a basketball court. Appropriate carpeting/rubber mats are utilized.

St Lawrence Penn State should be a great game.

Agreed!

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Whoever is designated home team in the first round game on Thursday gets the Buckeye's locker room in St.John Arena next to the rink
I'm guessing it's maybe 50 feet from that locker room up the ramp to St.John arena's doors, then across the breezeway to our arena and to the ice is maybe 80-90 feet? That's my best guess.

 

[Lindsay]

Whoever is designated home team in the first round game on Thursday gets the Buckeye's locker room in St.John Arena next to the rink
I'm guessing it's maybe 50 feet from that locker room up the ramp to St.John arena's doors, then across the breezeway to our arena and to the ice is maybe 80-90 feet? That's my best guess.

That’s a change from prior years, correct?

 

[pgb-ohio]

Whoever is designated home team in the first round game on Thursday gets the Buckeye's locker room in St.John Arena next to the rink
I'm guessing it's maybe 50 feet from that locker room up the ramp to St.John arena's doors, then across the breezeway to our arena and to the ice is maybe 80-90 feet? That's my best guess.

If true, then it's a different set-up than the previous regionals. I can assure you that a 3rd Room was used in the past.

But if your understanding is correct, all that means is that "the walk" is a total non-issue for 2024. The walk would literally be identical to what the Buckeyes do at every home game, all season long.

 

[LBartowski]

Actually, for such a quality team, the Ohio state facility is ridiculous. Last year, Penn State’s locker room was behind a curtain in some old field house (not sure of the name), where they had to take a long walk in their skates through a breezeway to their “locker room” which was on the main floor of the gymnasium. Not only was the facility extra poor, the puck hit the ceiling above the ice surface like 3 times causing a stoppage of play!
Again, Ohio state is such a good program. Why do they play there? Isn’t there a nicer youth hockey arena in town they could play at? Or play where the men play.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Actually, for such a quality team, the Ohio state facility is ridiculous. Last year, Penn State’s locker room was behind a curtain in some old field house (not sure of the name), where they had to take a long walk in their skates through a breezeway to their “locker room” which was on the main floor of the gymnasium. Not only was the facility extra poor, the puck hit the ceiling above the ice surface like 3 times causing a stoppage of play!
Again, Ohio state is such a good program. Why do they play there? Isn’t there a nicer youth hockey arena in town they could play at? Or play where the men play.

The Schott where the men play is too big for the women, it can seat nearly 19,000
Hockey has never been a priority for Ohio State but with Coach Muzerall bringing the program into national prominence they are giving it more consideration.
The trustees approved 2.7 million last year for the study and planning phase of a new arena for the women.
It got a bit behind schedule when the athletic department diverted all their attention and resources to fix the football program and we just had a changing of the guard with a new university president and AD but a new arena is coming.

 

[StPaulSam]

The Schott where the men play is too big for the women, it can seat nearly 19,000
Hockey has never been a priority for Ohio State but with Coach Muzerall bringing the program into national prominence they are giving it more consideration.
The trustees approved 2.7 million last year for the study and planning phase of a new arena for the women.
It got a bit behind schedule when the athletic department diverted all their attention and resources to fix the football program and we just had a changing of the guard with a new university president and AD but a new arena is coming.

Men's attendance was around 5300 per game with capacity listed at 7700 per the USCHO page. Would there not be a way to further restrict capacity in that arena? I mean no disrespect to OSU fans but I'm honestly shocked NCAA let's them host a regional in that rec center rink. They can't even charge for tickets, can they?

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Men's attendance was around 5300 per game with capacity listed at 7700 per the USCHO page. Would there not be a way to further restrict capacity in that arena? I mean no disrespect to OSU fans but I'm honestly shocked NCAA let's them host a regional in that rec center rink. They can't even charge for tickets, can they?

That 7700 figure is wrong, our Saturday men's home game against Michigan has attendance listed as 8789. Somebody in the athletic department decided to promote the illusion of a sellout and stopped admission to the 3rd level. Maximum attendance is listed at 20,000 but that varies some depending on which sport is being played.
I couldn't find the official championship game attendance when we hosted the 2005 Frozen Four but if memory serves me it was close to 19,000
The NCAA rules dictate top seeds host so there it is. Also admission prices are dictated by the NCAA as well.
Unfortunately fans who will watch the regional here on TV or streamed will be disappointed, it's terrible and is viewed through the safety netting. It is what it is until the new arena is built. Fortunately for us recruiting is not impaired at all by this situation, the players come here for what our program and coach offers, not our early 1960's rink.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

If true, then it's a different set-up than the previous regionals. I can assure you that a 3rd Room was used in the past.

But if your understanding is correct, all that means is that "the walk" is a total non-issue for 2024. The walk would literally be identical to what the Buckeyes do at every home game, all season long.

I may have been mistaken and others were correct on what they previously did for visiting teams locker rooms.

 

[Reddington]

This is the fourth time PSU and SLU have faced off during the last three years. This time no Morgan or Bothun. Add two former Syracuse players to the mix: Batherson and Marchand. This should add a little extra spice to the game.

 

[pgb-ohio]

I may have been mistaken and others were correct on what they previously did for visiting teams locker rooms.

On further review, I'll allow that my memory isn't crystal clear either. We hosted Regionals in both 2022 & 2023. I'm 100% sure the "3rd Locker Room" was in St. John Arena for one of those years. But maybe the Fieldhouse somehow was involved the other year?? The fact the 3rd Locker Room disappears after the 1st Round Game further confuses things. Will try to take better mental notes this time.

I am sorry if the Penn State players had a bad set-up when they competed here.

 

[Timothy A]

It got a bit behind schedule when the athletic department diverted all their attention and resources to fix the football program

What was there to fix? I mean what, you lost the game? oh boy

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

What was there to fix? I mean what, you lost the game? oh boy

You must not understand how crazy and fixated it is here about the football team, it is and always has been King.
Losing several years in a row to That Team up North puts them in full panic and damage control mode and not being true National Championship contenders makes it worse. You would not believe the millions in NIL money recently spent to get key player here for the football team.
That situation brings up another question that's been on my mind lately, will the NIL situation spill over to women's hockey so schools would have to pay recruits to come play for them? That would really create a bad situation and imbalance as large universities could certainly outspend many others.