Ohio State Buckeyes 2023-24 The Muzzinator Gonna Muzzinate!!

[Timothy A]

I really appreciate what Joy can do on offense. Whereas a lot of players like to take it around the net when she's in the area above the circle, she has a tendency to hit the brakes and cut toward the middle and make something happen. She did that multiple times in the last game and eventually it worked out for her.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Top 10 Memories
of the
2024 Frozen Four

#9 Merchandise & Apparel​

Bringing home Tournament Memorabilia is a Frozen Four Tradition. Maybe you favor T-Shirts. Perhaps you prefer Lapel Pins. Or one of numerous additional options.

Unfortunately there's also a side tradition that "the good stuff runs out early." So early in the tournament you can count on long lines for the merch. But I must say that lines at the UNH souvenir booth may have been unprecedented. Twice I got into line, only to bail out. The other choice was to miss significant chunks of live hockey. For me, that option was a non-starter!

I successfully made a purchase between the two semi-final games. When it was finally my turn, I found the staff to be both pleasant and professional. They knew their inventory well. Next time, UNH should just set up a second, temporary store to deal with the volume of customers. And there needs to be a next time. UNH definitely deserves a future tournament.

Happily I got my turn before anything that interested me ran out. The staff dealt my idiosyncratic preference on hoodie size -- I like roomy hoodies for those "hang out at the house" days. They didn't have the larger size on the rack, so they went into the backroom and found one for me. So again, good service. Also, I was quite pleased with the design on this year's hoodie. There's no guarantee that hoodies will be for sale at all, much less in a design you like. So good selection on apparel.

The Souvenir Puck saga continues. Last year in Duluth, they ran our of pucks almost immediately. This year there were plenty in stock. But disappointingly to some, they were Practice Pucks with the team logos on a Sticker. If you're going to play pond hockey with it, that's fine. But anyone who's serious about collecting will prefer an Authentic Game Puck. I had a conversation with a local New Hampshire person who was keenly disappointed by the lack of authentics. I'm probably thinking NHL, but I've seen practice pucks and game pucks for sale, side-by-side. Obviously the game puck will cost a little extra in that situation.

Last but least, printed copies of the Tournament Program were available. Go ahead and call me old school. I'll have no problem with it, because I AM old school. I just happen to believe that a printed program is a nice keepsake. Sure, you can get the same information on your phone, using a QR Code. But after the tournament, will you ever go back to it? I wouldn't. Now I'm not saying that I use old Frozen Four programs for daily devotionals. But for an occasional trip through memory lane? Yeah, I'll do that.

Bottom Line? The execution wasn't perfect. But overall, the effort was successful.

 

[osualum86]

Pretty sure upon close examination that there was a significant deflection on Dunne's shot by Badger backchecker- Wheeler I believe. Looks like McNaughton would have been all over the initial trajectory of the shot had that deflection not occured. Either way- tough bounces can go either way and that's usually how these games tend to go.

You probably have better eyes than me, but it happened right in front of me, and I did not notice a deflection. I think the tv announcers may have said something about it.

 

[osualum86]

I really appreciate what Joy can do on offense. Whereas a lot of players like to take it around the net when she's in the area above the circle, she has a tendency to hit the brakes and cut toward the middle and make something happen. She did that multiple times in the last game and eventually it worked out for her.

Timothy, thank you for the kind words about Joy. She is a special player, very humble considering her skill level. She actually led us in goals this season. Didn't have the most points, but had the most goals. I am going to enjoy watching her play and develop for the next three seasons.

 

[Lindsay]

PGB, love the posts! Can’t wait to read them as you get to them. I get the USA hockey magazines that come a few times a year. There are always a couple girls/women’s hockey stories in there and in a world where all the digital stuff goes poof I definitely save them.

Years ago my dad bought me the Sports Illustrated after the 2010 Olympics, because the cover story had Crosby and the inside was all about Canada’s men’s big win. Years later I reread it to see if there was women’s hockey commentary in there. There was, 2 very small articles criticizing the women for celebrating with cigars on the ice, and another saying that women’s hockey may need to be pulled from the Olympics. I would say the articles written today would be different, t alas SI is no more. interesting to look back on as years go by. Print is great and good on the NCAA / UNH for having it!

 

[ARM]

I would say the articles written today would be different...

There has been some evolution in media coverage. In the early years, about the only time I remember a women's NCAA hockey mention on ESPN, outside of the obligatory "congratulations to so-and-so on winning the NCAA women's ice hockey championship," was when the Tom Mutch scandal broke at BC. The media loves a story where they can use all of the letters s-e-x and not have it be about gender. Now, we might see a regular-season goal show up in Top-10 lists, and they will even do longer stories that aren't scandal related, e.g., Amanda Kessel's return to the game, announcing a Kazmaier winner, or talking about a Hockey Humanitarian Award winner.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Years ago my dad bought me the Sports Illustrated after the 2010 Olympics, because the cover story had Crosby and the inside was all about Canada’s men’s big win. Years later I reread it to see if there was women’s hockey commentary in there. There was, 2 very small articles criticizing the women for celebrating with cigars on the ice, and another saying that women’s hockey may need to be pulled from the Olympics. I would say the articles written today would be different, t alas SI is no more. interesting to look back on as years go by. Print is great and good on the NCAA / UNH for having it!

This is why I have so much respect and admiration for Nadine Muzerall. Not just for what she's done for women's hockey at Ohio State but I consider her one of the groundbreaking pioneers whose efforts to push and develop women's hockey everywhere to the amazing levels of recognition and success that we now see and enjoy.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Top 10 Memories
of the
2024 Frozen Four

#8 Our Host City: Durham, NH​

The area around Portsmouth, NH and the New Hampshire Lakes is quite beautiful. Well, maybe a little less beautiful during the intense slush and rain storm we had on Saturday. But gorgeous during the sunshine we had on Friday & Sunday.

That said, my focus was on a one mile stretch of Main Street in Durham. At one end, my hotel. I may not be qualified to write about hockey. But I've stayed at a Holiday Inn Express! Turned out to be a perfect fit for my purposes. Quite a few Buckeyes were staying there, leading to a number of fun lobby and breakfast conversations. Competing fan bases were also well represented. Had a good conversation with a Clarkson fan who was eager to compare notes. Lavish accommodations? No, of course not. Standard accommodations in the right location, with the right people? That captures it.

At the other end of the one mile stretch was the Whitt. For walking, some might say that's on the long side. But for the semi-finals, I did the two mile round trip and found it to be very agreeable. One motive was to hold my parking place at the hotel. More importantly, I wanted to get a first look at the downtown businesses. As the weekend played out, here are some places we enjoyed:

The Juicery: Solid Smoothies.

Two Sports Apparel Shops: We only had eyes for tournament merchandise, so we didn't buy anything. But both had a deep selection of UNH gear. One appeared to specialize in custom made pieces. I'm sure both are very popular with UNH Students & Staff.

Clark's American Bistro: We celebrated the Buckeye Championship at this fine establishment. Now maybe it was just the thrill of victory. But I had the best burger I've had in quite some time. The braised pork and pasta also looked very good. If and when I'm back in Durham, I'd be pleased to visit Clark's again -- just for the food!

Pizza Slices: Several storefronts advertised pizza by the slice. One was actually open, and we got what we needed. In this case, we're talking about NY style slices. If you can visualize Sbarro's, you've got the idea.

Which leads me to my only real criticism. Maybe half of the businesses on Main Street were closed on Sunday. One local fan I met at the Arena expressed distress that there was nowhere for travelers to eat breakfast. (The Holiday Inn covered that.) It may also have been Spring Break for UNH students. Didn't check, but it felt like that was the case.

But local people of all ages certainly compensated for the lack of a student presence. The populace was fully aware the Frozen Four was in town, and were eager to hear our takes on the tournament. As visitors we felt appreciated; and in turn we appreciated Durham.

 

[pgb-ohio]

PGB, love the posts! Can’t wait to read them as you get to them.

Glad you're enjoying them! I'll do my best to post all 10 Memories by the end of the week. That's about when their "shelf life" will run out for most readers.

The Memories are basically diary entries. For games away from Columbus, this approach works out best for me. As per Memory #8, I do enjoy the tourist aspects of the out-of-town tournaments, and spend some time at it. So I save the creative writing for my return home.

I get the USA hockey magazines that come a few times a year. There are always a couple girls/women’s hockey stories in there and in a world where all the digital stuff goes poof I definitely save them.

I also save some of the good stuff found online; occasionally printing hard copies as well.

Years ago my dad bought me the Sports Illustrated after the 2010 Olympics, because the cover story had Crosby and the inside was all about Canada’s men’s big win. Years later I reread it to see if there was women’s hockey commentary in there. There was, 2 very small articles criticizing the women for celebrating with cigars on the ice, and another saying that women’s hockey may need to be pulled from the Olympics. I would say the articles written today would be different, t alas SI is no more. interesting to look back on as years go by. Print is great and good on the NCAA / UNH for having it!

One of Cigar Celebrants was Tessa Bonhomme, one of our own. Now I've never been a smoker, and never will be one. But there was nothing wrong with Tessa's celebration, which occurred after the arena was 99% empty. The puritan who criticized Tessa was way out-of-line. Quick salute to a great New England Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne told us what we need to know about puritans.

About 20 years ago, my family & I ran into Team Canada at the MSP Airport. Tessa noticed my 5 year old's OSU Hoodie; called out to her; and had nice words for her. Tessa didn't have to do that. But she's an ambassador for our sport, and a talented TSN broadcaster to boot. For both of those reasons, she cheerfully reaches out to others. That's the bottom line on Tessa Bonhomme.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

About 20 years ago, my family & I ran into Team Canada at the MSP Airport. Tessa noticed my 5 year old's OSU Hoodie; called out to her; and had nice words for her. Tessa didn't have to do that. But she's an ambassador for our sport, and a talented TSN broadcaster to boot. For both of those reasons, she cheerfully reaches out to others. That's the bottom line on Tessa Bonhomme.

Every time I see Tessa on TV doing her commentary she always slips in a nod to the success of the Ohio State women's hockey program. Beautiful and smart!

 

[osualum86]

One of Cigar Celebrants was Tessa Bonhomme, one of our own. Now I've never been a smoker, and never will be one. But there was nothing wrong with Tessa's celebration, which occurred after the arena was 99% empty. The puritan who criticized Tessa was way out-of-line. Quick salute to a great New England Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne told us what we need to know about puritans.

About 20 years ago, my family & I ran into Team Canada at the MSP Airport. Tessa noticed my 5 year old's OSU Hoodie; called out to her; and had nice words for her. Tessa didn't have to do that. But she's an ambassador for our sport, and a talented TSN broadcaster to boot. For both of those reasons, she cheerfully reaches out to others. That's the bottom line on Tessa Bonhomme.

Tessa has always been one of my favorites! She is a great ambassador of the game, and she absolutely bleeds Scarlet & Gray! It is always great to see her during Alumni Weekend! For those who may not be aware, she has this great podcast now called Jocks In Jills.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jocks+n+jills

 

[pgb-ohio]

Tessa has always been one of my favorites! She is a great ambassador of the game, and she absolutely bleeds Scarlet & Gray! It is always great to see her during Alumni Weekend! For those who may not be aware, she has this great podcast now called Jocks In Jills.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jocks+n+jills

Just watched the most recent episode. Very cool! Thanks for the link.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Top 10 Memories
of the
2024 Frozen Four

#7 Eastern Bias?​

This year's FF opened up with a pair of East/West match-ups. A lot of us were hoping for chance to play a National Game or two in this year's tournament. For us, that transpired in the Semi-Final Round. It did spice up the event a bit. As did the 2nd semi.

Clearly we were playing in the Eastern half of the College Hockey world. Eastern fans reflexively cheered for the Eastern team. Maybe there have been a few exceptions over the years, but it seems like that's always been the case. As such, Clarkson & Colgate had a small "home region" advantage.

Irritating? Maybe a little, but only a little. Here's the thing: The Eastern Hockey fans were rooting FOR something. That's completely different than rooting against.

We don't do so well in the West. Way too often Westerners claim to "despise" entire universities, based on one sports team or even one event. We could learn a thing or two from our New England counterparts. "Bias" is a non-issue, as long as it goes hand-in-hand with respect.

From an OSU vantage point, we were playing against the crowd both days. Particularly on Sunday. Of course part of that was due to the fact that Wisconsin out-traveled us. No shame in that; Wisconsin travels as well as any school in College Hockey, Men's or Women's.

Whatever the exact breakdown of the crowd, our Buckeyes were clearly playing against it. But that's OK. As I've posted many times, a hockey player would much rather compete against a crowd, as opposed to playing Mausoleum Hockey. And there are few things in life as satisfying as battling against a crowd, and prevailing.

Sunday at the Frozen Four, the Cat ate the Canary. And that Canary was mighty tasty.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Top 10 Memories
of the
2024 Frozen Four

#6 Jenna & Makenna: All Scarlet & Gray, All The Time​

The Scarlet & Gray Award has been gone for at least 10 years. It went away when the Public Banquet was replaced by a Brunch Event intended for the players' families. But back in the day, the Scarlet & Gray was presented to Ohio State Hockey's Most Intense Competitor. Had the Award continued on to present times, Jenna Buglioni & Makenna Webster certainly would have been leading candidates.

Jenna & Makenna combined to create one of the most pivotal goals of the tournament. While it was only the first of four semi-final goals, the importance was enormous. Let's flash back to the start if the game.

Clarkson got three whistles in the first minute of play. Then at the 2:25 mark, the Golden Knights took a 1-0 lead. Perfect start for Clarkson; Very problematic start for Ohio State. Playing from behind against Clarkson can be a miserable experience. In a single elimination tournament, it can fatal.

Enter Jenna & Makenna. Both are superb forecheckers. Both bring skill, determination, grit and raw speed to the task. Contested puck? Never bet against these two Buckeyes.

When the key play began, Buglioni sealed off the end boards in the offensive zone. The Clarkson defender responded by lobbing the puck over Jenna's head. Jenna got a glove in the air, and attempted to make a Basketball block. That didn't work, but Buglioni wasn't done. She rushed back into the play. Joining with Webster, they disrupted the break out before it could even get across the blue line. With the turnover secured, Jenna pushed the puck forward to Webster, who was now behind the Golden Knight defense.

Time for some Makenna Magic. Makenna instantly shifted into breakaway mode, confronting the National Goalie of the Year. Did that bother Webster? Not in the least.

The right handed Webster used her backhand to pull the puck to the right. Stimulus, Response. The move got the desired result; Goalie Pasiechnyk kicked out her left leg to protect the right post. In one fluid motion, Makenna steered the puck through the now available 5 hole. It's a classic move. But I've never seen it done better.

Webster from Buglioni, at 13:53 of the 1st Period. We're back in the game.

 

[robertearle]

An FYI: Makenna Webster's brother McKade is playing for Univ of Denver in the men's NCAA tournament; at this moment (3:30 CST Thursday) they are headed to OT vs UMass in their first round game.

(And if you wonder about a brother-sister winning championships in the same year, it's been done at least once: Nikki and Adam Burish, both Wisconsin, in 2006.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

(And if you wonder about a brother-sister winning championships in the same year, it's been done at least once: Nikki and Adam Burish, both Wisconsin, in 2006.

Thanks for the heads up.
As much as I love the Webster family my loyalty is for a Big Ten team to win the Natty.

 

[robertearle]

Thanks for the heads up.
As much as I love the Webster family my loyalty is for a Big Ten team to win the Natty.

Denver wins well into the 2nd OT, 2-1.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Top 10 Memories
of the
2024 Frozen Four

#5 Great Joy In The Semi-Final​

After the OSU Tied CU at 1-1, we waited through almost 40 minutes of hockey before anyone lit the lamp again. Then, in just 5 minutes, we scored 3 times. Maybe the Buckeyes wore the Golden Knights down. Maybe it was a matter of Buckeye perseverance finally paying off. But after the long siege, it was a gratifying 5 minutes indeed.

On the GWG, Jenn Gardiner carried the puck into the offensive zone. Jenn forwarded it to Makenna Webster. From behind the net, Makenna centered the puck to Riley Brengman in the slot. Though under duress, Riley managed to put up a strong SOG. That SOG resulted in a solid save, but also a fat rebound. Enter Sloane Matthews, who shepherded the puck into the net.

Buckeye Goal! Matthews from Brengman and Webster at 13:12 of the 3rd. "3rd Assist" to Gardiner.

I wasn't ready to be comfortable quite yet. But things kept getting better. A Buckeye PP resulted in good pressure in the attack zone. Then, just as the man advantage ended, a Joy Dunne blast found the net. 3-1 Buckeyes. Joy Dunne Great. I experienced Great Joy in that moment. A Joyous Time for Buckeye Nation.

Before the game ended, Ohio State added an empty-netter. That goal would also have gone to Dunne, but for a brave and brilliant stick save by one of the Clarkson Defenders. Nevetheless, Hadley Hartmetz finished the job a moment later. Game Over; Buckeyes win 4-1.

On To The National Championship Game.

 

[pgb-ohio]

An FYI: Makenna Webster's brother McKade is playing for Univ of Denver in the men's NCAA tournament; at this moment (3:30 CST Thursday) they are headed to OT vs UMass in their first round game.

As I'm sure you noticed, the DU/UMass Telecast included a photo of Makenna with the trophy, displayed while ESPN2 reported on the brother/sister combination.

(And if you wonder about a brother-sister winning championships in the same year, it's been done at least once: Nikki and Adam Burish, both Wisconsin, in 2006.)

I took note of that at the time. Very cool memory for any College Hockey fan. Especially for those of us who love the Women's Game.

IIRC, Nikki did a little trash talking before the Milwaukee FF, indicating that her brother needed to try and keep up. He did.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

I just have to say I called it naming this thread -
The Muzzinator MUZZINATED!