Every team needs a rival to measure itself against: Red Sox and the Yankees, the Celtics and the Lakers, Ohio State football and the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
For Ohio, that requisite rival comes in the form of Penn State, where the third-ranked Bobcats will head this weekend for a pair of games with the fourth-ranked Icers.
The trip to the Ice Pavilion in State College, one of the most hostile environments on their schedule and where they’ve gone just 1-6 over the past three seasons, has been circled on the Bobcat’s calendar for months.
“Every year they’re always the biggest games in mind as far as the regular season goes,” Ohio senior Michael Schultz said. “It’s kind of like bragging rights almost. When the schedule comes out, it’s always the first match you pretty much look for.”
The contention between the two teams goes back to before formation of the American Collegiate Hockey Association itself, when the few club hockey teams in the country were looking for opponents to play, coach Dan Morris explained. Penn State and Ohio, two of the major pillars of the East and Midwest, knew they needed each other to survive.
That mutual dependence and mutual success — Penn State (six) and Ohio (four) are first and second in ACHA national championships — have built the rare hockey rivalry not based just upon animosity, but a shared respect, Morris said.
“The two biggest kids on the block, you’re going to clash,” Morris said. “But I think the best thing about the rivalry is it’s about respect, it’s about knowing you need a rival in order to survive and count on each other.”
Like Ohio (6-1-0), Penn State (3-0-0) has been impressive in the first month of this season, winning its three games by an average of eight goals, including two routes of 16th-ranked Illinois last weekend.
Making the weekend’s task even tougher, Ohio will likely be without five of its regulars this weekend, while another is questionable, Morris said. That list includes first-line winger Nick Rostek, who has been out for two weeks with an ankle injury.
“I’d like to have all my firepower when I go in there, but we’re getting banged up every weekend,” Morris said. “But you don’t dwell on it, you don’t use it as an excuse, you look at it as an opportunity for other guys to play.”
And even going in without their entire arsenal, the players who are healthy are relishing cool reception, and the heated atmosphere.
“It’s definitely one of the harder places to play,” Schultz said. “But at the same time it’s hard, it’s so much fun playing there with the atmosphere and the rivalry. It’s always going to be a tough game, but it’s always going to be a good game.”
Up Next Box
OHIO vs. Penn State
7:30 tonight and Saturday
Penn State Ice Pavilion, State College, Pa.
cd211209@ohiou.edu
