Looking Back (Nov. 22-29) | Men's Ice Hockey: Tufts 4, Southern New Hampshire 1
After starting the season with a pair of losses to arguably the two toughest teams on its schedule this season, the men's hockey team came away with a surprise and much-needed victory against Southern New Hampshire on Tuesday Nov. 21. The 4-1 Jumbos victory handed SNHU their first loss of the season, sending them to 3-1-0 on the season. SNHU senior Chet Riley scored his team's only goal of the game in the closing minutes of the first period, but it was all Tufts after that.
With only three shot on goal in the first period, the Jumbos took charge in the second period with 19 shots on the SNHU net. Sophomore Joe Milo buried the tying goal in 7:07 of the second period, and just over three minutes later the offense exploded. Junior Ross Gimbel scored during a four-on-four at 10:23, and 35 seconds later senior John Murphy put Tufts on top 3-1 with his second goal of the season at 10:58. Freshman Joe Rosano got his first collegiate goal in the final period with 2:06 left to play.
Junior netkeeper James Kalec went the distance for Tufts, stopping 32 of SNHU's 33 shots on net, including 12 in the first period. Tufts finished with 34 shots on net, nearly double the offensive output of their first two games, in which they sent 18 and 20 shots, respectively, at the net.
Looking Ahead (Nov. 30-Dec. 7) | No. 1 Ohio State AT No. 6 North Carolina
While Ohio State football reigns as the top team in college football, the Buckeyes' basketball team found itself propelled to No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today poll on the heels of a loss by former No. 1 Florida to No. 12 Kansas. Ohio State faces its first real test tonight in No. 6 North Carolina as part of the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Ohio State is fresh off a 91-57 win over Youngstown State Friday night and stands at 6-0 coming into tonight's match-up. The Buckeyes have been making do so far without their star center, 7'1" freshman Greg Oden, who underwent wrist surgery over the summer and has yet to take the floor for Ohio State. The Buckeyes have since deferred to freshman guard Daequan Cook and senior guard Ron Lewis, who have led the squad with 17.8 and 17 points per game respectively. Ohio State has also dominated its first six opponents, winning its first six games by an average of 26 points.
However, Oden's absence will likely be noticed in tonights duel with the Tar Heels. Sophomore forward Tyler Hansbrough, who captured last year's Freshman Player of the Year honors, leads his team in offense and rebounding, averaging 20.6 points and 8.8 boards per game. Hansbrough will undoubtedly look to exploit the inside with Oden's noticeable absence under the basket.
The Heels suffered a tough 82-74 loss to No. 21 Gonzaga at the NIT Season Tip-Off Nov. 22 but bounced back two days later to defeat then-ranked Tennessee 101-87 to enter tonight's game with a 4-1 record overall.
This game marks the first tough game for Ohio State this season, who has preyed on the likes of Loyola-Chicago, Eastern Kentucky and San Francisco earlier in the season. While North Carolina has already faced two Top 25 opponents this season, the Heels have had a relatively easy schedule as well, but last week's stinging loss to Gonzaga will keep the squad hungry for the upset victory tonight.
North Carolina is 2-5 overall while Ohio State is 2-3 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge games.
