Buckeyes finish 7th at 2018 National Collegiate Club Championship

This past week, the Buckeyes traveled to Tucson, AZ to compete in the National Collegiate Club Championship after earning their bid via another Great Lakes division championship.

As the fifth seed, the Buckeyes opened up play against 12th-seeded Virginia Tech. Wanting to start off on the right foot, the Buckeyes jumped out to a 9-2 halftime lead and never looked back, with the final score being 17-5. Sophomore Drew Wilson led the scoring with 6 goals, senior Youssef Azzazy added 5 goals, sophomore Lance Bockbrader had a hat trick, and the junior trio of Robert DiSalle, Jake Good, and Alex Puthoff each contribute single goals. Senior Ryan Shepard had 8 saves and sophomore Alex Rabe had 3 saves in the win.

In the quarterfinals, the Buckeyes were matched up against an experienced Cal Golden Bears team. After keeping it close for the first few minutes, the experience and depth of Cal proved too much for the Buckeyes to handle, falling 3-15. Sophomore Lance Bockbrader led the way with 2 goals and senior Nick Hallett added one more. Shepard had 9 saves and Rabe had 1 save in the loss. This loss would send the Buckeyes to the 5th through 8th semifinal round.

The Buckeyes’ next opponent would be the Tritons of UC San Diego. A closely contested game led to a 4-4 halftime score. In the third quarter, the Buckeyes would jump out to a 7-5 lead but could not hold on, and fell 7-11 to the Tritons. Bockbrader again led the way with a hat trick, and Azzazy, DiSalle, Hallett, and Puthoff all added single goals. Shepard had 7 saves to anchor the defense in the contest. To end the tournament, the Buckeyes would be competing in the 7th place contest.

In what is becoming a yearly tradition for the Buckeyes, their final game of Nationals would be against their biggest rival, the University of Michigan. A back and forth game would end 9-9 after four quarters, sending the rivalry to overtime. Fatigue became a factor and neither team was able to score in the first two overtime periods, and then graduate student Drace Penley hit the game winner on the first possession of the third overtime period to end the game. Penley had 4 goals in the win, Alex Puthoff and junior Jake Good both chipped in two, and Wilson and Bockbrader each had one. Senior Ryan Shepard capped off his career with 15 saves to earn Player of the Game honors.

The 7th place finish marks the third top 10 finish for the Buckeyes, finishing fifth in 2014 and sixth in 2017.

All-Conference Awards Announced; 5 Buckeyes Honored

COLUMBUS – All-Conference selections were announced for the 2017 season and five Buckeyes were awarded with selections.

Coach James Dauphinee was awarded 2017 Coach of the Year for the Great Lakes division, his fourth time earning the award. Since the Buckeyes joined the Great Lakes division in 2011, Coach James has compiled a 58-15 record in CWPA play, led the team to three conference championships (2013, 2014, and 2017), and had three successful trips to the Collegiate Club National Championship: 11th in 2013, 5th in 2014, and 6th in 2017. Under his tutelage, there have been 7 All-Americans, 11 first team All-Conference selections, 9 second team, and two conference MVPs.

Ryan Shepard was named MVP of the Great Lakes division for 2017 season. Along with the award, he was also 1st team All-Conference. The senior out of Mission Viejo, CA led the Buckeyes to an undefeated season in the conference, allowing an average of just 4 goals per game. At the Collegiate Club National Championship, Shepard helped the team to a 6th place finish where he averaged 13 blocks per game. In 2016, Shepard earned second team All-Conference.

Freshman Drew Wilson and sophomore Alex Puthoff were named 1st team All-Conference selections while sophomore Jake Good was named 2nd team for the 2017 season. Earning the team's first championship since 2014, Wilson, Puthoff, and Good led an offense that averaged almost 11 goals per game. At the Collegiate Club National Championship, Puthoff scored 4 goals and Wilson scored to 2 goals in the Buckeyes' 6th place finish.

Buckeyes Place 6th at Collegiate Club National Championship

TALLAHASSEE – After winning the Great Lakes division, the Buckeyes traveled to Tallahassee, FL to compete in the 2017 Collegiate Club National Championship on November 10-12. The team arrived on Thursday and had a tune-up practice to prepare for their first game against Boston College.

Against Boston College, the Buckeyes fell behind 3-0 early in the first but after a timeout to regroup, they settled in to tie the game 3-3 at halftime. The Buckeyes would prove too much for the Eagles in the second half, with Ohio State earning a spot in the quarterfinals with a 8-6 win. Goalie Ryan Shepard led the defense with 11 saves and the offense had a balanced attack with goals from Alex Puthoff (2), Drace Penley (2), Youssef Azzazy, Drew Wilson, David Drewes, and Robert DiSalle.

The quarterfinals matchup was with Cal Poly, who had knocked off the reigning champs in their first round game. The Buckeyes were unable to get the offense going in the first half, falling behind 5-1 at halftime. In the second half, the Buckeyes outscored the Mustangs 5-2, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback. Shepard finished the game with 14 saves, and goals were scored by Orion Swanson (2), Drace Penley, Nick Hallett, and Alex Puthoff.

The loss to Cal Poly put the Buckeyes into a position to earn a spot in the fifth place game by playing their arch rival, the Michigan Wolverines. The game was what one would expect of a rivalry game, with the teams trading leads throughout regulation to end 6-6 after four quarters. Overtime was all Ohio State, scoring two goals and holding the Wolverines scoreless to claim an 8-6 victory and a spot in the fifth place game. Shepard earned Player of the Game with 14 saves and the offense was very balanced again with goals by Orion Swanson (2), Youssef Azzazy (2), Alex Puthoff, Stephen Ioas, Drew Wilson, and Drace Penley.

The fifth place game would be against the Golden Bears of California. In a very defensive game, the Buckeyes struggled to get the offense going, falling 4-8 to finish 6th at the Collegiate Club National Championship. Shepard had 14 saves and goals were scored by Orion Swanson (2), Nick Hallett, and Stephen Ioas.