I know the Jackets have 2 games comin up but those aren't the 2 games I'm most excited about this weekend.
It's the 2 against that #2 Ohio State Men's hockey will be playing against #15 ranked Michigan. The action starts tonight at Value City Arena and concludes on Sunday at Progressive/Jacobs Field with the Indians' "Snow Days" signature event, The Frozen Diamond Faceoff!
How friggan cool does that look?
And I love the build up that is now taking place for this thing.
From the MLB's web site:
Cleveland's home ballpark has already been transformed into a winter playground for the organization's Snow Days event, but Sunday will mark the first outdoor college hockey game in the history of Ohio. The Frozen Diamond Faceoff will feature nationally ranked rivals in Ohio State and Michigan.
Buckeyes against Wolverines. Scarlet and gray against maize and blue.
"Oh, yeah," Shapiro said. "I'm looking forward to it."
"What was clear with the high school game," Shapiro said, "was how exciting it is to watch outdoor hockey, and really the potential impact of a big event like the Ohio State-Michigan Frozen Diamond Faceoff. It was a treat to have great local teams playing multiple games. It was neat to see those kids and their families enjoying that.
"But more than anything, it whet our appetite to see what the ballpark packed watching hockey would be like. That's the atmosphere we know we're going to have come Sunday."
From the Dispatch today:
The Buckeyes have maintained their No. 2 national ranking, but that will be put to the test by a Michigan team seeking revenge. When the teams met in mid-November, the Buckeyes earned their first sweep in Ann Arbor since the 1986 season.
From Ohio.Scout.com:
That tradition includes a top-10 ranking every year, or so it seems. Michigan has made 21 straight appearances in the NCAA tournament, but this year’s 12-8-4 squad sits ranked 15th in the country and is seventh in the CCHA standings heading into a two-game series with Ohio State.
In a twist of fate, the Buckeyes are the ones who enter this weekend’s series – with a Big Ten Network game scheduled for tonight at 7:30 in Value City Arena before Sunday’s big Frozen Diamond Faceoff in Cleveland – atop the CCHA standings and ranked second in the nation.
Included in the team’s outstanding 14-4-3 start was a piece of history – the team’s first two-game sweep of Michigan in Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor in 25 years. With that in mind – and given the obvious role reversal between the two squads this year – the Wolverines will likely want blood heading into the pair of matchups.
Glad I read that last one as I didn't realize that game 1 of this series was being televised on the Big 10 Network tonight. Looks like the DVR is gonna get a workout!
What's even better is the weather outlook for Sunday:
If you are interested in going check out StubHub or Ticketmaster for tickets. The tickets are very reasonable. On StubHub you can get tickets for as low as 5 bucks!!
We were just gonna scalp but we just picked up some seats in 129 for $28 a piece. We also plan on hitting up Harry Buffalo for the Fox Sports Ohio pre-game event from 3-5. So if you're goin -- give me a shout. I'll be at least one of the a-holes in an OSU camo hockey jersey.
Again, for those that can't make the trip, Sunday's game will be televised live on Fox Sports Ohio -- pre-game starts at 4:30!!
With 2 CBJ home games and 2 OSU home games -- what a great weekend for local hockey!
-LTL
