The offensive-minded Niagara Purple Eagles hope to build on a strong first half with a visit to the No. 9-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend.

The two-game series will be streamed live right here on FloHockey, with Friday’s game starting at 7 PM EST and Saturday’s at 8 PM.

Niagara, 9-7-1, is looking to bounce back from an 8-2 drubbing by rival Canisius, who swept the Eagles in their last series and stripped them of their No. 20 rank.

“We learned a lot about some guys on our team,” coach Jason Lammers told Nick Wojton of the Niagara Gazette after the loss. “We’ve done a lot the first half of the year. The guys have a lot to still be proud of. This game hurts, it stinks, but overall we have a lot to be proud of and we’re going to keep moving forward.”

In the first half of his first year with the Eagles, Lammers has coached the team to second-place in the Atlantic Hockey Conference, a far cry from the last-place finish the team received in preseason polls.

Instead, Lammers has taken full control of his team and has gotten incredible play from a few particular players including senior Derian Plouffe, sophomore Noah Delmas, and junior Tanner Lomsnes.

All three have already established career highs through 17 games. Plouffe has 11 goals on the season and is currently running on a seven-game point streak (6 G, 4 A). Lomsnes ranks seventh in the nation with 12 goals. The linemates have accounted for a whopping 43 percent of Niagara’s total goals: 23 of 53.

Delmas isn’t much of an individual goal scorer with just one tally on the year, but with 18 helpers, his 19 points are tied for the Division I lead in defensive scoring.

The trio has helped carry the Eagles to the 18th-best offense in DU hockey with an average of 3.12 goals scored per game.

That mark is an average Ohio State is looking to reduce this weekend, as the Buckeyes boast the fifth-best defense in DI hockey, allowing just 2.11 goals against per game.

That defense, along with netminder Sean Romeo, has earned the team a 10-4-4 record and earned them points in seven of their past eight games (5-1-2).

Romeo has been stellar for the Buckeyes this season with a 9.28 save percentage, 1.93 GAA, and a 9-4-4 record. But as strong as Romeo and the defense have been, it’s Tanner Laczynski the Eagles need to look out for.

With eight goals and 15 assists through 18 games, Laczynski’s 23 points rank 12th in the NCAA. The sophomore is fast, smart, and a proven threat against the Eagles.

He led the Buckeyes to a sweep of the Purple Eagles last season, where he recorded a goal and five points in two games. He’s been hot all season and his three points (2 G, 1 A) last series led the team to a sweep over No. 7 Minnesota.

But the Buckeyes know Niagara is a different, improved team from last season and that the series could come down to who shakes off the rust quicker, as neither team has played in nearly three weeks.

The No. 9 Buckeyes return to action with home games vs. Niagara this weekend (7pm Friday, 8pm Saturday).

Coach @SteveRohlik talked about the December break, the first half and more heading into the weekend. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/lbgfIgpuoY

— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) December 28, 2017

There’s no doubt coach Steve Rohlik is hoping that his team’s home-ice momentum gained before the break helps power them to another sweep of Niagara.

The Buckeyes are just 3-3-3 at home this year, but have gone 2-1-1 during a six-game home stand that ends with this weekend’s series.

Don’t miss the Eagles offense and Buckeyes blockade go head-to-head this weekend, as the two-game series will be streamed live right here on FloHockey.

By Jacob Messing

Have a question or a comment for Jacob? You can find him on Twitter @JMessing23.