No vaccine requirement for OSU football
The Ohio State football team will not require its players to receive a COVID-19 vaccine when all adult residents in Ohio become eligible on March 29.
But coach Ryan Day said Wednesday that staff will assist them in setting up appointments and he welcomed the expanded vaccine eligibility.
“This really is a huge step for us moving forward,” Day said. “We're really fired up. And we're going to have a great plan. It's all just happening kind of fast, but I know our medical people are working on it. I'm getting a bunch of texts about how we're going to get this organized.”
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, outbreaks have led to disruptions in the team's schedule, including prompting three regular-season games to be canceled last fall.
As recently as last week, the Buckeyes paused strength and conditioning workouts after an increase in positive COVID-19 tests.
Organized team activities resumed three days later, and spring practice is to open on Friday.
Asked if he expected most players to sign up for a vaccine, Day wasn't certain, but thought it likely.
“I haven't polled the guys yet because it's all happened in the last day or so,” Day said, “but we'll get a better idea in the next week. I would assume that most guys would want to take it, but maybe not. It's kind of up to them, and we'll leave it up to them and their families whatever decision they make.”
A majority of adult Americans intend to be vaccinated. A Pew Research Center poll published two weeks ago found 69% plan to receive a vaccine or have gotten one.
The program is likely to begin some vaccine education in the following weeks.
The Schottenstein Center, which is adjacent to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, has been used as a mass vaccination site.
Day, who turned 42 last week, said he is scheduled for a vaccine on Friday, the first day the state expands eligibility to residents 40 years or older.
Forty minutes of domination put the Ohio State women's hockey team in the NCAA Frozen Four for the second time in four years.
In the semifinals, the Buckeyes will face a familiar opponent.
Ohio State outshot Boston College 43-8 over the final two periods Tuesday night in rallying for a 3-1 victory in the NCAA quarterfinals at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, the third-seeded Buckeyes play WCHA rival Wisconsin.
Northeastern will play Minnesotaduluth in the other semifinal on Thursday.
The second-seeded Badgers defeated Ohio State 3-2 in overtime on March 7 for the league title. The teams split the other four meetings this season.
"We get an opportunity to punch back," Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall said Wednesday. "Losing in overtime leaves a bitter taste in everybody's mouth.
"We know each other very well. We know their key players. We know some of their weaknesses and their strengths, and I'm sure they do ours."
If the Buckeyes play they did in the second and third periods on Tuesday,
they have good reason to like their chances. Ohio State trailed 1-0 after one period against BC. After that, the Buckeyes took over, outshooting the Eagles 27-4 in the second period and 16-4 in the third.
"I do think they played fantastic in the second and third period," Muzerall
said. "I think they got their jitters out of them. We have a young team, so a lot haven't played at this level before. But what they need to do is trust in the system of what we did to get to this point and believe in themselves."
Still, it took until the final four minutes of the second period for the Buckeyes
to score. Jenna Buglioni tied the score with a power-play goal, assisted by Liz Schepers and Tatum Skaggs with 3:27 left. Three minutes later, Brooke Bink poked in a rebound off a shot by Paetyn Levis after Madison Bizal kept the puck in the zone.
The domination continued in the third period. Gabby Rosenthal, assisted by Skaggs and Emma Maltais, added the final goal.
It was a victory the Buckeyes have awaited since last year's NCAA tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The team's seniors were freshman in 2018 when Ohio State lost in a Frozen Four semifinal to Clarkson 1-0 in overtime. Now they're back, ready for another matchup against Wisconsin with a chance to go to the NCAA championship game for the first time.
"I'm really excited to get another crack at them," said Maltais, a senior. "After not having the outcome we wanted in the WCHA championship, I think we're all looking for revenge on them and just want to play our game here at the NCAAS.
"Freshman year at the NCAAS was a really special moment for my class, and we're just excited to share that with another group here." brabinowitz@dispatch.com @brdispatch