Nov. 23, 2001

Ohio State coach John Bleum:
"We were concerned about today's game because the last time we played was Nov. 8 and we were concerned about the long layoff. It didn't help that we were not playing confident. American played with much more confidence."

American coach Todd West:
"I thought we struggled early, which is funny because we had a two-goal lead. It is better to have a 2-0 lead with tension in your legs though. I was not happy with the letdown at the end of the game, but like I told the guys, any win in the NCAA Tournament is a good win."