DaytonDailyNews.com

FAIRBORN — There are dreams and there are realities, and Ohio State hockey senior Matt McIlvane says he thinks he's looking at reality.

"We realize we haven't gotten to the point of quality like the football team," McIlvane said. "We haven't made our name yet. I feel like we have a good team. We have the right tools. As a group, we feel like we have an unbelievable bunch of guys. To win our league and the national championship, that's our goal."

The road to that goal begins tonight at the Nutter Center in the Lefty McFadden Invitational, run by the Dayton Hockey Foundation. Ohio State plays Mercyhurst in the second game after Wisconsin and Notre Dame open the tourney at 5:05 p.m. The consolation and championship games are Saturday, beginning at 4:35 p.m.

McIlvane, a forward and three-time OSU scholar-athlete, scored four goals and 10 points last season as the Buckeyes went 15-17-5 during an injury-riddled season.

"Because we're healthy now, we've got to learn what we've got," OSU coach John Markell said. "You have to be good at the right time. We have players who have character and kids with a passion for the game. They're young, hungry and smart."

This is the fifth Lefty tournament and the first with OSU as host. Always there have been top-ranked teams in the competition, including this one. In different polls, OSU is ranked as high as 19th, with Notre Dame as high as sixth and Wisconsin as high as 14th.

"We get to see what other leagues are like," McIlvane said. "This weekend will be a good measuring stick for us."

Lefty slants

Nine Buckeyes are from Ohio, although none from the Dayton area. McIlvane is from Chicago. ... Mercyhurst (from Erie, Pa.) is coming off a losing season, but has averaged nearly 20 victories a season since 2000. ... What the Lakers don't have is a fight song, so Wright State offered its song, which will be played when Mercyhurst takes the ice.

Lefty McFadden Invitational

When: Today and Saturday

Where: Nutter Center

Time: Today — 5:05 p.m., Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin; 8:05 p.m., Ohio State vs. Mercyhurst. Saturday — 4:35 p.m., consolation game; 7:35 p.m., championship game.

Tickets: $15 or $10 each night or $24 for a two-day pass. Call (937) 775-4789 or visit www.daytonhockey.org.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.