Last week coach Dan Morris said that this weekend's games against Kent State would be the most important for his team so far this season. This weekend, his team played like it.
The Bobcats beat the Golden Flashes twice in convincing fashion over the weekend, outscoring Kent 15-2 and in the process ending the Bobcat’s three-game losing skid to give the team lots of momentum and good vibes heading into the Christmas break.
Getting back in the win column in their final two games of the fall was crucial, and doing it in style was icing on the cake for Morris.
“We spoke about how our confidence may have been waning a little bit,” he said “so getting back on track and playing two ways in an open game where you win 10-2 and then a tight defensive game you win 5-0, I think we were able to switch gears and we did a good job.”
Ohio started Friday’s game in the best possible way, getting a goal from Brett Agnew only 24 seconds in and another from Josh Fodor with 18 seconds left in the first for a 2-0 lead after one period.
The Flashes fought back with two strikes early in the second, but the Bobcats got four of their own in the frame, including three just 1:16 apart to close out the period with a dominant 6-2 lead.
There was no letup from Ohio in the third as they again poured four into the net for a resounding 10-2 victory, with Fodor getting the 10th for a hat trick. Brendan Madden made 15 saves in the win.
The Bobcats dominated possession on both nights, something Morris both expected and knew was needed if Ohio was to take both games on the road.
“They were trying to force us to dump the puck in but we didn’t want to do that,” Morris said. “We wanted to keep possession and once we figured that out, we were successful both nights.”
After the high scoring exploits from Ohio on Friday, Kent State came out with a game plan to keep the high-flying ’Cats under wraps Saturday.
It worked during the scoreless first period, but a dynamic attack can only be kept down for so long. Ohio scored twice in the second and three more times in the third while keeping Kent off the scoreboard entirely for another conclusive win.
Madden stopped every shot the Flashes threw his way in the 5-0 triumph, recording his second win in two nights and his second shutout in three starts. Keeping the puck and limiting an already offensively impaired Kent team to few chances was key.
“They didn’t play a game where they were going to get a lot of chances, they were going to try to take their opportunities and play opportunistic hockey and catch us napping,” Morris said. “They got some odd-man transitions where Madden had to make some big saves, but I thought we possessed the puck most of the time and took away their chances with puck possession as well.”
With the two victories Ohio moves to 18-7-0 on the year and 5-1-0 in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League. The Bobcats will play 10 games Winter Quarter, eight against conference opponents, before hosting the CSCHL tournament Feb. 17-19 in Athens.
But for now the Bobcats are off until the first weekend in January, when they’ll take on Illinois at Bird Arena. Until then, both Morris and his squad will get a three-week break to rest their weary bodies.
“We send the guys home for a couple of weeks while the coaches recruit,” he said. It’s a long season so we send them home to get away from everybody, get away from me and just relax.”
Quick Stats
Friday
OHIO 10 Kent State 2
Bobcat goal scorers: Fodor (3), Agnew, Schultz, Barbis, Mazzarella, Rostek, Browning, Whetsel
Saturday
OHIO 5 Kent State 0
Bobcat goal scorers: Mazzarella (2), Barbis (2), Fodor
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