When it comes down to Ohio's man on the mat against Ohio's men on the ice, it's easy to grapple back and forth for days. But in this humble sports writer's eyes, the hockey team reigns supreme.
Now, granted Jake Percival is not a guy I want to meet in a dark Athens alley, because the man is a beast. Most three-time defending Mid-American Conference champs are.
The big difference in my mind is that Percival was runner-up last year in the NCAA Tournament. No. 2 in the nation is nothing to scoff at, especially when the man looks more than able to win it all this year, but how 'bout those Bobcats on the ice?
The 2004 American Collegiate Hockey Association and Central States Collegiate Hockey League champions: That's a mouthful.
Now the hockey team's current record (14-6-5 overall, 12-2-2 CSCHL) may not seem as dominating, but the Bobcats still are on top of the CSCHL and in the top five nationally.
However, current records aside, Percival is No. 4 in the National Wrestling Coach's Association Poll at 157 pounds. The hockey team is also No. 4 in the national club rankings.
The team has had to deal with injuries and the loss of three players to the Winter World University games for three weeks and has still been winning, including a split with No. 2 Penn State two weeks ago in Bird Arena.
So the defending champs looking to repeat or the potential champ-to-be? I will take my chances on the ice more so than on the mat.
By Katie Carrera
Deciding whether the Bobcats hockey team or wrestler Jake Percival is more dominant seems a rather frivolous ordeal, because there really is no contest.
By sheer accomplishments alone, Percival wins the comparison without breaking a sweat -a three-time Mid-American Conference Champion, three-time All-American (fourth, third and second place finishes his first three years at the NCAA D-I level), owning the school record for wins, and winning so many tournaments it would take all the space I have to list them.
And a career record of 125-9 -think about that. More important than the massive number of wins is how Percival smothers whatever hope his opponent had of taking a win; he controls the action on the mat and his opponent's spirit as well.
Even though the hockey team is having a decent season, they still fell to the formerly winless Western Michigan Broncos and tied Kent (Reed, Kent Rite, Kent Play Hockey) State twice, not something I would be touting. Sure they have had injuries, but Percival missed the entire month of December with a rib injury, only to come back two weeks ago and pick up right where he left off --winning, consistently and without question.
Bear in mind as well that Percival competes in the NCAA's Division I, while the hockey team plays at the club level and falls into the category of the American Collegiate Hockey League.
Don't get me wrong, the competition is still fierce, but it is a different level of athlete at the NCAA level. When the Ohio hockey team beats the North Dakota Fighting Sioux or the Boston College Eagles to win the Frozen Four, then come talk to me -I'll be at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis.
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Mark Shugar
