Scoring two goals before an opponent gets a shot on net isn’t a bad way to start off a season. Neither is winning 7-2.
Ohio did both at Bird Arena Saturday night as it dominated long stretches of the game to rout West Virginia in its season opener. Twelve Bobcats had points on a night third-ranked Ohio was never seriously threatened.
After West Virginia took a roughing penalty three minutes into the game, Ohio opened the scoring less than five minutes in with the potent power play unit doing what it does best. Left wing Michael Schultz threw a shot at the front of the net that trickled off the West Virginia goalie and on to the stick of Tyler Pilmore, who gladly put the puck into the unoccupied net.
The Bobcats got their second tally 14 seconds later from Jonathan Pietramala and were rolling, clanking two more shots off the post in the period.
Ohio outshot the Mountaineers 15-4 in the first frame, helping first-year starter Teddy Dushkin settle down in net.
“That was one of our goals we talked about in our pregame, and I thought we came out a little quicker with a little more energy,” coach Dan Morris said. “I think we caught them on their heels a little bit, and that helped Teddy settle down.”
Ohio added to its lead five minutes into the second on a Zander Dover unassisted goal before West Virginia responded to make it 3-1. Spurred on by the goal, the Mountaineers became increasingly aggressive throughout the period as the game started to even out.
“It’s hockey,” Morris said of the chippy period. “Nobody’s going to lay over and nobody’s going to accept the fact that you’re going to lose a game. Everybody’s got pride, and they don’t want to get beat and they get frustrated, and that’s to be expected.”
But the strategy backfired, as West Virginia racked up four penalties in the period. Jake Holzemer made the team pay with a four-on-four goal that killed any Mountaineer mojo.
Ohio then scored on its first three shots in the third to make it 7-1, with Schultz scoring just 19 seconds into the period and bagging the last goal on a penalty shot.
Morris said he was impressed with the way his team, and especially his captain, rebounded in the third.
“It’s nice to come in and have a veteran team. Mike, before I get in the locker room, he’s in there telling guys,” Morris said. “And the guy that’s in there in the locker room scores 19 seconds into the third period. Not only is he stepping up in the locker room, but he’s showing them how to do it out there on the ice and that makes my job a lot easier.”
Though Ohio took the game in rather easy fashion, Morris is focused on the aspects of the game his team has to improve upon during the week.
“You watch a five-on-four when we’re shorthanded and guys are doing everything they should, blocking shots and filling lanes,” he said. “But five on five, we’ve got guys in our D-zone thinking about scoring goals 200 feet away and the puck’s 10 feet from our net, so we’ve got to work on that stuff.”
cd211209@ohiou.edu
