A disturbing trend has emerged for Ohio in the first four months of the season: its inability to beat other top-drawer teams.
With two losses to Lindenwood last weekend, the Bobcats (21-9-1) are ranked fifth in the American Collegiate Hockey Association rankings but are now 0-7-0 against the four teams ranked above them.
The Bobcats have lost those seven games by an average score of 5-2 and have not scored more than three goals in any of them.
The team knows that for it to accomplish two of its major goals of the season — a Central States Collegiate Hockey League playoff title and an ACHA national tournament crown — it will have to play better against top teams.
“There’s four teams ranked above us that we haven’t beaten,” coach Dan Morris said. “We need to win games like that to get the confidence (so) that in big games we do have the ability to beat them.”
Against Lindenwood, Ohio was able to win the shots battle by a combined score of 68-52 and out-chanced the Lions “three-to-one” on Saturday, Morris said. But taking those chances and converting them into goals is what really matters.
“We played well. We just didn’t win the game, and the whole point of playing the game is to win,” Morris said. “So you can pat yourself on the back for the number of times you played well, but at the end of the day we’ve still got two losses coming home.”
Though the win-loss record against the top four teams is bleak, none of those losses has come at Bird Arena. The Bobcats are a perfect 10-0 at home this season and average more than six goals a game. They outscore their opponents by 4.4 goals per game in Athens.
The first and last opportunity they’ll have to play a top team at home in the regular season comes this weekend when top-ranked Penn State rolls into town. The Icers beat Ohio by scores of 7-1 and 5-3 in October, but playing in Athens will be a different occasion altogether.
“It is on our minds, and it’s a tough thing to deal with,” Morris said. “But given the opportunity to play a top-four team at home hopefully gives an advantage since we’re a lot more comfortable playing here.
“The guys do get a little more excited to play top teams at home. We’ll feed off that.”
Special Teams Special
One sliver lining from the two losses at Lindenwood was the semi-rejuvenation of Ohio’s power play, which had gone only 2-for-20 in the first four games of 2012.
Three of the Bobcats’ four goals against Lindenwood came from their eight man-advantage opportunities, with the fourth goal coming just as a Lions player was leaving the penalty box.
With only four league games left until the CSCHL Tournament, the Bobcats will need to build off last weekend’s success on man-up situations, and staying positive is key.
“Sometimes you’re getting the bounces and sometimes you’re not,” said Josh Fodor, who had one of the three power play goals. “It’s important when you’re not producing to take those chances, even when you’re unsure. It’s never a bad play to put the puck on net.”
A revival of Ohio’s power play units would nicely complement the team’s other special teams units on the penalty kill. The Bobcats have allowed only three goals while shorthanded in their opponents’ last 27 power play chances.
The grit work that penalty killers like Tom Whetsel, Jonathan Pietramala and Jared Fuhs do blocking shots and filling lanes doesn’t go unsung.
“We’re fortunate that we have two experienced guys (at forward) on the ice pretty much all the time,” Morris said. “Once they get in there, they take pride in their work and their importance to the team.”
cd211209@ohiou.edu
