After six months of practice, 40 contests, 2,415 minutes and 33 seconds of in-game action and the numerous cuts, scrapes, bruises, breaks and sprains that went with it all, the weekend the Ohio hockey team has been waiting for is finally here.
The Bobcats will make the three-and-a-half hour trip up I-77 Friday to Strongsville, Ohio, for their version of the big dance: the 2012 American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament. Ohio (26-13-1) will get its tourney schedule started at 1 p.m. Saturday with a matchup against fellow Central States Collegiate Hockey League member Illinois.
The 20-team tournament starts Friday with four play-in games pitting the 13th through 20th seeds against each other. After the field is whittled down to 16, it will be four rounds of single-elimination hockey until a champion is crowned Wednesday night.
The current crop of Bobcats has plenty of experience at the national-tournament level but has never been able to seal the deal. Ohio has reached the semifinals each of the past two seasons before dropping close 4-2 empty-net goal games to Iowa State in 2010 and Davenport in 2011. The team also reached the quarterfinals in 2009 before losing in double overtime to Penn State.
One difference this year is that Ohio, the sixth seed, doesn’t go in as one of the overriding favorites. That’s something that coach Dan Morris thinks will help.
“I think we’re a team a little under the radar, maybe not expected to win,” he said, “so I think that takes the pressure off of us a little and gives us a better chance.”
Illinois appears to be a good draw for the Bobcats. Although given the 11th seed, the Fighting Illini stand at just 16-16-1 and are largely living off the strength and reputation of the CSCHL for their high ranking. Distorting that record are five wins against Division II squads; take those out, and Illinois has just 11 wins against fellow Division I squads.
Ohio is 14-9-1 against the two teams’ common opponents, while Illinois is just 9-13-1. The Bobcats also handily beat the Fighting Illini 4-1 and 5-1 at Bird Arena at the beginning of January and are 9-1-2 against the Illini in the past six seasons.
Though the numbers look good on paper, Ohio isn’t viewing its first-round opponent as a lightweight.
“The biggest difference this year is just going to be the level of competition and talent. I don’t think there’s four teams that are above and beyond everyone else,” forward Tyler Pilmore said. “Whereas the last few years we’ve kind of got through the first two rounds relatively easily, this year it’s going to be tough from the get-go.”
If the Bobcats are able to get by the Fighting Illini, they’ll likely take on third-seeded Delaware in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Blue Hens have had an impressive season, going 30-3-1 — including a 6-1 drubbing on Ohio on neutral ice in October — and easily winning the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League regular-season championship.
Delaware also has plenty of ACHA experience, having reached the semifinals last year before losing to Lindenwood and, like Ohio, will be hungry to go the two steps further.
But before the Bobcats can think about Delaware — and possibly the semifinals beyond — they’ll have to take care of business against Illinois. In a tournament where one bad game, one bad period, or even one bad shift can mean the end of the season, not looking ahead will be essential.
“Next weekend’s really all about taking one game at a time,” forward Josh Fodor said. “You need to win four in five days, so it’s really about being opportunistic and not underestimating your opponents.”
cd211209@ohiou.edu
