Ohio’s weekend series against Oklahoma proved to be the most suspenseful of the season, as the Sooners threatened the Bobcats’ unblemished record with two close games that were decided by late scoring.
The Bobcats, which are ranked first in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, escaped with a 3-2 win behind a pair of third period goals against the No. 4 Sooners Friday before scraping by with a 5-4 shootout win Saturday.
Friday’s game proved a difficult one for the Bobcats (8-0), as the Sooners (6-3) were able to compile 30 shots on goal, as opposed to the Bobcats’ 21. Heading into the third period, the match resembled the previous weekend’s come-from-behind win against West Virginia, as Ohio trailed by one goal heading into the final stanza.
But the Bobcats were able to repeat their late-game heroics, capitalizing on an equalizer by freshman center Michael Harris and a breakaway goal from senior forward Tyler Pilmore with 1:45 remaining to steal the win.
“Both teams made a lot of mistakes Friday night,” said Ohio coach Dan Morris. “I thought (goalie Fedor) Dushkin did really well and kind of stole us the game because of his plays. The goals we scored were dirty goals.”
Saturday’s game was a much more defensive match despite the 5-4 score. The teams were deadlocked at four at the end of regulation, resulting in an additional five minutes of sudden-death play. The overtime period mirrored regulation, as neither team was able to possess the puck long enough to create scoring opportunities.
A pair of Ohio juniors took center stage in the following shootout, as Dushkin saved two one-on-one attempts and forward Brett Agnew scored the winning goal.
Agnew said that mustering a move good enough to fool the opposing goalie after grinding through an entire game isn’t an easy task, but that he was able to find a second wind for the attempt.
“You’ve got a lot going through your mind, and it’s a little nerve-racking with the crowd,” he said. “I was a little nervous going into this one after having missed a penalty shot earlier in the season, but I was fortunate enough to score.”
The Sooners were able to net a total of six goals on the weekend — the most scored against the Bobcats so far this season — but Dushkin did well in his role of keeping the Sooners’ scorers at bay during the shootout.
“To be completely honest, there wasn’t anything going on in my mind during the shootout,” Dushkin said. “Having the game come down to a shootout was intense, but I tuned out the fans, cameras, and coaches and focused on the puck. I felt like I was at practice.”
Describing Saturday’s matchup as “a classic hockey game,” Morris said that the weekend allows the Bobcats to more realistically appraise their play, as the Sooners were able to point out what areas of weakness Ohio needs to work on next in practice.
“I thought that we adjusted pretty well and played better as a team as the weekend went on against tough competition,” Morris said. “They exposed a lot of the weaknesses that we need to work on, and knowing that is how you get better.”
jd202409@ohiou.edu
