Three goaltenders are battling for number one spot on Ohio roster.
A dominant series, like the one Ohio had last weekend against John Carroll, doesn’t yield too many opportunities for goalies to show what they’re made of.
Friday’s starter Aaron Alkema saw nine shots come his way. Saturday’s starter Ryan Heltion saw eight. Scott Boyd never saw the ice at all.
There hasn’t been much to see as the season has just begun to unfold, and that is why the battle for who is going to be the final line of defense every weekend has yet to be determined.
“Right now, we’re just going week-by-week,” goaltending coach Ian Smith said. “We’re gonna see who the best goalie is in practice Monday through Thursday, and if they’re good to go on Friday, then they’re going. Between Friday and Saturday night, it’s going to depend on the opponent and how we do on Friday night.”
Alkema, a sophomore majoring in accounting, seemed poised to be the front runner heading into the new season after turning in a strong 8-2 record and a 2.24 goals against average in his first full season in an Ohio sweater. Alkema was also the starter for the Bobcats’ final playoff game last season.
Smith said the biggest improvement he’s seen from Alkema has been his quickness, likely a product of him shedding a couple pounds in the offseason. Alkema shut out John Carroll in a 5-0 opening night victory.
“I definitely feel pressure, maybe more from myself than anybody,” Alkema said. “But, at the end of the day, you just go out there every night looking to play a good game and give your team a chance to win.”
Heltion’s performance Saturday helped the Bobcats come through with a 2-1 win. The sophomore and former player in the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins organization, as well as a pair of Metropolitan Junior Hockey League teams, also had an impressive first season as a Bobcat, but will look to work on attacking puck carriers more aggressively, as his coaches have instructed him.
The third piece of the goalie puzzle is Boyd, a senior and native of western Canada, just outside of Calgary, who is studying sports management. Boyd’s lack of playing time doesn’t diminish the leadership role as a senior, and he should get chances down the road. When he does, Smith said he’d like to see more confidence out of a guy who continues to be a very technically proficient goalie.
“For me, I’m just a hard-working kid looking to lead by example,” Boyd said. “I may not be the most talented, but I will be the kid that works hard every single day. I want my work ethic to be an example to the other guys.”
As for the relationship between the three goalies and their coach, it was a unanimous sentiment that this was a very close group of guys, looking to build each other up every step of the way.
“As far as teams that I’ve been on, this is probably one of the closest-knit groups of goalies,” Heltion said. “We’re definitely supportive of one another in practice, and it’s a healthy competition. We’re all good friends, so it’s a good relationship. I really like it a lot.”
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