Questions loom on defense, but Ohio returns plenty on offense and in net.
On paper, the Bobcats seem like an easy bet to have another division-winning, national-tournament-going season. They might even surpass last season’s No. 6 national ranking.
But coach Sean Hogan is viewing his team’s prospects as an opportunity rather than a guarantee.
“They still have to go out there and earn it every day,” Hogan said.
The big three
Ohio’s first line — senior Michael Harris alongside juniors Patrick Spellacy and Joey Breslin — was already the top unit last year when they amassed 100 combined points in 100 combined games.
Harris is expected to steer the offensive ship again this year after being tied for the team lead in points (36) while posting team highs in goals (21) and powerplay points (14) last season.
“He wants to win,” Hogan said of Harris, the current captain of the Bobcats. “His expectation is to win, so he’s going to be a great leader for us.”
Questions on the blue line
It seems fair to assume that senior defenseman Tyler Pecka, the only senior on the Bobcats’ blue line, will jump on Ohio’s top defensive pairing.
The question is, who will join him?
“Everybody has a chance to compete and have some success, so it’s exciting to see,” said Hogan, who plans to carry eight or nine defensemen when the final roster is announced Sept. 2.
A less crowded crease
Last year, three goalies split time in net for Ohio and collectively allowed 60 goals in 39 games (a little more than 1.5 goals per game).
With graduated senior Scott Boyd out of the picture, juniors Aaron Alkema and Ryan Heltion will battle for playing time this season.
Alkema started a team-high 20 games, compiling a 13-4-2 record with three shutouts and a 1.86 GAA. Heltion was just as stingy in his 13 starts, posting an 8-3-2 record with two shutouts and an Ohio record 1.50 goals against average.
“Going into the season, it wouldn’t be fair to them to choose one and say, ‘you’re the guy going forward’ because I think both of them had great seasons last year,” Hogan said. “They’re both going to be playing a lot.”
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