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Ohio's Mike Palasics crashes into the glass during a hockey game against the John Carroll Blue Streaks Friday at Bird Arena.

Hockey: Ohio torches John Carroll during opening weekend

The Bobcats scored 20 goals on 93 shots in the two-game series versus the Blue Streaks. 

It was a weekend of first goals, first wins and total domination for the Bobcats.

Ohio swept John Carroll with convincing victories of 11-1 Saturday and 9-0 Friday in front of two packed crowds at Bird Arena.

Of the 25 Bobcat skaters (excluding goalies) who dressed to play this past weekend, 19 registered at least one point.

Five of those players got their first points in an Ohio jersey, including freshman forward Bryan Lubin, who netted a natural hat trick at the end of Saturday’s 11-1 rout.

“I actually told myself if I did score I wouldn’t (celebrate),” Lubin said. “But when the puck goes behind the goal line and the excitement rushes for your first college goal, not every day you’re going to score your first goal.”

Ohio (2-0) jumped out to three-goal leads in the first period of both games and never looked back.

The Bobcats’ 20 combined goals — more than they had in any weekend series last season — came in part due to a shot advantage of 94-19 on the weekend.

“We’re not out there trying to embarrass an opponent,” Ohio coach Sean Hogan said. “We just run lines.”

In the 11-1 drubbing on Saturday, junior goalie Ryan Heltion let one powerplay goal in from an odd angle but was otherwise perfect through 60 minutes in play.

The most action Heltion saw came with just under 10 minutes left in the game when a 30-second line brawl broke out after a whistle.

One of the John Carroll players was handed a game misconduct for roughing and, as he was skating off, had some choice words for Ohio's goalie.

“Honest to God I just waved at him,” Heltion said. “I just waved at him as he was going by and he was saying some not-so-nice things that I wouldn’t put in The Post.”

Junior goalie Aaron Alkema stopped all 10 shots he faced in Friday’s tilt to get the win. With a 9-0 lead after two periods, Hogan said he wanted his players to stay sharp and not give up scoring chances.

Alkema faced a few shots from in close during the third, but stood tall for the shutout in his first action of the year.

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While Hogan said he liked the competitive level out of his team in the series, he knows tougher opponents loom in the near future.

“I’m pretty excited about us,” Hogan said. “We have potential to be pretty good. But then again, it’s potential. We have a long way to go.”

@JordanHorrobin

jh950614@ohio.edu

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