Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Post - Athens, OH
The independent newspaper covering campus and community since 1911.
The Post

Ohio's Cody Black moves through Davenport defenders during the Bobcats' game against Davenport on Nov. 3. The Bobcats won 7-3.

Hockey: Ohio's power play furthers momentum in win, sweep of Davenport

After Ohio battered Davenport’s penalty kill with a frenzy of goals Friday, the Bobcats were confident that the special teams’ big night wasn’t a fluke.

Ohio proved the performance was true and continued the power-play intensity Saturday — the team tallied another two goals to fuel the Bobcats’ 4-1 win and two-game sweep of Davenport at Bird Arena.

The Bobcats had just five total power-play goals all season before this weekend’s series. They scored seven goals in 10 opportunities against Davenport this weekend.

“We definitely needed it this weekend,” forward and assistant captain Mike Palasics said of the power play’s performance. “It’s a relief. We made it happen, and we scored.”

Ohio took advantage of Davenport’s passive penalty-kill strategy in Friday night’s 7-3 win, and the Bobcats’ power play expected some changes on the Panthers’ side on Saturday.

But Davenport featured no short-handed formation changes Saturday, and the results of Ohio’s man advantages didn't change either — the Bobcats were 2-for-3 on Saturday.

“We were talking about it between periods,” Palasics said of Davenport’s penalty kill. “They’re not pressuring you. They’re not doing anything. Just shoot the puck if you get the chance to.”

Saturday’s power play performance should solidify Ohio’s man-advantage formation for the future — the 1-3-1 approach gives shooters along the boards one-time shooting opportunities, which the team struggled to capitalize on before this weekend.

But Davenport’s tighter penalty-kill strategy opened wider passing and shooting lanes, which is how Palasics notched Ohio’s third goal Saturday.

Defenseman Nick Grose passed the puck from beside the net to Palasics, who found the net as the Davenport defensemen stood around the crease.

“(The puck) literally came right to me, man,” Palasics said. “I had a shot, took it, (and put) everything I had on it, and it went in.”

Ohio’s second consecutive solid power-play performance was boosted by its ability to corral offensive rebounds and prevent Davenport from clearing the puck out of its zone. The rebounds allowed the Bobcats to spend the majority of their two-minute advantages on the offensive side and showcase a fluidity that was absent in previous opportunities.

The Bobcats’ ability to maintain puck possession was a core reason why the power play continued its rhythm Saturday, coach Sean Hogan said.

“When we can establish second-chance opportunities on the power play, that’s huge for us,” he said. “It’s not just ‘one-and-dones.’ It’s a shot, then we get the rebound and we set up. That’s when you start scoring goals.”

Ohio is now tied for the lead in power-play goals in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League. The Bobcats will play a CSCHL opponent five times in their next six series, and the power play will need to match its intensity from this weekend in the key slate of games.

“Every shot we had on the power play, we were just jumping on it,” Palasics said. “We beat them to every battle down low. We had a few miscues every so often, but overall, we were all over them on the power play and we were getting a lot of shots.”

@anthonyp_2

ap012215@ohio.edu

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2016-2024 The Post, Athens OH