Ohio found itself in an uncommon situation. The Bobcats had scored double digits in the first four games they played before Friday, and in most of those games, they have scored early and often.
That’s why when Ohio found itself down a goal early in its 6-1 win over Eastern Michigan at Bird Arena, the Bobcats weren’t used to that situation. They kept their heads, however, and went on to score six.
“We got on each other for a little bit,” Matt Rudin said. “We knew as a team, if we stick to our systems and stuff and play as a team, we should win the game.”
After Eastern Michigan’s Dylan Naumovski scooped up a loose puck in front of the net and snuck it past Jimmy Thomas, Ohio was in a situation it had only been in once this season — trailing after giving up the first goal.
And both of those times, the equalizer came off the stick of Garrett Jenkins. He’s already tied his scoring output from a year ago — five — just five games into the season.
He won a draw with about two minutes to play in the period and raced to the net. Travis Studzinski got the puck to Jake Houston, who fired a shot toward the net. Jenkins met the puck and chopped at it, scoring Ohio’s first goal.
“It was a good shot from the point,” Jenkins said. “(It was) tippable, it just happened to bounce over the goalie’s pads.”
Ohio and Eastern Michigan went into the first intermission locked at one. The Bobcats had chances with 16 shots on goal, but they were only able to convert the one goal. The Eagles didn’t have many chances, with only four shots, but had a goal to show for it.
After the slow start in the first period, the Bobcats looked like they have all season. They fired shot after shot, and with 7:20 left in the period, they finally converted. Grant Hazel, a senior defenseman and alternate captain, scored his first goal of the season.
Then, the goals started flowing. Gianni Evangelisti scored a shorthanded goal a few minutes later on a breakaway, firing a shot that deflected off the Eagles’ goalie’s pads and slotted the rebound into the space that the goalie had vacated.
Then, a minute into the the third period, Timmy Thurnau got a goal. Later on in the period, Kyle Craddick got a goal. And to cap off Ohio’s night, Rudin got one — his 50th as a Bobcat.
“This was a good learning curve for us,” Hazel said. “We just had to stick with it, and eventually we were going to score.”
After Saturday’s game with Eastern Michigan, Ohio’s next action will be against Iowa State, a Central States Collegiate Hockey League opponent. The Bobcats know the games in league won’t be like the early season games.
And this — just like the early deficit to John Carroll earlier this season — is a good test for the adversity that coach Sean Hogan knows his team will see starting next weekend.
“They’re probably the best team we’ve played,” Hogan said. “They were organized, they were hitting, so I like that.”
