Coach Sean Hogan wiped his brow as frustration and anguish took control of his face.
As he watched his third skater get called for a penalty and sent to the box, it was clear that this wasn’t the team he is used to his coaching.
“We got caught up emotionally again,“ he said. “Those are hard games to play, but it could’ve been a lot worse.”
But despite having a team total 38 penalty minutes, No. 4 Ohio defeated Eastern Michigan 8-1 in its third consecutive sweep this season.
The Bobcats’ penalty woes have been nonexistent thus far into the season. While it’s only been six games, the team’s composure hasn’t fluctuated — until Saturday.
“When you’re elite, teams are going to take cheap shots at you, it’s going to get dirty, it’s going to get chippy,“ Hogan said. “We’ve got to do a better job of being above that.”
With 80 minutes of combined penalties, however, Ohio used that to its advantage.
The Bobcats’ penalty kill unit took the ice just once in the first period, and it was as effective as it could’ve been. Not only did they kill the penalty, but on an Eastern Michigan turnover, Ohio had a breakaway opportunity.
Forwards Gianni Evangelisti and Timmy Thurnau surged into the Eagles’ zone and Evangelisti shot the puck that gave him his second short-handed goal of the weekend.
The junior has only played in four games, but he’s already tied for first on the roster with a total points with 13.
Ohio’s short-handed opportunities appeared once again. In the second period, Jake Houston sent a puck into the back of the net from the blue line.
Inversely, when Ohio had a man advantage or sometimes a two-man advantage, it struggled. The Bobcats scored only once on the power play after Grant Hazel took his time in the slot and sent the puck just past the goalie’s glove hand.
“We had some ups-and-downs this weekend, but to come away with two wins is the most important part,“ Cody Black said. “You learn from your mistakes and work it out in practice.”
Black was one of the few skaters on Ohio’s roster to not tally a single penalty this weekend. As the team’s captain, Black tries to set the a standard, but understands that the game and emotions can get the best of someone.
“We just got in our own heads for the most part,“ he said. “We play down to the other team’s level when they get frustrated and when we get frustrated.”
This frustration stemmed from the simple difference in talent and once the Bobcats start to face tougher teams, racking up too many penalty minutes could be its demise.
But with tougher tests on the horizon, they’re ready for it.
“We’re just happy to be going into the CSCHL games where it matters,“ Black said.
