Ohio’s first opponent for the American Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs has been set.
The No. 5 Bobcats (5-15) will take on No. 12 Missouri State (8-8-2) on April 17 at 11:15 a.m. The game, along with every matchup in the playoffs this year, will be played at Maryville Hockey Center in St. Louis.
The Bears are in the Western Collegiate Hockey League and are led by coach Jeremy Law, who has now led Missouri State to the playoffs three times in four years. His top players include Josh Bell, who has scored 14 goals and 13 assists this season, and Alex Rubin, who scored 10 goals in just 14 games. The Bears’ top goaltender is Bailey Stephens, who allows an average of 3.62 goals per game this season.
Despite what looks like a lackluster record on paper, Ohio earned the fifth seed in the tournament, thanks to its tough schedule that included wins over No. 4 Liberty, No. 3 Lindenwood and No. 1 Adrian. No. 2 Robert Morris, whom Ohio lost to this season, and No. 8 Iowa State, whom the Bobcats beat, are other familiar opponents in the ACHA tournament.
The playoffs are only scheduled to last until April 20, meaning that if Ohio wins its first game, it will have to play another the next day.
