Ohio put on another explosive performance Saturday, earning a huge 11-2 win at home against Robert Morris. Ohio played with confidence and cleanliness, which allowed it to overcome the minor obstacles it did face and get the win.
Ohio was not the team to score first, but that was no problem. Even when goalie Justin Damon let a rare puck slide past him 3:13 into the first period, Ohio’s belief in itself did not waver. It kept its composure and tied the game up less than five minutes later.
That confidence only grew when Hollander Thompson scored a power play goal to put the Bobcats up 2-1. By the end of the first period, they headed to the locker room with a two-goal lead.
Christian Albertson kept Ohio’ spark alive in the second period, scoring two goals within six minutes of each other. The first was assisted by J.T. Schimizzi, while the second was assisted by John Mclaughlin.
The third period was the Bobcats best of the night. In the past, they have slowed down in the final period, but that was not the case Saturday. The Bobcats' offense only got better as time went on, as it scored six goals in the third. Three of those goals came from Andrew Wells for the senior’s first hat trick.
“(I had) a lot of friends in the stands, so it was fun to do that,” Wells said. “I was just happy (with) the way the team played.”
Ohio coach Lionel Mauron said Wells has a way of playing the game the right way, as well as being in the right place at the right time.
“It's funny because it seems like the puck always finds his stick and he doesn't miss,” Mauron said.
One of Ohio’s other goals in the third period came from Lucas Renzoni, who has scored in back-to-back games. Mauron said Renzoni needed a little time to adjust upon his arrival to Ohio, but is starting to come along.
“We know he can move the puck really well and he’s really doing a great job right now,” Mauron said.
Ohio has excelled on offense all season, so its 11 goals Saturday did not come as a shock. However, that is the most goals Ohio has scored in a game this season. It also had a remarkable number of shots on goal with 52.
Ohio wanted to keep the puck in its offensive zone for the majority of the game, not only to create opportunities for itself, but also to limit Robert Morris’ best scorers. Robert Morris’ Roman Kraemer is tied for the third most goals in the American Collegiate Hockey Association with 28, but he only scored one against Ohio.
The Bobcats were also able to limit the Colonials scoring opportunities by not giving them many chances to get ahead on the power play. They only committed one penalty in each period for a total of three. Playing five-on-five for most of the game allowed the Bobcats to find and keep their rhythm from start to finish.
With the win, Ohio moved to 25-5-1 this season. With only four games left in the regular season, Ohio is looking prime and ready for postseason play.
