Coming off a solid weekend sweep against West Virginia, Ohio (3-2) was ready to get back on the ice at Bird Arena to take on Calvin (5-0). A rocky first period and a lack of cohesiveness ultimately cost the Bobcats a victory, as they fell to the Knights 2-3. Head Coach Lionel Mauron says the Bobcats need to be able to act as a team.
“I think we’re playing like 25 really good individuals and we are not a team,” Mauron said.
The Calvin defense put in the work in the first period to keep Ohio at bay. The Knights’ goalie was kept busy by the Bobcats’ 12 shots on goal, but a staunch defensive presence near the goal made it nearly impossible for the Bobcats to break through. However, Justin Damon was able to prove his prowess as a goaltender, putting up an impressive fight against Calvin’s offense and only allowing one of its six shots on goal in. Mauron said the main offensive issue, however, is once again the lack of togetherness as a team.
“We don’t play with each other,” Mauron said. "We try to take guys one on three instead of passing it and skating it.”
The Bobcats turned things around in the second period, and a spark had clearly been regained. Senior forward Aidan Grieco got the action started, sneaking one right by Calvin’s goaltender. It took under a minute for Hollander Thompson to put in another one, giving Ohio the lead for the first time in the game. The rest of the period was relatively slow, except for the first major penalty of the season being earned by Andrew Wells.
The third period got off to a wild start, with penalties being earned from both teams. The Bobcats were able to hold the Knights while they were on the power play, but that didn’t last for long. Calvin tied it up once again; Ohio could not match that goal, and the game was sent into overtime. Overtime saw a virtually constant back and forth, with multiple close shots being missed by just inches. However, Calvin snuck one right in and ultimately took the victory.
Heading into tomorrow, Mauron wants to see the team gain trust in each other.
“I think the main message is that everybody needs to do their job and trust that the guy next to them is going to do the same,” Mauron said.
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