Ohio Hockey collaborated with the Marching 110 Friday night during the game against the University of Pittsburgh. They launched special jerseys inspired by the 110’s uniforms. The band performed throughout Friday’s game, and the event pulled a sold-out crowd.
“The atmosphere in the rink was amazing, even in the warm-ups,” senior forward Hollander Thompson said.
Friday
The Bobcats (22-3) extended their streak to six wins with the 5-2 defeat of the Panthers (11-9-2). Ohio took 56 shots on goal. Pittsburgh had a lot of turnovers and couldn’t stop Ohio from setting up scoring chances.
Senior goalie Scott Bird started, and alternate captain Luc Reeve returned after missing last weekend.
Although Pittsburgh earned possession and the first shot of the game, Ohio quickly fought back. Alternate captain Noah Holt scored on Ohio’s first shot, with assists from sophomore Nolan Abraham and junior Will Cohen. Then, the reunited first line came together for a goal. A fast transition and a perfect pass from Reeve set up senior forward Laker Aldridge for the score. The assist from Thompson marked his 100th career point.
“Honestly, I had no idea I was even close to it, but it’s a good surprise after the game,” Thompson said.
The Bobcats killed a penalty without allowing any shots. They kept pressure on the Panthers’ goalie. With 10 minutes to go, Reeve took a shot. The puck rebounded off the goalie’s pads straight to Thompson's stick. He scored. Aldridge had the secondary assist.
On one of Pittsburgh’s few possessions in the offensive zone, the puck slipped through traffic past Bird’s glove. Josh Hrip earned Pittsburgh’s first point of the game.
The Panthers were slow on defense in the first, but they picked up in the second period. The Bobcats could not finish on a powerplay to open the frame. On the second powerplay, though, Holt notched his second goal of the night. Aldridge and Thompson assisted.
Unfortunately, Aldridge, the team’s points leader, took a hit to the knee in the second period. The injury sidelined him for the rest of the game.
The third period started with four-on-four play after matching penalties. Senior forward Drake Albers worked to find scoring opportunities. The game slowed down on both sides in the middle of the frame. The Bobcats had hit a shot off the post. Eventually, Albers' efforts paid off. Juniors Mathieu Ovaert and Donovan Burdette provided the assists. The play got more physical, but the refs called no penalties.
Pittsburgh forward Colby Bilski buried a shot top shelf to end the game. It was too little, too late. For the rematch, the Panthers needed to turn up their offense.
Saturday
Pittsburgh cleaned up its act and competed well in Saturday’s game. Still, Ohio won 4-2. This victory marked the 10th sweep of the season.
“I thought our defense really stepped up,” head coach Barry Schutte said. “We managed the puck well overall. The forwards were okay. Glen’s line was our best line, all three played really well.”
Ohio started senior Garrett Alderman in goal. Pittsburgh went with the same goalie as the night before, Elijah Wiltshire, who took a while to find his rhythm.
The Panthers stepped up their defense. Although the Bobcats controlled puck possession for the most part, the Panthers intercepted passes and forced the Bobcats to the boards. A late Bobcat shot after a whistle nearly started a fight. This foreshadowed the feisty game ahead.
Ovaert scored off a pass from Albers behind the net. Glen had the other assist. The Panthers’ offense was nonexistent. They managed only four shots compared to Ohio’s 15.
“My two linemates, Mathieu (Ovaert) and Drake (Albers), were both great all weekend,” Glen said. “They make my job easy.”
In the second period, Pittsburgh generated scoring chances, including one off a poor Ohio line change. Alderman made a pretty save with his left leg on a breakaway.
With 13 minutes remaining, defender Blake Dustin scored on a slap shot as Glen and junior Drake Nabozny assisted. The Panthers scored in between two sets of 4-on-4 play. Then, freshman defender Nick Mahy left the game with a potential shoulder injury.
Tensions continued to rise during the third frame. Less than 60 seconds in, Thompson made a shot from the top of the left circle. Reeve and forward Lance Mengel assisted the goal. The referees awarded Cohen after a trip, but he missed. Reeve earned Ohio’s fourth goal with a powerful shot from the blue line.
“Lance (Mengel)’s a threat with his speed,” Schutte said. “He’s really starting to get his legs under him as a freshman. I don’t think he’s looking like a freshman anymore, actually.”
Pittsburgh continued to attack the puck, though. Harder and harder hits eventually led to as close to a fight as the refs will allow in club hockey. The situation ended with a 4-on-3, but neither team scored on special teams.
As the clock wound down, Aiden Foster took a hard hit into the boards, which dislocated his shoulder. The Panthers managed to find the back of the net after their teammate left for the locker room. Their second goal came just three seconds before the game’s end.
Next, the Bobcats face Stony Brook University (12-9-2) at Bird Arena Jan. 30 and 31.
