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The injury bug that has bit the Bobcats so hard this season finally seems to be letting up, if only because the team hasn’t played a game in more than three weeks.
Coach Dan Morris said the holiday break has allowed players out of the lineup to return to practice this week as well as let others needing a breather to recuperate and rest their weary muscles.
Jay Mazzarella, Jonathan Gulch and David Veitch all returned during the Winter Intersession from long-term injuries, giving the team much-needed depth at both forward and defense.
"We’ve gotten back some guys that will definitely contribute heavily moving forward," said forward Tyler Pilmore. "It’s not about having one or two lines, it’s about having four lines because the team that is going to win the league playoffs and the national championship is the team with the most depth."
Most important among those returning is starting goaltender Teddy Dushkin, who missed Ohio’s last three games in December with a nagging injury but is now back to full health, Morris said.
The Bobcats won two of those three behind solid play from backup Brendan Madden, but getting a healthy Dushkin back into form is crucial as the Bobcats begin a rough stretch of January games.
But even with the three weeks off, some key contributors will still be on the sidelines when the Bobcats hit the ice against Illinois Friday night. Forwards John Luciana and Alex DiMassa and defenseman Jake Holzemer all had surgery during the break and will be out but eventually be back, with Morris saying, “It’s just a matter of how quickly they’ll return.”
And even with the mass amount of injuries he’s had to deal with so far, Morris did see a small silver lining:
“I’d rather have (the injuries) now than at the end of the year.”
cd211209@ohiou.edu
