The plight of the Kent State hockey team's trip to Athens can best be summed up with Golden Flashes forward Tim Cremile.
Already responsible for six penalty minutes, with his team down 11-1 in the third period, Cremile received a pass at centerline and began to make his move, cutting back toward Kent State's bench. A moment later, much to the pleasure of the Bird Arena crowd, Cremile's right skate broke off and he fell to the ice, losing the puck.
Cremile failed to return and Kent State would go on to fall, 12-2, on Saturday, following a 7-1 trouncing by the Bobcats on Friday. Out-shooting Kent State 121-35 on the weekend, the Bobcats (22-7-2) made an impressive showing in their final home game before the Central States Collegiate Hockey League Tournament.
Before the game, Ohio coach Dan Morris said that one of the team's preseason goals was to be the best team in the state. After going 5-0-1 against Kent State and Miami, the goal seems to be accomplished.
That's something we had to do to keep ourselves motivated
Morris said. We knew we were the best and we wanted to go out and demonstrate that.
The Bobcats showed that domination early on Friday, as forward Sean Gallagher scored just 31 seconds into the game. The Golden Flashes were only able to net one goal on goaltender Ryan Baksh, while the Bobcats scored at least two goals in all three periods.
On Saturday, the domination continued. Ohio went up 8-0 before Kent State snuck a goal past Gallagher. In the end, the Golden Flashes ended up with two goals, a feat matched by three different Bobcats (Brandon Hanley, Gallagher, and Tony Arkeilpane).
With the offensive explosion, the team continued to work the puck to get one of these three a hat trick. But Gallagher said that it was more important to work other guys into the system.
In a game like this (the hat trick) is on your mind but it doesn't really come into play Gallagher said. You like to see other guys get into the action
and let them get into the scorebooks.
Certainly there was enough offense to go around on both nights, and Morris was able to play some guys who have not had a lot of action this season, including freshman Casey Fitzpatrick, who played in his first series of the season. Fitzpatrick had two assists on Saturday.
That's a big thing to get those younger guys a chance
Gallagher said. It gives them a chance to learn the systems
and it really works on our depth.
Even with different players in the game on Saturday, Morris said he kept his usual four-line system, rotating in veteran lines. Each line continued to pummel the Golden Flashes' defense, something that might have irked Kent State coach Christian Wilk, who was ejected with less than two minutes to go in the third period on a game misconduct.
Ohio was up 11-2 at that point and would go on to add another goal with less than 10 seconds left.
It's tough when you get in a game like this
Morris said. You have to keep all your lines playing and you want to work on different things. Regardless of what's going on the guys want to go in and play.
Following the two wins this weekend, only the annual Green and White game remains for the Bobcats before they travel to Eastern Michigan for the CSCHL Tournament.
The split squad Green and White game will take place 7:30 Friday night in Bird Arena.
17
Archives
Mike Cottrill
