Ohio won the games that counted this weekend, beating the Central Oklahoma Bronchos 4-0 on Friday night and 4-2 Saturday afternoon. But the Central States Collegiate Hockey League All-Star team was too much for the Bobcats Saturday night, as it easily beat Ohio 8-1.
The seniors were recognized in a ceremony to commemorate their last home game before playing the CSCHL All-Stars, but the All-Stars made the final home game bittersweet.
It's really not a big deal to lose this game
it's supposed to be fun senior Dave Fitzgerald said. It's just tough to take the loss when you're a senior and it's your last home game.
The Bobcats were down 6-0 in the third period when Fitzgerald prevented the shutout with the only goal of the game for Ohio.
Because it was an exhibition game and was more for fun there was hardly any contact and there were zero penalty minutes in the game.
The series with Central Oklahoma was the complete opposite.
On Friday
after a quiet first period with only one penalty called on the Bronchos
chaos broke out in the second and third periods
resulting in four disqualifications and five 10-minute misconduct penalties.
In the third period
a devastating check by Ryan Tessmer sent both teams into a frenzy and almost ignited a full-fledged battle between all the players on the ice
even the goalies.
We kind of knew there was going to be a melee, junior Brandon Fackey said. Once Tessmer hit the guy pretty good, (Jim) Fuhs comes in and blasts a guy, then Fuhs gets blasted. It's a melee. I come in giving somebody the business on the ice, and then I skate away before the ref can get my number.
Ohio (26-14) didn't want to fight with Central Oklahoma because they can't afford to have players out for nationals.
Fackey said that they were just trying to make big hits and Central Oklahoma was taking offense to it.
Central Oklahoma (14-23) had a good reason to be frustrated. Paul Marshall was again superb in goal Friday night
earning his sixth shutout of the year
which tied an Ohio single-season record.
It's just great to be recognized in the same category as guys like Brian Gallagher, Marshall said.
Gallagher
now an Ohio assistant coach
