Pittsburgh had trouble finding the net in the series against Ohio. The only tallies the Panthers made were in the loss column.
The Bobcats entered the weekend seated second in the American Collegiate Hockey Association rankings heading into their matchup against Pittsburgh. But the home team’s thrashing of the Panthers might make a strong case for why Ohio deserves to claim the top spot heading into its next series.
Ohio’s offense picked up where it had left off after last weekend’s series against the John Carroll Blue Streaks, winning 6-0 Friday and 7-0 Saturday.
The Bobcats’ ability to both keep possession and apply pressure on defense were key factors in their ability to control the series, allowing the Panthers only 33 shots on goal compared to Ohio’s 79.
Ohio coach Dan Morris said he is content with the team’s efforts on both ends of the ice, believing his squad has shown improvement defensively since last weekend’s matchup against John Carroll.
“I think we played better this weekend than we did last weekend, overall,” Morris said. “We didn’t give up any power-play goals, and as a whole defensively, I think we played very well.”
Ohio senior forward Jay Mazzarella made his presence known Saturday. He recorded the first hat trick this season. After his late first-period goal sparked the offense, he was able to capitalize again in the second period and in the closing seconds of the third period.
Mazarrella said he is happy to contribute to the Bobcats’ win after being sidelined by a dislocated shoulder sustained against Pittsburgh last season.
“Last year I got injured, so I worked hard this past offseason to get back to work for the team,” Mazzarella said. “We came out of the gate slow Saturday but we picked it up as it went on and it felt nice to be the top contributor for the team.”
Ohio graduate-student goaltender Matt Michno defended the crease for Bobcats in both games, allowed no goals in the series and recorded 17 saves in Friday’s contest.
“It’s a good feeling. I wasn’t incredibly happy with my game Friday, I was a little shaky at the start, but eventually got into the groove,” Michno said. “I got a lot of help from the guys around me, especially on the penalty kills. I felt there were only four or five chances that were really difficult saves.”
jd202409@ohiou.edu
