Ohio showed West Virginia why it deserved its recently attained status as the top-ranked team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association as the Bobcats outscored the Mountaineers 9-5 through the weekend and advanced to 6-0 in its young season.
The first contest between these two teams was Ohio’s from the outset, as the Bobcats scored a season-high three goals in the first period, compared to one goal scored by the Mountaineers.
Great puck possession and scoring throughout the rest of the game allowed Ohio to stay in control, though a late offensive outburst by West Virginia threatened its early dominance.
Ohio coach Dan Morris said it was important for the Bobcats to make an early statement against West Virginia in the Mountaineers’ season opener.
“We talked before the game about how we already had four games under our belt,” Morris said. “It was West Virginia’s first game, so we needed to take advantage of the situation. I think we definitely did so in the first period.”
Ohio’s junior netminder Fedor Dushkin, now 3-0 for the season, proved to be a prime example of why the team had high expectations on the defensive end. He blocked 16 of 19 shots on goal in Friday’s matchup.
“I was a little bit shaky and off of my game on Friday,” Dushkin said. “But I think I pulled myself together and played a lot better on Saturday.”
Ohio traveled to the Mountaineers’ South Charleston Memorial Ice Arena on Saturday morning to play their first away match of the season. Freshman center Garrett Williams was able to score his first collegiate goal in the first period, bringing the total number of players to find the net this season to 15. The Bobcats promptly fell behind in the second period, however, and faced a one-goal deficit at the start of the third.
But this didn’t deter them from sweeping their third opponent, as a pair of goals from Tyler Pilmore, as well as a final goal from freshman James Howard, sparked the comeback that put the Bobcats in the lead for the remainder of the game.
Morris said the opportunity for the team to come from behind and close out the game was an experience that the team had not faced to that point, and he is happy with his seniors’ ability to come through in the clutch for the team.
“We went into the locker room and talked about how it was the first time we had been behind in a game,” Morris said. “Rather than be scared, I wanted the team to embrace the moment and the chance to be able to come from behind.”
jd202409@ohiou.edu
