After splitting two games at home against Indiana, coach Dan Morris did something most coaches sitting at 14-2-2 would avoid.
Instead of sticking with the system that helped the Bobcats climb into the top five of the American Collegiate Hockey Association rankings, Morris spotted aspects of the team’s game that needed improvement and decided it was time to change the team’s positioning when transitioning from the offensive zone.
In the first series with the new system fully implemented, Ohio split a series with Illinois. But Morris couldn’t have been more pleased, as his team fell to the Fighting Illini in overtime in the first game but then obliterated its guest 7-1.
But the Bobcats also returned a group of players from injury that had a large effect on the weekend’s results.
Seniors Nick Rostek and Jay Mazzarella, along with freshman Diego Breckenridge all returned for the weekend’s action and impacted the game quickly as Rostek and Breckenridge both recorded goals in the Saturday matchup of the series.
“It’d been a long time since we had everyone at practice,” Morris said. “That probably gave the guys a big boost.”
Morris said he was very pleased with how Rostek, whose seven goals are tied for third on the Bobcats, responded in his first game since breaking his foot in late October.
“He started out a little slow, but he got better as the night went on,” Morris said. “There were a couple plays on the half wall that he shied away from the physical contact and chipped the puck out. … He looked good playing with (Brett) Agnew and (Tyler) Pilmore.”
Freshman James Howard, who scored two goals in the second game against Illinois, has been on what Morris said was on a “roller coaster ride” of late.
“(Two weeks ago) he was pretty down on himself. Throughout the course of the (Indiana games), we benched him,” Morris said. “But he responded really well. His demeanor is better and he understands what we’re trying to do and he had a really great night (Friday) and a really good night on (Saturday). It’s good to see him bounce back that way.”
Howard didn’t give himself any credit, but instead attributed his success to Morris’ system change.
“Coach put in a new structure and it is paying dividends,” Howard said. “Everybody seems to be fitting into the system and when you’re playing well defensively, it leads to offense. So you just chip in, go where you can and hopefully you put the puck in.”
ch203310@ohiou.edu
