No. 3 Ohio had a good run during the 2014 portion of its schedule, but it faces a tougher stretch in the New Year.
Between a No. 3 national ranking, a variety of successful goaltenders and enough scoring to resemble a baseball team, Ohio had a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.
To reminisce on the team’s success so far, let’s look back on the top performers of fall portion of the season.
Best Offensive Performers: Michael Harris and Joey Breslin
On Ohio’s top line, the two forwards are averaging better than a point per game. Harris leads all Bobcats in scoring (18 goals and 12 assists in 24 games) and is the leading goal scorer in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League. He’s also on track to break his personal season scoring record.
Breslin is tied for the team lead in assists with 15, and has 27 points in 24 games. Harris and Breslin rank second and fourth in scoring for the Central States Collegiate Hockey League respectively. When Ohio puts a puck in the net, chances are they had something to do with it.
Best Defensive Performers: Mike Kretz and Paul Sergi
Kretz and Sergi, who are each seniors, have stepped led by example. As the captain of the team, Kretz takes on a role to be a motivator to his teammates and keep everyone working hard. Listed at 5-foot-11, he makes up for his lack of size with hustle and grit.
Sergi prides himself on the offensive aspects of his game. Although he manages to possess the puck well in the defensive zone and limit errors, the assistant captain’s claim to fame this season has been getting point shots through to the net and making things happen on the score sheet. His 16 points lead the way for Ohio defensemen and rank him fourth in the division.
Best Goaltender: Aaron Alkema
Ohio has yielded just 28 regulation goals to its opponents in 24 contests this season. A trio of goaltenders is due credit for this statistic and the largest recipient of that praise is Alkema. He has emerged as the Bobcats’ big-game goalie and is the only one of the three who has faced strictly D-I opponents so far. Alkema came up particularly big with two crucial victories against then-No. 4 Lindenwood earlier this year, stopping 31 of the 33 shots that weekend.
His stellar goals against average (1.44) and save percentage (.926) are the worst on the team, but that is because he has faced the toughest opponents. The Bobcats will need to ride their top goalie in most of the remaining games if they plan on making a championship run — starting with Jan. 10-11 at Lindenwood.
Player to watch for in 2015: Matthew Hartman
The smallest player in a Bobcats uniform may be the most physical. At 5-foot-8, Hartman has no problem laying a hit on someone to provide energy to his teammates or simply agitate the opposition. He’s one of the quickest skaters for Ohio and will often use that momentum to put some muscle on an enemy player.
He also brings a minor hot streak into 2015, having scored five points (one goal and four assists) in his last five games.
A new year offers people a feeling of new beginnings and a fresh start, but Ohio will likely be content to continue its winning ways as the team carries a 19-3-2 record into the last 12 games of its regular season.
The Bobcats have a very tough journey ahead. The team will face highly-ranked opponents for the remainder of the season, which include: No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 7 Robert Morris, No. 8 Lindenwood, No. 11 Liberty, No. 12 Illinois, and No. 13 Iowa State.
Four of those six series, however, are at home, where the team is a perfect 15-0.
@JordanHorrobin
jh950614@ohio.edu
