Ohio loses its first series of the season to Lindenwood after penalties and injuries hinder Bobcats.
Shaking his head while thinking about his team’s missed opportunities and undisciplined penalties during the weekend, Ohio coach Sean Hogan addressed the reality of a series loss to division-rival Lindenwood.
“It’s tough,” Hogan said. “We were No. 1 for seven days.”
Indeed, No. 1 Ohio (8-1-1) will relinquish its perch atop the American Collegiate Hockey Association rankings after falling at home to No. 3 Lindenwood during the weekend. The Bobcats lost 4-1 Saturday and 5-4 in a shootout Friday.
Alkema gets the hook
Hogan’s decision to start junior goalie Aaron Alkema on Friday, Alkema’s sixth start in nine games this season, added fuel to the assumption that Alkema is emerging as the team’s true starting goalie.
But after Alkema gave up a fourth goal to Lindenwood halfway through the second period, Hogan called a timeout and sent in junior Ryan Heltion as a replacement.
Hogan said Alkema “played fine” and the switch came because he felt he needed to change something about Ohio's game plan .
“I didn’t want to leave him,” Hogan said. “If they’d gotten another one, it just wouldn’t be fair to him.”
Alkema leads the Bobcats’ trio of goalies in starts (6), wins (5) and shutouts (3).
Heltion falters in shootout
In relief of Alkema through regulation and overtime Friday, Heltion was perfect on seven shots faced. Then during the shootout, he didn’t get even a piece of the puck on any of the Lion’s three chances, which ultimately sunk the Bobcats.
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In Ohio’s only previous shootout this season, Alkema shut the door on all three attempts against him in a 1-0 win against Iowa State.
Hogan defended Heltion’s play in the shootout, however, saying it’s “just something that happens” and that Ohio won’t address shootouts any more than usual in practice.
Matt Rudin and Tyler Pecka both scored in the shootout for Ohio, while Liam Geither’s attempt beat the Lindenwood goalie but stopped on the goal line.
Breslin misses time with foot injury
Junior forward Joe Breslin missed a game for the first time in his Ohio career Saturday because of an ankle injury.
But as much the Bobcats could’ve used his offensive presence in a lackluster one-goal output Saturday, they’ll be hoping for a speedy recovering for the top-line winger.
Breslin blocked a shot on the inside of his right ankle during the Iowa State series and was forced out of practice most of last week.
“I was afraid it was maybe fractured or something,” said Breslin, who said he expected to get an X-ray on Sunday.
Breslin has no timetable set for his return, but Breslin is hopeful he’ll be able to play next weekend on the road against No. 13 Illinois (5-2-1).
Slew of penalties cost Ohio in Saturday’s loss
The Bobcats received seven penalties Saturday, which isn’t out of the ordinary considering they average close to 16 penalty minutes (eight minors) per game.
What Hogan said was uncharacteristic was the type of penalties his players were taking.
Two specific calls — including an unnecessary charging penalty by defenseman Michael LaFrenier into Lindenwood’s goalie and a late hit after a whistle by defenseman Grant Hazel — led to goals for the Lions.
“We definitely are going to address it going forward,” Hogan said. “We talked about it a little bit in the locker room."
@JordanHorrobin
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