Tryouts continued Tuesday at Bird Arena where skaters looked a bit more focused and sharper as camp went on.
A two-hour session once again was broken up into two, 45-minute scrimmages between four teams: red, orange, yellow and green.
Returning players from both the Division I and II teams as well as walk-ons comprised the rosters.
Here are The Post’s observations.
Harkins, Lampron and a 6-0 win:
Junior forward Tyler Harkins skated back to team Green’s bench. He had just scored his third and final goal of a 6-0 routing over team Orange and it was perhaps his most impressive of the tryout.
A slow breakaway opportunity, Harkins had the puck on his stick, and a flashy display of dekes and fakes ensued before he put the puck in the back of the net.
“I thought we brought the energy today,” he said. “Definitely played more sharp and focused today.”
Harkins got things rolling right away with a pass to senior forward Gabe Lampron for a one-timer in the slot.
Lampron, who totaled 22 points last season, is looking to enhance his offensive production, especially with the loss of former assistant captain Mike Palasics.
“He (Palasics) was a guy who generated a lot of offense for us last year,” Lampron said. “So I don’t see why I can’t try and fill that role.”
Houston, Thurnau and a 7-0 win:
Much like their counterparts in Green vs. Orange, juniors Jake Houston and Timmy Thurnau each had a hat trick in team Red’s 7-0 victory over team Yellow.
Houston, a defenseman, is one of Ohio’s key defensemen largely in part to his strong two-way game. Despite missing six games last season, Houston finished third in total points among all defensemen with 21.
Thurnau scored a majority of his goals on breakaway chances – a good sign for the Bobcats. As he heads into his second year at Ohio, Thurnau has strong potential to remain one of its most relied-on skaters.
Coach’s comments:
After two days of tryouts, while there’s been a few skaters that have stood out, coach Sean Hogan still hasn’t figured out who will make the Division I roster. Instead, he noticed just how well his returners played.
“I think our returning guys were much better today than they were yesterday,” Hogan said. “I thought our guys in general were better and they’ll get better as time goes on.”
Attendance:
Junior goalie Jimmy Thomas didn't skate at Tuesday’s camp because there were four dressed goalies. Thomas, a player locked into the lineup for Ohio, played it safe and let backups Mason Koster and Jackson Chilberg fill the spot.
Junior forward Gianni Evangelisti didn't skate at Tuesday’s camp for an undisclosed reason.
Former captain Jake Faiella skated in both games during Tuesday’s camp.
What’s next:
The third and final day of tryouts will be held Wednesday in Bird Arena from 3-5 p.m. At the conclusion of the final game, the final DI roster will be posted.
