Front-hand, back-hand, front, hold, cock, fire, celebrate.
That’s exactly what forward Gabe Lampron did when he scored his second goal – his third of the weekend – in No. 5 Ohio’s 4-0 win over No. 19 Syracuse on Saturday.
“I’m a pretty happy guy,” he said through a smile outside the Bobcats’ locker room. “Big win and big sweep for the boys, hopefully we can get back on track and start riding the wave down the stretch.”
Lampron’s been a big part of the motion that’s created that wave. The senior had two points in Friday’s win over the Orange and added another three Saturday behind two goals and an assist.
Again, close to the halfway mark of the first period, Ohio’s offense was on the upper-hand of an odd-man rush into its offensive zone. Defenseman Tom Pokorney drove deep into the middle lane and before Syracuse’s goalie poked it away, he passed it to Lampron who was waiting in the slot.
Without any hesitation, Lampron sent the puck into the back of the net as the sold-out arena erupted with cheers.
His performance only elevated as the game progressed. He had a crafty goal four minutes after his first one and in the third period, Lampron assisted on a Drew Magyar goal.
Aside from the points, Lampron’s game on the forecheck and penalty kill unit throughout the Bobcats’ performance helped them limit the Orange to just 18 shots on goal compared to their 37.
“I’m really happy to see Gabe (play well),” coach Sean Hogan said. “It helped tonight because our first two lines didn’t score tonight, that’s what you want to see, it was good to see him step up.”
Lampron has stepped up as of late. He’s totaled eight points in just five games compared to his five points in 18 games.
“It’s always hard for me to get started,” he said. “But once I get going, I think I start rolling so I hope I can just keep building and building and get better as the year goes on.”
There’s never a bad time on the schedule for a player to get hot, and in the case of Lampron, closing out the regular season by finding ways to score isn’t only beneficial for him, but for Ohio as well.
With just six games left before the league and national tournament, Ohio’s third and fourth lines will be vital toward its success.
If Lampron keeps finding a way to get on the score sheet, he’ll keep having a reason to smile.
