With one minute left in the game, the only noise that could be heard in Bird Arena was the cheers from Calvin’s bench.
The Knights had just stunned Ohio by scoring three unanswered goals to claim their first lead of the game. Jared Virtanen’s third goal of the night made the score 4-3 and proved to be the game-winner for No.17 Calvin.
Ohio came into the game as the fifth-ranked team in the nation, but it didn’t come to play Friday night. The Bobcats looked like the team they were early in the season when they faced quality opponents, especially when it comes to penalties.
“We showed up to this game thinking we were going to throw our sticks out there and win,” coach Cole Bell said.
Ohio had 38 penalty minutes in the losing effort, and 32 of those minutes came in the third period. The most costly penalty, however, came with just under two minutes remaining when Gianni Evangelisti was called for slashing.
It took Virtanen just 26 seconds to score. He received a pass from across the crease and had a wide-open net to shoot in.
Another crucial penalty came with nine minutes remaining and effectively ended a scoring opportunity for Ohio. The Bobcats were on a 5-on-3 advantage when Ryan Higgins was called for slashing.
The Knights penalty ended shortly after, and it was 4-on-4 instead of the Bobcats having a man advantage. Calvin tied the game during that time.
The result of these penalties was the Bobcats letting up when they were up two with 13 minutes left in the third period. Ohio seemed to have things in control, but that quickly changed.
“I think there were some questionable calls, but we didn’t do our part either,” Bell said.
The Bobcats have had a history of letting up in games. Most of Ohio’s mistakes this season have occurred in the second period, and the Bobcats have still had another 20 minutes to correct them.
In Friday night’s game, however, it was too late. There was no time left to correct errors.
“We just got embarrassed, and we didn’t help our cause at the end,” coach Cole Bell said.
Friday night’s loss is a grounding experience the team needed. Ohio has a tough slate of opponents in the final few weeks of the regular season.
A night like Friday night is a sign to the team that no matter who the opponent is, the Bobcats will have to be ready to play if they want to win.
