Ohio knew its series against Lindenwood wasn’t going to be easy. Lindenwood is the No. 1 team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association and hasn’t lost a game all season. Ohio, who is ranked No. 15, needed to be on the top of its game in order to pull out a win.
The Lions didn’t give the Bobcats much of a chance to score, let alone a chance to win. The Lions dominated both games against the Bobcats and knocked them around all weekend.
Here is a closer look at Ohio’s weekend series against Lindenwood:
Friday
Ohio’s first shutout loss of the season also happened to be one of its worst losses all year. Lindenwood blew Ohio out the water 9-0 Friday, which began when it scored four goals in the first period. Ohio wasn’t able to score on any of its three power plays while Lindenwood scored on two of its three power plays.
Ohio wasn’t able to hit the back of the net. Lindenwood goalie Trent Burnham earned his first shutout of the year, saving all 32 of Ohio’s shots on goal. After Ohio’s weekend against Lindenwood, Burnham has a .923 save percentage on the season.
Jackson Chilberg and Matt Server each spent time in the net for Ohio. Combined, Chilberg and Server faced 50 shots on goal and had 41 saves.
Saturday
After its disappointing loss Friday, Ohio knew it needed to perform better if it hoped to split the series with Lindenwood. The Bobcats needed to improve their defense and allow fewer opportunities for shots on goal. They also needed to capitalize on their own scoring opportunities.
After Ohio fell into a two-goal deficit, Andrew Sacca and Drew Magyar scored midway through the first period to tie the game. Lindenwood didn’t let Ohio’s comeback attempt last. Whenever Ohio scored, Lindenwood responded with goals of its own. Sacca scored his second goal of the night alongside a goal from J.T. Schimizzi, but it wasn’t enough. Ohio scored on just one of its four power-play opportunities, and Lindenwood won 6-4.
Server made 41 saves on 47 shots for Ohio. Lindenwood didn’t run up the score like it did Friday, but it dominated Ohio from start to finish and secured the series sweep.
