Ohio’s playoff run has come to an end — for now.
Ohio lost to Lindenwood 6-1 on Saturday, dissolving its chances at the Central States Collegiate Hockey League Championship. Before Saturday, Ohio was 0-2 against Lindenwood, so it knew the game would be challenging. Ohio was hoping to replicate the offensive talent and strong defense it showed Friday against Roosevelt. However, it was no match for the No. 1 team in the ACHA.
Here are the numbers to know from Ohio’s 6-1 loss on Saturday:
3
Just over three minutes into the game, Lindenwood’s Caleb Price scored to put the Bobcats down 1-0 early. Price has only played in 12 games and scored six goals this season for the Lions, but he set the tone for the game Saturday.
This was a familiar situation for the Bobcats, who have been down early against the Lions before. On Jan. 29, the Lions scored within the first five minutes of their second game against the Bobcats. Playing behind against any team is difficult, let alone the No. 1 team in the nation.
24
Ohio had only 24 shots on goal Saturday, one of the fewest it has had all season. Ohio struggled to find opportunities to score at first, only putting up five shots in the first period. From there, Ohio found its rhythm more but not enough. It had 11 shots on goal in the second period and eight shots on goal in the third.
On the other side of the ice, Lindenwood had no problem creating shots on goal. By the end of the game, it had 45. This was a stark difference for Ohio goalie Matt Server, who only had to defend 14 shots on goal Friday night. Server had his work cut out for him against Lindenwood. He finished with 39 saves for a save percentage of 86%.
19
J.T. Schimizzi scored the Bobcats’ only goal Saturday, giving him a team-high 19 goals this season. Schimizzi’s goal against the Lions came just over 14 minutes into the second period. Although the goal gave the Bobcats a bit of life, it wasn’t enough to tip the scales in their favor. Schimizzi’s goal was his first in three games, the longest he has gone without scoring a goal this season.
6
Despite being down for almost the whole game, the Bobcats only had six penalty minutes Saturday. When playing behind, it is easy for them to get sloppy and commit more errors that could send them to the box. However, the Bobcats kept it clean for the most part. Ohio’s only penalties Saturday came from John McLaughlin in the first and second period and Ryan Hastings in the third.
12
Although it’s out of the CSCHL playoffs, Ohio’s season is not over yet. It has 12 days to recuperate before heading to St. Louis, Missouri, for the ACHA National Championship playoffs. Being No. 15 in the ACHA, Ohio has claimed its spot for the national title. Ohio will take on Niagara on March 10 and looks to acquire the one thing it really wants this season: an ACHA Championship.
