Not seeing Justin Damon or Luc Reeve in the starting six is an uncommon occurrence for Ohio. However, that’s what happened in its Chicago Showcase game on Saturday against Arizona State, which ended with a victory for Ohio with a final score of 3-2.
The game started at a semi-slow pace and a lot of alternating between the Bobcats and the Sun Devils.
The game switched its course after Noah Holt was struck on the ice near the end of the first period.
With Reeve and Damon already being ruled out prior to the game, Holt now being off the ice with injury meant that Ohio would have to play without its two leading scorers and its usual starting goalkeeper.
Ohio persevered and gained momentum after Holt was helped off the ice. The incident brought a fire to Ohio and allowed it to own the remainder of the game.
Without Reeve, the top scorer for Ohio, it functioned under different mechanics. Reeve’s presence on the ice is always apparent and contributes to the Bobcat’s energy.
Damon was not playing either, which changed the pattern for Ohio but gave time for Garrett Alderman to show his skill set.
“I think it helped us because Garrett (Alderman) has been waiting to play for a long time and he took this opportunity and did great,” Head Coach Lionel Mauron said. “It’s a hard position to be in when you don’t play it (goalkeeper) a lot, and he hasn’t played in three or four weeks so to go in without having seen a lot of shots recently and a performance like this is very impressive and couldn't have happened to a better person either.”
The sophomore is proof that Ohio contains not only a wide range of talent, but also a depth that will provide confidence for a bright future in seasons to come.
