After one season as assistant coach and three seasons as head coach, Lionel Mauron’s time with Ohio has come to an end. It’s a bittersweet moment, as he departs for a new opportunity in the NCAA, but Mauron leaves behind an impressive legacy. He was the 2023 ACHA MD1 Coach of the Year, brought the team to the ACHA National Semifinals twice, and departed with an overall record of 72-29-11.
Mauron joined the Bobcats as an assistant coach in the 2020-21 season, which proved to be a challenging time, being in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was a difficult situation,” Mauron said. “A lot of players that were recruited couldn’t come and obviously, the whole environment was very difficult.”
The Bobcats ended the season, which didn’t begin until late January, with their worst record to date at 6-16.
“We could only play so many teams, only the best teams were playing, so our record was honestly not very good, not where we wanted,” Mauron said. “So the whole vibe in the locker room was kind of hard.”
Mauron took the challenges in stride, using the time as a learning opportunity to grow his knowledge of coaching, as well as the Ohio program itself.
“It was a great experience, to just be thrown in the fire and learn,” Mauron said. “I really enjoyed that first year, even though, hockey-wise, we didn’t do as well as we wanted.”
Mauron’s first season as head coach started as a whirlwind — he was given the job during training camp and was once again “thrown in the fire” on the tail end of the pandemic. It was his first head coaching experience, and he had only weeks before the first game to understand the ins and outs of leading a team. Luckily, he had a strong support system behind him the whole way.
“I knew that the team really wanted me to be in this position, and they were supportive and also very understanding when things were not going to plan,” Mauron said. “So for me, it was just nothing to lose, right?”
The team ended the season with a 17-20 record, a strong improvement from the season prior and a solid performance from Mauron in his hectic first season as a head coach.
"Everything I was trying was new, the guys were excited, we had good players,” Mauron said. “We had a better year, we made it to Nationals, we beat Minot who was number one. So overall, it was very stressful, but it was so fun.”
As his career with the Bobcats progressed, Mauron was able to work on the three goals he set for himself when he stepped into the role of head coach.
One of those goals was recruiting, and rebuilding the team after losing players to graduation. That goal was more than achieved, as one of his recruits, Luc Reeve, was the 2022-23 ACHA Player of the Year. He’s had other recruited players produce star turns, such as Laker Aldridge and Matheiu Ovaert. This exciting rebuild helped him to achieve his second goal.
“I wanted to make sure the relationship … with our alumni and our Booster Club was strengthened,” Mauron said. “So I wanted to make sure that people came back to OU and wanted to support it.”
At any home Ohio game, the booster section of the bleachers is packed full, a testament to Mauron’s efforts on his second goal. Mauron’s last goal was a little different from the first two, however.
“The last part was to be involved with the community, and I think with the youth hockey program, we have done a great job,” Mauron said. “The attendance at the game went up, that was the highest ever last year. So I think that we have done a pretty good job in all three areas.”
Overall, Mauron has had some amazing moments while he has been with the Bobcats. He described beating Minot State in his first year as the most emotional he has ever been at a hockey game, especially since the victory came after that particularly tough COVID season.
He also described playing in Nationals this past season as one of the most fun moments, especially since it ended with an exciting and well-fought game against Adrian, who ended up taking the championship. All-in-all, he got to see last year’s team come together as a family.
“Finally, the group came together, and to see them deal as a team every day is, for me, the most rewarding part,” Mauron said.
As excited as Mauron is to pursue his new opportunity, he still feels a tinge of melancholy about walking out the doors of Bird Arena.
“Right now I’m sad, especially when I see the opportunity that lies ahead … the relationship with the guys, we became so close over the years that they’re part of my family,” Mauron said. “I spend more time with them than with my wife. You don’t want to leave Ohio behind.”
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