No. 4 Ohio (9-2) marched into LaHaye Ice Center to battle with its rival, No. 9 Liberty (9-6), one of four matchups between the two teams this season. Ohio took the first match as their aggressive offense overpowered the Liberty defense early. The Flames never quite died down coming from behind, but the Bobcat defense secured the 4-3 win.
The Ohio game plan was clear early into the match: dominate with possession of the puck to open the game.
Liberty captain Samuel Feamster would give Ohio an early scoring chance after being called for a penalty with just under 12 minutes remaining in the period. The Bobcats’ vigor seemed to disappear during the power play though, as the Flames denied two shots on goal and stole the puck before returning to full strength. That was right when Spencer Schons connected with Nolan Abraham to put Ohio up 1-0.
Fighting from behind, the Flames were able to force some mistakes onto the Bobcats, giving them back-to-back power plays. Despite being short-handed for almost four minutes, Ohio relied on Garrett Alderman to protect their lead.
Liberty continuously challenged Alderman and the Ohio defense, but the period ended before any damage could be done. The chippiness of this rivalry became clear as both teams had some words and shoves to share before heading into the locker rooms.
The between-periods scuffle led to both teams opening the second period with just four skaters. The Bobcats kept up with their aggressive offensive play but failed to push the puck past Flames goalie Konrad Kausch.
Liberty would force a few opportunities for itself, bringing the puck deep into Ohio territory, but Alderman continued to protect his net. Both teams would continue with their aggressive focus on offense, but nothing would come of it.
The third time on the power play was the charm for the Flames, who tied the game 1-1 with a slapshot by Mason Smith.
The Bobcats looked reenergized after conceding the goal and had multiple opportunities to score off sloppy puck control by the Flames. Drake Albers was able to capitalize on this, winning a one-on-one for his second goal of the season. Despite their 2-1 lead, Ohio would not let off the gas.
The Bobcats kept the pressure on the Flames’ defense, which led to another Ohio goal just before the end of the period. This time it would be Hollander Thompson with a high-traffic tip of the puck just in front of the crease, Ohio leading 3-1.
Entering the third period, the game felt far from over. The Flames came out aggressive, looking to give themselves a chance. They would do just that as Alderman blocked a slapshot by Nathan Cox before Hayden DeMars cleaned up the rebound to make it 3-2.
Though looking a bit gassed late, Ohio would be given another power play opportunity as Truett Olson was caught holding. Liberty was successful in its penalty kill as Kausch made saves on strong shots by Luc Reeve and Noah Holt.
Once back to full strength, the Flames were right back to putting pressure on the Bobcats. Liberty made the most of the momentum on their side as Reid Bogenholm tied the game 3-3 with a fastbreak goal.
Ohio looked to get back ahead with eleven minutes remaining in the game. They would be handed their third power play opportunity of the night as Lazarus Kaebel was sent to the box for interference. The Flames smothered the Bobcats during the two-minute advantage, leaving the game tied.
The Ohio offense would return to its first-period form, taking pucks deep into Liberty territory. This is exactly what led to the game-winning goal. Graham Broadfoot would play the hero as he cleaned up a Jack Glenn shot on goal to take a 4-3 lead. Ohio would play suffocating defense following their goal, leading to their eventual victory.
