In its first home game since classes have been back in session, Ohio made sure to school Central Michigan during its first of two games Friday. The Bobcats made a statement against a weak offense and capitalized on an even less present defense in game one, shutting out the Chippewas 12-0.
Although the second game of the series did not see as many goals, the action was not lacking for both teams. Central Michigan managed to put together a better defensive effort to keep the score close despite still coming up short.
Friday
Friday's game started only 2 hours before midnight, but the Bobcats wasted no time getting started. Starter Nik Jozefiak scored his first of three goals after being set up by Nick Ventura in the opening minutes of the first period. Using that momentum, Jozefiak put his second goal away with 9 minutes to go in the first.
Central Michigan appeared to lack stamina at the start, and with just under 5 minutes to go in the first period, Jozefiak scored his third goal of the night for a hat trick, giving Ohio a 3-0 lead. Ohio’s Ethan Tamborski and center Brennen Walker both got in on the scoring action, each putting up a goal to round out the final minutes of the period and bring the team to 5-0.
After an offensive domination in the first 20 minutes, Ohio continued its scoring streak, with Zanner Danner putting one in at the 17-minute 26-second mark in the second period. Both teams ran the clock down with back-and-forth skating before Ohio forward Nick Coward scored just after the halfway point.
Despite only two goals being scored in the second period, the final minutes proved to be exciting. A big hit against Central Michigan saw Walker receive Ohio's first penalty of the night for retaliating. Despite the four-on-four action, neither team capitalized on it, effectively ending the period 7-0 in favor of the Bobcats.
Matthew Masdonati's added to an already impressive lead in the third with an easy shot at the 16-minute mark. Trent Johnson, Ryley Scanlon and Tamborski followed in succession, all within five minutes of each other.
After three periods of domination from Ohio, game one was brought to a close with Danner's second goal of the night and a last-minute save by goalie Ty Morton to complete the shutout.
Saturday
Ohio looked shaky at the start of the second game of the series but quickly got up to speed. A hard hit against Jozefiak had him out of the game early in the first period, but it lit a fire under the remainder of the team.
A save by Morton was the first stoppage of play after the hit on Jozefiak with a few seconds under 17 minutes to go in the first, but it also proved to be evident that Central Michigan was making an effort to come back after its tough loss the night before.
Ohio saw its first powerplay of the game at the 15-minute mark after Central Michigan forward Brendan Rachfal received a 2-minute minor for slashing, but no attempts on goal were successful.
At 11 minutes, Danner took a shot on goal, but Central Michigan goalie Cole Ashley stopped it. A powerplay for the Chippewas followed the attempt after Danner received a 2-minute minor for hitting from behind with 10 minutes to go in the first.
Center Oliver McClough scored the first goal of the day for Ohio, but Central Michigan answered back with a goal of its own after capitalizing on a four-on-four play to round out the first period 1-1.
Ohio forward Nick Ventura (11) fights for control of the puck against Central Michigan player, Bird Ice Arena, Jan. 17, 2025.
The second period started fairly uneventfully, with the teams going back and forth with possession before both teams received penalties for roughing. The play following the penalties prompted Ohio's second goal of the game with 15 minutes 47 sconds to go. Tamborski scored the goal to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead. The goal was quickly followed by a save made by Ohio Goalie James Saber to keep the team going.
After an assist from Masteller, Danner scored for the Bobcats, furthering the team's lead over the Chippewas. Central Michigan appeared to score its second goal of the night, but it was waved off to end the second period.
The third period proved to be as exciting as the rest of the game when Andrew Masteller scored his first career goal at 16 minutes 22 seconds for the Bobcats. Not wanting the lead to grow anymore, Central Michigan added another one to the board with a score by forward Josh Romine with 10 minutes 32 seconds to go.
With just under 3 minutes to go, tensions boiled over as Ohio and Central Michigan broke out into a brawl, which saw Chippewas forward Brendan Bajis and Bobcat defenseman Quintin Filizetti both get ejected from the game.
Despite the last-minute penalties, Ohio held off Central Michigan and swept the series with a 4-2 win. The team's ability to capitalize on faceoffs throughout the game proved to be a valuable skill, one the team will need to continue to use as they prepare for their next three games. The first two games will be against Ohio State Jan. 24 and 25, followed by a single game against Dayton Jan. 26.
