Ohio goaltender Garrett Alderman recorded a 36-save shutout to help Ohio defeat Stony Brook 5-0 at home, extending the team’s winning streak to four games.
Stony Brook entered Friday night's game red hot on offense, with a dangerous power play that has been guaranteed to score at least once per game. Justin Nakagawa, who averages over a point per game on the season, entered Bird Arena on a 5-game point scoring streak.
Despite the talent and streak carried by Stony Brook entering the game and the game itself being a lot closer than what the final score suggested, Ohio goaltender Garrett Alderman played phenomenally with one of the best performances of his collegiate career. He made many critical saves, including a diving save with 6 minutes remaining in the third period to blank the Seahawks offense.
Ohio’s offense, despite a slow start, thrived off the momentum Alderman produced starting in the second period following Hollander Thompson’s power-play goal, the only one of the game. Kevin Kasper and Barron Stibbe would score shortly after in the second, and Mathieu Ovaert and Noah Holt would finish the scoring for Ohio in the third period, making the final score of the game 5-0.
Three stars of the game
First: Kevin Kasper, one goal
Second: Noah Holt, one goal, one assist
Third: Garrett Alderman, 36 Saves, 1.000 save percentage
Keys for Saturday
Ohio: Lower the shot total
Despite Ohio’s strong showing in game one, Stony Brook still found a way to get 36 shots on net and force Garrett Alderman to make 36 saves. Stony Brook’s power play specifically has the ability to score in bunches, and if Ohio wishes to sweep the series handily, it will need to find a way to prevent the opportunities it allowed throughout the first game.
Stony Brook: Get the puck in the net
Although Stony Brook left Friday night with a defeat, it did not have anything to do with a lack of effort. Stony Brook was able to get multiple chances on the power play, kept up with the pace Ohio was playing at, and was able to rack up 36 shots, one of the higher totals Ohio has allowed all season. Knowing that Ohio’s losses this season came as result of allowing more shots than they could compete with, Stony Brook should still strive towards racking up their shot total; for if it is able to succeed in doing so, it will eventually find a way to beat Ohio goaltending and make Saturday night’s game one with a lot more goals from the Stony Brook side.
Ohio and Stony Brook continue the series on Saturday at Bird Ice Arena at 2 p.m. on Mental Health Awareness Night.
