Cody Black has a lot going through his mind in the 20 seconds from whistle to puck drop.
First he has to call a play, if he’s in the offensive zone. Next, he has to make sure all his teammates are lined up properly. After that, he skates into position to prepare for the next moment — his moment — where his success can determine the flow of the game once play resumes.
Once he’s there, he has more things to check. His opposition, how he’s holding the stick and how he has approached the puck.
All these thoughts in such a short period of time are leading up to one thing: The faceoff.
The faceoff is one of the most common occurrences in hockey, resuming the game after every stoppage. After every save the goalie holds, every icing, every goal, every penalty comes a faceoff.
It may seem like a routine part of the game, but a lot goes into the short period of time that play is stopped.
For example, when the faceoff is held in Ohio’s offensive zone, coach Sean Hogan leaves it up to his centers to organize the team. The Bobcats want to get a shot off not long after they win a faceoff, so winning it becomes even more important.
“The play’s all relying on me to start out,” Black said. “I got to win that faceoff. There’s nothing else to it.”
Being able to rely on someone like Black, Ohio’s captain, or Gianni Evangelisti, the Bobcats’ leading scorer from a season ago, among the other centers on the roster, is a luxury that Hogan has.
He knows they’ve watched the film and can trust his team to make the right decision when it comes to a faceoff. He also knows that they know what they have to do before they can go stick-to-stick with their opponent.
“There’s a lot of trust there. They can’t get into the circle until our guys are ready,” Hogan said. “They got to make sure.”
From the offensive zone, the centers know what they can do. Then, they want to win the draw. From there, they can organize their linemates to do a few things. One of those things is to do some switching, where the players flip sides and can potentially find a mismatch, which allows them to get a better shot off.
If they lose, it’s on the center to close the gap and not let the puck get back across the blue line. He’ll try to force the puck back up the wall away from the goal, allowing his other forwards to try and win possession back.
When he knows everyone is ready, and Evangelisti has skated into position for the faceoff, his focus is on the referee’s hand; he’s just waiting for the puck to drop.
He’ll glance at his opponent, seeing how he has approached the faceoff. The center will also check how his opponent his holding their stick, whether it be a traditional grip or a motorcycle grip, among others. The film they watch can also show the strategy, such as if an opposing center will not even worry about the stick and try and kick the puck away.
“You just try and get any kind of advantage you can,” Evangelisti said.
The faceoff is one of the more integral parts of the game. Especially when it comes in the offensive zone, it can allow Ohio to get more shots off — something they’ve been known to do, and will be important as the Central States Collegiate Hockey League season continues.
It’s also a pride thing for some of the Bobcats. It gives them a chance to shine, and also help their teammates.
“It all comes down to me being stronger than the other guy and winning that faceoff,” Black said. “I do take a little bit of pride, because I like to get the puck to guys that score.”
