Mason Koster has worn a suit, stood along the glass and watched his Ohio teammates play for every game so far this season.
The junior goaltender found his way to the bench — but not quite the ice — when backup goalie Jackson Chilberg was diagnosed with a concussion after the Illinois series at the beginning of January. From there, Koster was just one play away from stepping into the crease.
“You always have to be prepared,” Koster said. “Anything can happen, as you can see with everything that has happened this year.”
In the last game against Calvin, that moment happened. The Bobcats’ starting netminder Jimmy Thomas was ejected from the game, thrusting Koster into action for the first time this season.
Thomas was suspended three games. With Chilberg still recovering from a concussion, Koster was the only remaining goalie left for both games of last weekend’s series against Lindenwood and the first game of the upcoming series against Robert Morris.
In less than two weeks, Koster went from standing behind the glass to starting between the pipes.
“I know (Koster) was pretty nervous,” Thomas said. “We just prepared him mentally all week, giving a lot of confidence, talking through everything.”
Koster’s first appearance was forgettable. The Lions routed the Bobcats and scored the first seven goals of the game on their way to an 8-1 victory, but Koster didn’t allow the poor performance to rattle him for the Saturday series finale.
“It gave me a boost,” Koster said. “I remember looking up at the jumbotron and was like, ‘That’s not happening (tomorrow).’”
Koster was right.
In the next game against the Lions, Koster stopped 47 of 49 shots he faced and was the top player in Ohio’s 3-2 win.
“I knew if I took care of stopping the puck, the boys were going to do the rest,“ Koster said. “Sure enough, they did, and I couldn’t be happier.”
The junior goalie will have one more start in the upcoming series against Robert Morris. It might be his final start for the foreseeable future, but he doesn’t plan on changing his mentality for the rest of the season.
“Just keep going. Nothing changes mentally,” Koster said. “Anything can happen at any given moment.”
With no real time table for Chilberg to return, Koster will most likely remain the primary back up for the Bobcats throughout the remainder of the season. If Thomas has to miss any more games for injury or any other reason, Koster would once again be back in action.
Even though it was only two games, Koster’s weekend performance could be a pivotal in the race to see who is the starting goalie next season when Thomas graduates.
Koster showed that he can handle the pressure of a team like Lindenwood in the second game of the series. The Lions hold the type of talent that any Ohio goalie will see in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League, one of the most difficult leagues in the American College Hockey Association.
If Koster continues to prove himself, he could hold an edge when coach Cole Bell has to make a decision about who is the starter next fall.
For Koster, that would mean his days wearing a suit rather than pads and watching the game from the glass are over.
