The Bobcats’ 2020-2021 hockey season will be postponed due to health concerns from COVID-19.
The Bobcat’s Twitter account released a statement Tuesday afternoon that said the health risk to players and Bird Arena staff was among the reasons for the postponement.
“We are awaiting further direction from Ohio University, the state of Ohio and the CDC for when it will be safe for our team to start our season,“ the team said in a statement. “The health and safety of our players and staff is our top priority.”
Ohio hoped to start fresh with a new season after the American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament was canceled in March. It had a strong young core with 11 sophomores and a plethora of veteran talent. A vacant starting goalie spot was set to be the focal point of competitive early practices between five potential goaltenders.
For the time being, all those hopes are on hold.
As of Tuesday, Ohio is the only team in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League to postpone its season. After this announcement, fellow CSCHL teams Illinois, Iowa State and Lindenwood may soon follow suit.
