Ohio has dominated six of its first seven games this season. It has been on cruise control against its opponents thus far, but that will be easier said than done this weekend when it hosts No. 5 Iowa State.
The Bobcats (6-1) swept their first three-game weekend of the season last week after losing to Pitt on Oct. 2. They outscored their opponents 23-4 and were able to cut down the amount of time they spent in the penalty box. The Bobcats need to continue those trends if they want to take down the Cyclones.
Opponent: Iowa State (8-0)
Location: Bird Arena
Series Dates: Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 16 at 3 p.m.
How to Watch: Pay-per-view is available here.
Series Information:
Since the 2015-16 season, the Bobcats are 12-7-1 against the Cyclones during the regular season. The last time the two faced off was during the 2020-21 Central States Collegiate Hockey League playoffs, when Ohio came out with a 3-1 win.
This series will be a big test for Ohio. Iowa State ranks fifth in the American Collegiate Hockey Association and is just the second ranked team Ohio will face this season. Ohio, which is No. 9 in the rankings, needs to lean into the advantage of playing at home to have a successful weekend.
Something to watch for Ohio is the forward line of J.T. Schimizzi, Drew Magyar and Ryan Higgins. All three have started the past few games for the Bobcats and are three of Ohio’s top five point-scorers. They have routinely been able to set the tone through both scoring and physical play, and the Bobcats will need them to continue that performance.
