Hogan gets coaching debut as Bobcats strive for 2-0 start.
Ohio will meet its first challenger of the season Friday when it welcomes John Carroll to Bird Arena. It will be the third straight season the Bobcats will begin against the Bluestreaks.
It’s been a busy offseason for Ohio, with notable additions and subtractions keeping the team in the news for months. Now, however, the Bobcats have a chance to return to making all of their news on the ice.
“We made a mistake last year in taking John Carroll lightly,” sophomore goalie Aaron Alkema said. “They beat us in overtime in the first game and took us to a shootout in the second game, and that wasn’t acceptable for us.
“This weekend, we’re definitely looking to make a statement against them and put up two wins.”
John Carroll beat the Bobcats on opening night a year ago, spoiling the coaching debut of Jonathon Sheridan. Now, the Bobcats will again be debuting a new coach in Sean Hogan, who joins the team after three years at the helm at the University of Arizona.
Hogan has never faced John Carroll in more than a decade of coaching experience.
“They can surprise you,” Hogan said. “They sneak up on you, and they’re a quality opponent. We can’t take anybody lightly. We want to establish what our culture’s going to be and what we’re going to be about. Getting that win on Friday would be a good step.”
Ohio’s 2013-14 season ended with an American Collegiate Hockey Association round 16 loss to Iowa State, ending a 30-8-3 year. John Carroll’s season ended in the College Hockey Mid-America semifinals, and the team has rattled off three consecutive 20-win campaigns.
With a solid list of important seniors entering the new year, Friday night will be sure to be a bittersweet moment for several players throwing on their Bobcat sweaters for their final opening night at Bird Arena.
“It’s definitely going to be weird,” senior forward Nathan De La Torre said. “I don’t think I’m really going to think about that on Friday because it’s just going to feel like another game to me. But, I’m sure as the season goes on, it will start to hit me. It’s definitely going to be a different experience, and I’m going to cherish it.”
With the storied tradition of Ohio hockey, John Carroll will be the first of many teams coming to Athens this season, prepared to give the Bobcats their best game.
It isn’t lost on anyone in the Ohio locker room, and it’s that level of competition that will give each weekend a chance to see a pair of memorable contests.
@_tonywolfe_
aw987712@ohio.edu
