A five-game losing streak isn’t common for the Ohio hockey team. In fact, coach Dan Morris can’t remember the last time his team had one.
But a five-game slide is exactly what his team is enduring after dropping two games last weekend to rival Penn State. Ohio has not won a game since a 4-1 victory against Robert Morris Jan. 13.
The latest four losses have come against formidable foes — top-ranked Penn State and perennial power Lindenwood. But for a consistent contender like Ohio, that’s little consolation. Losing two games in front of a sold-out Bird Arena — which the Bobcats did last weekend — isn’t something the team relishes, and those losses have had a hangover effect.
“I know walking from my car to the rink (Monday) I was a little quicker,” Morris said with a laugh. “And guys are probably walking around campus today with their heads down low, trying to hide, whereas most days they’re very up-front about who they are and very proud about who they are.”
“Their pride probably took a little hit.”
And Morris does not mind the dose of humility. He was quick to praise his team’s physical effort against the Icers, but also criticized its in-game mentality, not making adjustments the coaches called for and taking far too many risks in two close games.
“It’s not something you can’t fix overnight, but you’ve got to take steps moving forward,” Morris said. “And it’s the last piece of the puzzle, honestly. The physical stuff’s there now, it’s the mental and the attitude, and losing at home in front of your biggest crowd really makes you think.”
Morris said the lack of offensive production concerns him most. Goals were a strength for Ohio in the fall but have been rare in the last five games, when the Bobcats have scored only seven goals combined.
“You look back at the last couple weekends, most of them have been one-goal games or we’ve only been scoring one goal,” said Tyler Pilmore, one of Ohio’s top offensive threats who hasn’t scored since Nov. 26 — a goalless drought of 14 games.
“That falls directly on the shoulders of guys who are supposed to be scoring such as myself,” he said. “It’s a team sport, but when we’ve got half the team doing what they’re supposed to and the other guys not producing, it becomes an issue.”
Though the Bobcats had a rough January, it was only one month out of a long seven-month schedule. Just like NFL teams that have tough Novembers (Giants, anyone?) or NCAA basketball teams that struggle in February, Ohio still has time to make up for the losses. The team will compete in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League tournament and the American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament in the next five weeks.
Having a short memory, and remembering that the most important games are still to come, is vital if Ohio is to move forward.
“I think back to last year when Lindenwood came in late in the year in January and swept us here, and then at the league tournament we beat them soundly,” Morris said.
“There are some things to take out of that, and I’ve got to keep reminding myself that it’s not what you do in January, it’s what you do in February.”
cd211209@ohiou.edu
