Scott Bagby scored on the power play. It was his second goal of the weekend.
Ohio had cycled the puck around the ice, and got it near the net. Bagby’s goal was a part of a six-point weekend for the freshman defenseman. He later scored a goal toward the end of the game, giving him three for the weekend — his first three as a Bobcat.
“Feels good, just to get it off my back,” Bagby said. “I don’t have to think about it anymore.”
Bagby is one of five newcomers to Ohio. He is the lone freshman defenseman, with sophomore Travis Studzinski joining him on the blue line. Coach Sean Hogan brought on three forwards: Ryan Higgins, Drew Magyar and Alex Singley.
Each of the newcomers left their mark on the weekend, but only four of them found the scoresheet. Bagby netted his first goal as a Bobcat in Friday’s win, but Studzinski, who made the team through the annual open tryout, scored his first goal in Saturday’s 11-1 win at Morgantown Ice Arena.
“They’ve all been contributing,” Hogan said.
Higgins joined Bagby and Studzinski in scoring their first goals over the weekend. Singley and Magyar both scored last week, and Singley added a goal Saturday.
The newcomers added 15 points over the weekend: Bagby had his six, Studzinski had five, Singley and Higgins added two each.
The newcomers are fitting on the ice well with the Ohio veterans. Bagby hit Timmy Thurnau on a breakout pass, who then passed it to Gianni Evangelisti for a goal. Bagby’s goal on Friday was assisted by senior defenseman and alternate captain Grant Hazel.
“The older guys have been great,” Bagby said. “We’re a close team off the ice and on the ice, so it’s been great, they make us feel comfortable here.”
Bagby is third on the team in points with nine. His big weekend helped out. Studzinski comes in just behind him, in fifth with seven points. Higgins has added five; Singley has four. Magyar has two. The newcomers haven’t just earned themselves playing time; they’ve shown why they deserve it.
Talk to any newcomer on the team, and the immediate response to what they hope to accomplish at Ohio is a simple answer: contribute to a national championship. The juniors and seniors on this team were on the doorstep two seasons ago. The No. 5 team in the country is trending in the right direction, scoring double digits in all four games this year. The Bobcats haven’t done that since the 1988-89 season. Ohio’s had the talent to get to the top, and the newcomers seem like they can help propel the Bobcats to the top.
“We’ve got a great group of guys this year,” Magyar said before the season. “A lot of potential. We’re a top-ranked team so (winning a national championship) is a goal.”
