Mike Crupi/THE POST Ohio defensive player Jack Pepper is tripped up as he reaches for the puck in a game earlier this season against the Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks. Ohio defeated the Warhawks 11-0.

Just wait until next year. That's not an excuse - it's a threat.

Regardless of the controversial circumstances of the Ohio club ice hockey team's 2-1 loss against Iowa State Friday, it's hard to pass this season off as a failure. Ohio (21-10-3) undoubtedly stings from the defeat that sent the Cyclones - and not the Bobcats - to the finals of the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Tournament, but it did finish in third place.

While the consolation must mean little to the team at the moment, consider the impressive streak Ohio maintains - the program has finished no worse than third in six consecutive seasons in the ACHA, including three national championships.

After starting the season in a 0-6 hole, the Bobcats were concerned about qualifying for nationals. In consecutive coaches' polls, Nov. 20 and Dec. 4, Ohio ranked 12th, two spots out of an invitation to the 10-team event. Even at a seventh through tenth seeding, the Bobcats would not have been guaranteed of more than one game in the tournament, as those teams had to win a play-in game to qualify for one of the two pools in round-robin play.

Yet to the credit of the program, Ohio stayed calm and ripped off a 16-game unbeaten streak after a 4-2 home loss to Western Michigan Nov. 6, entering nationals as the number four team.

If losing to the Stallions was the low point of the season, dumping 11 goals in the net against Wisconsin-Whitewater the following night was important in restoring some of the team's confidence (though senior tri-captain Brandon Alviano equated the opposition's talent to that of a high school's). Every streak starts with one victory, and this victory propelled the Bobcats through a stretch in which they outscored the competition 94-26.

Subsequent shows at Bird Arena featured the dominance of Ohio goaltender Scott Walls. In a physical weekend series with Eastern Michigan Jan 22. and 23, Walls blocked away all but two Eagle shots as the Bobcats swept a pair. Two weekends later, Walls again stood tall in a tie and a win over then-Central State Collegiate Hockey League-leading Michigan-Dearborn. The 2-0 win in the latter game was before a standing-room crowd.

But it was not to be for Ohio in 1999. Iowa State goaltender Dan LaVoie limited the Bobcats to just one goal Friday (though another Ohio tally was disallowed) as the Cyclones advanced to the finals and beat defending champion Penn State to win the Murdoch Cup.

Next season could be a different story.

This season's senior class of eight players is not only taking its skill with it, but also 12 championship rings. When training camp opens for the 1999-2000 season, only Jeff Archer and Marcus Marazon will have played on a championship team with Ohio. It's also premature to pencil head coach Craig McCarthy and his three rings behind the bench next fall, as he nears the completion of his doctorate degree in education.

Whoever guides Ohio will direct a team with a chip on its shoulder for having fallen short of a championship skate last weekend. Darin Alviano, Steve Barbarits, Greg Benedetti, Jamie Crowley, Ryan Czech, John Klever and Matt McConville each had spurts in which he showed he could emerge as a top scorer in the ACHA.

On defense, McCarthy asked Tobias Keyes, Jack Pepper, Dennis Reed and Jordan Cardillo to step up when Brandon Alviano missed time with an inner ear virus and each responded with successful results. If Ohio can replace the size of seniors Alviano and Seth Kilzer, the defense should be strong, paced by junior Mike Morrow.

A deep trio of goaltenders returns with Mike Shell and Mike Wenter joining Walls as the netminding corps. Shell got the call Saturday in the consolation victory over Michigan-Dearborn, as well as in the consolation victory over Eastern Michigan in the CSCHL Tournament. Meanwhile, Wenter's teammates have raved about their redshirt goaltender's skills in practice.

Don't write off Friday's loss as the end of the Ohio dynasty. Just consider this fall as the program turning the page to a new chapter in Ohio hockey history.

Foreman, who covered the club ice hockey team for The Post, can be reached at cf346297@oak.cats.ohiou.edu.