Hockey team extends winning streak to six

by Tom Valentino
Staff Writer

Entering the weekend’s two-game set at Bird Arena against Kent State, it was no secret the Ohio club hockey team would have to be prepared for a clash of styles.

Ultimately, the high-octane style of the Bobcats outmaneuvered the deliberate pace of the Golden Flashes as Ohio won both games.

The Bobcats shut out Kent State 4-0 Friday and followed with a 5-1 victory Saturday. Ohio has now won its last six games.

“Coach (Dan Morris) was telling us all week that they’d slow the game down,” forward Nick Bassarab said. “We had to keep our tempo up and take what we could get. We did a good job of changing the momentum.”

The Bobcats jumped early on Friday, as defenseman Rico Day scored a shorthanded goal just 2:18 into the first period. Day was assisted by forwards Ryan Walicki and Steve Manning.

After defenseman Joe Branco scored in the second period to put Ohio ahead 2-0, the Bobcats’ penalty kill struck again. Bassarab scored a shorthanded goal with 13:53 to play in the third period.

Day said the Ohio special teams played a vital role in the team’s success.

“Our special teams were great this weekend, especially the penalty kill,” he said. “It was important to us to come out strong on Friday. We pressured them on the penalty kill and took it to them.”

Saturday, the Bobcats turned to their own power play to generate offense.

After a goal by Manning put Ohio ahead 1-0 in the first, Bassarab scored a power play goal with 10:38 to play in the second period.

Kent State cut the Ohio lead to 2-1 when forward Joe Sherman scored the Golden Flashes’ only goal of the weekend. The goal came with 1:06 to play in the second.

The Bobcats charged out at the start of the third period to put the game away. Forward Russ Scurto scored just 16 seconds into the period to put the Bobcats ahead 3-1. Forward Brian Roberts scored Ohio’s second power play goal of the night with 17:55 to play.

Bassarab said the early third period onslaught was the key to the Bobcats’ victory Saturday.

“Scoring two goals at the start of the third, that was the most important part of the game,” he said. “We stuck it to them and it just took the wind out of their sails.”

Defensemen Dennis Reed said adjustments made between the two games led to the Bobcats’ power play productivity Saturday.

“Friday, they had our power play figured out and saw what we were trying to do,” Reed said. “We made some adjustments and executed a lot better Saturday.”

Reed scored the final goal of the weekend, putting in a slapshot from the point with just two seconds remaining in Saturday’s game.

Goaltender Mike Shell stopped 67 of 68 shots faced in the two games over the weekend.

The Bobcats play host to Michigan-Dearborn at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Bird Arena.