Penn State batters Bobcats

by Matt Bixenstine
Staff Writer

Heading into a weekend showdown with the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s three-time defending champion Penn State, the Ohio hockey team knew it was up against the team to beat. Two blowout losses later, the Bobcats still know this.

No. 1 Penn State (6-0) gave No. 3 Ohio (5-3-2) a rude awakening by pummeling the Bobcats 7-1 Friday and 9-3 Saturday in State College, Pa.

“That’s probably the best Penn State team I’ve ever seen,” Ohio coach Dan Morris said. “They have 10 seniors on their team who have won three national championships, so they’re stacked.”

Forward Matt Shenk, who recorded all three of Ohio’s goals Saturday, said Penn State played as well as the Bobcats anticipated.

“We knew they were going to be that good,” he said. “I think it really shows us what we need to do to get to Penn State’s level. They’re the number one team in the country, and that’s where we need to be.”

With both contests tied 1-1 after the first period, Penn States’ depth enabled Penn State to maintain a faster pace of play as the contest wore on, Morris said.

“Their transition from defense to offense was quicker than our transition from offense to defense, and that delay created a lot of odd-man rushes for them,” he said.

Morris said Ohio needs to increase its speed of play and decision-making.

“We need to work on knowing what to do with the puck before we get it,” he said. “Right now we get the puck and then decide.”

But even in defeat, two bright spots shone for the Bobcats in goalie Lowell Franko and Shenk, defenseman Shane Print said.

“Lo(well Franko) played solid for us all weekend and the score doesn’t indicate that,” he said. “I think he was actually the better goaltender, but we just didn’t bury our chances.”

Print said the team gave Shenk the game puck after he notched his first hat trick at Ohio.

“There’s a kid (Shenk) who in Saturday’s game, even after we were getting beat all over the ice, he wouldn't quit,” he said. “He provided a spark for us with his individual effort.”

But as a team, the Bobcats need to use the losses as a learning experience, Print said.

“It’s tough to get beat, and when you get beat as bad as we did, it’s not something an OU team is used to,” he said. “It’s really going to test the team’s character and how close we are as a group. It’s times like this when you need to sit back and reassess everything.”

The Bobcats continue to travel against Eastern Michigan at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Ypsilanti, Mich.