Top cats tangle for league supremacy
What are sports without a little drama?
Back-stories can draw fans, motivate players, and give context to how important an event can be. The next two weekends for the Bobcats pack enough storylines for even the most ravenous hockey nut to stay satisfied.
Before the team returns for the start of a long home stand next week, they’ll tangle with Lindenwood in Wentzville, Missouri. In recent memory, the Lions and Bobcats could be considered the class of the Central States Collegiate Hockey League.
This weekend boasts a matchup of the last two CSCHL champions. In 2009, Ohio had grasped the regular season crown before falling to the Lions 4-0 in the tournament finals. Last season, the Bobcats returned the favor, blanking the regular season champs by that same margin in the title game.
It’s the last road trip for Ohio (21-7-1), who has struggled, at times, en route to its current 10-7-1 mark away from Athens.
It’s the Bobcats’ sixth crack at a team above them in the ACHA polls. The Bobcats have yet to knock off such an opponent.
Lindenwood (19-4-0), who has sat atop the league standings for most of the season, was vaulted by Ohio this past weekend as the Lions swept a pair of non-league games against Central Oklahoma. The Bobcats have played two more league games to this point.
Storylines.
“Over the past few years, whoever wins that series seems to end up getting the bye in the tournament,” head coach Dan Morris said. “Winning the league title doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed the playoff title, but it’s one of our goals.”
In the simplest sense, the Bobcats would put themselves in firm control of the league lead and a bye in the CSCHL tournament with a pair of wins.
Offensively, the scoring tandem of Michael Schultz and Tyler Pilmore has yet to touch twine in this calendar year. Yet, in the team’s four games in 2012, the two have combined for 10 assists.
The depth has flexed its muscles in that time as the scoring load has been spread around. Forward Brett Agnew has tallied in every game since the break, asserting himself as the team’s second-highest scorer (17). Fellow forwards Nick Rostek and Zach Tisdale have also notched multiple goals in that time. The return of John Luciana also sparked Ohio’s offense as the junior picked up three points against Robert Morris.
Ohio got another return in the form of goaltender Fedor Dushkin. Although the Bobcats fell in the shootout, Dushkin surrendered only one goal in regulation. Freshman netminder Brendan Madden amassed a 4-1 record in Dushkin’s absence.
“The luxury of having Madden meant we could wait until Teddy (Dushkin) was back to 100 percent,” Morris said. “We had to get him back in, as well as Madden’s been playing. We had a five-on-three situation against Robert Morris and he came up with some big saves.”
For Lindenwood, second-year coach Rick Zombo is building off momentum of last year’s berth in the ACHA finals. The Lions bring an eight-game winning streak into this matchup. The’ve been taken to the limit in the last two weekends, scoring a pair of one-goal wins over Central Oklahoma and Robert Morris.
The Lions’ scoring attack is led by Neeco Belanger and Grant Gorczyca, both with 29 points on the year. Cameron Chinnery has also notched 10 goals.
The majority of the network has fallen to Henry Kent, who’s compiled a 12-2 record and a 1.77 goals against average. Behind him, Kirk Croswell has also picked up six wins in eight tries.
“We haven’t beat a team ranked above us,” Morris said. “Delaware, Penn State, Arizona State, and now Lindenwood’s ranked above us. We want another crack at beating a team ahead of us.”
Follow @BobcatsHockey on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates throughout the action. Stay locked to ohiobobcatshockey.com for recaps of both contests.
