Sports
Rahme Nets Game-Winner, Ohio Advances To CSCHL Final
By: Nick Hart
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In the latest chapter of the rapidly growing Ohio-Iowa State rivalry, Derek Rahme got the chance to be the hero.
Rahme scored in the sudden death overtime period of another tightly contested game between the Bobcats and Cyclones to lift his team to a 2-1 victory and a berth in the CSCHL Tournament final on Sunday afternoon.
“Their defenseman stepped up and made a really great play to block a shot, and the puck went right to Rahme who put it up and over,” said Ohio head coach Jonathan Sheridan. “It was a classic example of the center lane drive that we like to do, so that was good to see.”
Ohio carried a 1-0 lead until late in the second period, when the Cyclones’ Alex Stephens tied the game with 6:27 to go in the third period.
“Iowa State was really pushing it in the five minutes before the goal,” Sheridan said. “They were taking it to us. I don’t know why we sat back like we did there, but it was good to see us respond the way we did.”
After Stephen’s goal, the two teams exchanged scoring chances, but recorded no more goals in regulation.
Rahme’s game-winner came early overtime as he jammed a puck into the back of the net from the crease to break the tie and seal the win for the Green and White.
Joe Breslin had Ohio’s only other goal, coming at 4:12 of the second period.
This was the second game in a row played between the two teams that required overtime to determine a winner, and it was also the fourth time this season that a game that involved Ohio and Iowa State was settled by only one goal.
“[Iowa State has] a lot of talent, and they have [Matt] Cooper, who’s probably the best goalie in the nation,” Sheridan said. “When you put together two teams that really don’t like to lose, you’re going to get a lot of really good games and a lot of one goal games.”
The Cyclones will get their chance at revenge on Saturday, March 8, as the two teams are already penciled in as opponents in their first games of the ACHA National Tournament in Newark, Del.
In the meantime, Ohio will face the winner of the CSCHL Tournament’s other semifinal, Robert Morris vs Lindenwood, in the weekend competition’s championship game scheduled for Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Lindenwood Ice Arena in Wentzville, Mo.