Sports
Ohio Hockey dominates with win over West Virginia
By: Lindsey Crawford
Posted on:
ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB)– After the long awaited return to Bird Ice Arena, the Ohio Hockey team took to the ice to host the West Virginia Mountaineers. The game started off with a bang when a puck went soaring into the protective glass, shattering the panel just mere minutes into the warmup. With the slight delay of game, the Bobcats had ample time to prepare for the matchup, ultimately resulting in a 6-1 win for Ohio.
Former Ohio University Alum and Columbus Blue Jackets National Anthem Singer, Leo Welsh, returned home to perform the national anthem for the Friday night game.
The Bobcats dominated the ice early on, putting up 20 shots on goal in the first period alone, compared to the Mountaineers nine. Ohio began putting numbers on the board just minutes into the game with Jack Glen launching the puck past WVU goalie, Danny Stauffer.
Back on the ice for the second, Ohio was not backing down and kept the momentum going. Nolan Abraham brought home another goal for the Bobcats with a primary assist from Collin Fulton and a secondary by Drake Albers.
With seven minutes left on the clock, the Bobcat’s Drake Albers was sent to the box for a hit from behind, while WVU’s Ben Brombos took a holding penalty, making it four-on-four on the ice. Both the Bobcats and the Mountaineers played an aggressive game, resulting in a fight late into the second period after Ohio’s Gavin Keller slammed Nick Grandy into the boards in Bobcat territory. Keller would receive two minute penalty for roughing that would roll over into the third.
Ohio kept their foot on the gas throughout the third with Tommy Kloepfer’s top shelf goal. The team’s success didn’t stop there as Nolan Abraham and Jack Glen both found the back of the net later on in the period. With 25 seconds left in the game, WVU was able to stop a shut out as Nick Grandy was able to put the puck away. Ultimately West Virginia was unable to stop Ohio, with a final score of 6-1.
The two will face off again in the Bird Ice Arena on Saturday, Jan. 18 with puck drop at 7 p.m.