Sports
Ohio Hockey extends win streak to five games, sweeps Stony Brook
By: Ella Hughes
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — The Ohio Bobcats and the Stony Brook Seawolves had a Saturday matinee rematch at Bird Arena, with Ohio completing the weekend series sweep in a 6-3 victory. It was Mental Health Awareness Night featuring two charities, Morgan’s Message and the Green Bandana Project, both charities that strive to end the stigma surrounding student mental health.
There was an extra buzz in the air as fans were eagerly awaiting the puck drop. The puck hit the ice and it was clear that the short turnaround wasn’t slowing either team down. Both teams brought the physicality with bodies flying around the ice and hit after hit was delivered.
The Bobcats would be the first team to score when a shot from Kevin Kasper, assisted by Nolan Abraham and Drake Albers, soared past Seawolves goalie, Scott Barnikow, giving Ohio a 1-0 lead. The Cats’ puck luck continued in the first period, when Mathieu Ovaert with help from Collin Felton, sent a beautiful shot over Barnikow’s shoulder making it 2-0.
The first period ended with the Bobcats taking a two-goal lead into the intermission. Stony Brook came out flying in the second, when James Kozicki found the back of the net thirty seconds into the period, 2-1. That didn’t matter much to Ohio because just a minute later Nolan Abraham got one right back, 3-1.
The tides started to shift in the Seawolves’ favor as their offense was finally connecting and generating high-danger chances. Stony Brook’s Alex Scimeca, assisted by Paul DeSaro, pulled the Seawolves within one goal eight minutes into the period, 3-2. Tensions started to rise, both teams taking liberties with each other after the whistle.
This game was the epitome of physicality. Each team was tight on the forecheck around the boards and clogged up the neutral zone. The refs were letting the boys play, giving the Bobcats and Seawolves opportunities to showcase their strength.
A good third period was going to be essential for the team that would eventually come out on top. The Bobcats’ Laker Aldridge swatted in a rebound from Spencer Schons and Jack Glen, eighteen seconds into the period, 4-2. The Seawolves continued to battle back all night when Scimeca scored his second of the night closing the gap to one, 4-3.
The play remained close the rest of the period until Paul DeSaro took a major penalty with six minutes left in the game sending Ohio to a five-minute power play. This was a crucial moment for the Bobcats and Ovaert set up by Hollander Thompson and Felton sent one flying giving Ohio a 5-3 lead. Thirty seconds later Drake Albers sent one home assisted by Barron Stibbe and Noah Holt to put the game away, sealing a 6-3 Bobcat victory.
Head coach Barry Schutte shared his outlook on how to prepare for their difficult matchup next weekend, “It’ll continue to get harder from here and we just need to continue to look inward and focus on ourselves and our family. We’re looking for the best version of each individual, so collectively we can be the best version of us, so that’ll be the message moving forward.”
Ohio has another two-game homestand next weekend against Niagara University, kicking off Friday, Jan. 31 with Military Appreciation Night, puck drop is at 7 p.m.