Ohio to play sleeper role in national tournament
Bobcats face Iowa State in opening round
By William Strome, Staff Writer
March 4, 2008 | 10 p.m.
As the seventh seed in this year’s American Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament in Rochester, N.Y., Ohio looks to kill two birds with one stone by avenging two major disappointments against the No. 10 seed Iowa State this weekend.
Last season, the Bobcats were upset in heartbreaking fashion in overtime by conference foe, University of Michigan-Dearborn in the first round of the ACHA Tournament, 3-2, whom they had already beaten three times earlier in the year. The other disappointment—a second-round overtime loss in the 2007 Central States Collegiate Hockey League Tournament to Iowa State, 4-3, inside Bird Arena.
“Since last year we’ve had a grudge against them after they beat us at home,” forward Jim Fuhs said. “This game is going to be very exciting and emotional for everybody.”
Ohio (26-14, 12-8 CSCHL) and Iowa State faced off earlier in the season inside Bird Arena where the Bobcats swept the visiting Cyclones (30-12, 9-9 CSCHL) 3-2 and 9-2, respectively. Ohio was only one of only three teams to hold Iowa State to two goals or less on the year.
“It was our second series this season,” forward J.J. Plutt said. “We both improved as the season went on, it’ll be like two completely different teams out there this time.”
Unfortunately for the Bobcats, history has not favored their side when playing an opponent whom they had swept during the regular season. In the last five meetings against a team they had defeated twice or more, the Bobcats are 1-5 including a 2-1 loss in the 2005-2006 CSCHL tournament to Illinois.
“It’s tough to beat the same team three times in one season,” coach Dan Morris said. “This year our conference is sending six teams to the tournament so we’re bound to play one of them.”
Despite finishing fourth in the CSCHL during the regular season, the Cyclones’ offense finished first in total points (minimum of 30 games played) in the ACHA with 231, an average of 5.78 goals per game. The Iowa State arsenal is anchored by four players, all of who have tallied 50 or more total points on the season. Fuhs is Ohio’s lone player with 40 or more points with 47 (16 goals, 31 assists).
Two of Iowa State’s top scorers, Brian Springer (57 points) and Mike Murtaugh (55 points), are ranked 14th and 18th, respectively, in total points scored in the league. With arguably the number one offense in the nation, the Cyclones have outscored Ohio on the year by 56 total goals.
Even with an up and down and sometimes inconsistent offense, the Ohio defense has been as solid as they have been reliable. Ranked fifth in goals allowed in the ACHA with 90, the defense on average surrendered an impressive 2.25 goals per game. While the stringent defense blanked seven opponents, Iowa State shut out only one team this entire season.
Of those seven Ohio goose eggs, goalie Paul Marshall can be credited for six of them and is tied for second in the league with Illinois’s Mike Burda for shutouts on the season. Marshall is also third in goals against with an astounding 2.07 average.
With an aggressive defense, potent offense and deep bench, Ohio appears to be the perennial dark horse of the tournament.
“We can make some noise in this tournament, if we can get passed the first round or two then I don’t think anyone is going to want to play us” Fuhs said. “Right now we are playing our best hockey at the right time. We can go as far as we want to go, the only team that we feel can beat us is ourselves.”
Coach Morris could not agree more.
“We have achieved our goal of playing as a team and now how far they go is up to them,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what we’ve done before, we’re just here to win hockey games.”
Game Notes
Game time is set for Saturday, March 1 at 4:45 p.m.
Iowa State has split just one series this season and has yet to be shut out. Ohio split 10 series’ and was shut out three times.
Ohio has won four national championships, their most recent in the 2003-2004 season. There other titles came in 1995, 1996 and 1997. Iowa State’s last national championship was the 1991-1992 season.
Bill Adolph (51) and Mike Lebler (50) were the other two Cyclone forwards with over 50 points on the season.
Ohio beat Iowa State in the ACHA national championship game in two consecutive years, 1996 and 1997.
From Nov. 23 to Feb. 1 the Cyclones won 14 straight games. Ohio’s longest win streak of the season was five from Feb. 1 to Feb. 15.
Iowa State’s goalie, Johansson Christian, has seen 1,092.5 minutes of action and posts a 3.51 goals per game average.
Tournament Outlook
No. 1 Illinois vs. No. 16 Robert Morris (PA)
No. 8 West Chester vs. No. 9 Rhode Island
No. 5 Oklahoma vs. No. 12 Oakland
No. 4 Delaware vs. No. 13 Western Michigan
No. 6 Liberty vs. No. 11 Kent State
No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 14 West Virginia
No. 7 OHIO vs. No. 10 Iowa State
No. 2 Lindenwood vs. No. 15 Stony Brook
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