Despite turmoil, Bobcats clinch regular season title
By Corey Ryan, Sports Editor
Bridget Peterlin, Former Staff Member
February 4, 2007 | 10:36 a.m.
There was no champagne, T-shirts or excessive celebration after the Ohio hockey team won the Central States Collegiate Hockey League regular-season crown after shutting out the current No. 1 team, Illinois, Saturday night 3-0. That is only because the season is not over quite yet. The players, most now equipped with mohawk haircuts, still have work to do with Penn State coming to Athens next weekend and the CSCHL and American Collegiate Hockey Association tournaments in upcoming weeks.
After losing consecutive games at rival Penn State, the Bobcat locker room experienced some turbulence. The Monday, Oct. 30 following that terrible trip to State College, Penn., 10 hockey players were suspended by coach Dan Morris for “violating team policy.”
Justin Althof, Grady Clingan, Derek DeFelice, Dave Fitzgerald, Jim Fuhs, Brandon Hanley, Clay LaBrosse, Dave Moyer, Jim Roach and John Yasak were the 10 suspended, while captain Paul Warriner was temporarily stripped of his captain status. With the major loss of personnel, the Bobcats dropped two at Robert Morris College that weekend, sending the team into a tailspin which looked destined to crash and ruin their season.
Eventually, the team got back on track, winning 16 of their last 18 games. “I didn’t think we had the foundation to make a championship team, so we had to make some changes,” Morris said. “Some of that is just stripping the team down to its bare bones.”
“Now we have a good combination," Morris said. "We knew [we] were coming back home for a home stand.... I give the guys credit. They came back and worked hard. They let all the stuff pass, and now we [have] a foundation where we can build a championship team on.”
With Friday night's 3-2 win combined with Saturday night's shut-out, Ohio is set up for a CSCHL tournament championship. More importantly, the Bobcats are now set up for a chance at revenge next Sunday. The last four seasons, Ohio and Illinois have squared in the CSCHL tournament championship. Last season at Western Michigan, the Illini took the crown away from Ohio. Two weeks from now, Ohio plays host to the tournament in the arena where they have been near perfect this season.
On the ice
Senior goalie Ryan Baksh was sensational throughout the weekend, earning a rare consecutive start after winning Friday night. “I told him during the week that if he won Friday night, he’d get the start Saturday,” Morris said.
Baksh had 24 saves and 26 saves, respectively, during the weekend, but Saturday night’s performance can not be summed up by just glancing at a stat sheet. With Illinois on multiple power plays, sometimes on two-man advantages, during the second period, Baksh made the save of the game with his team down two players. “I wanted to be the guy to out there and get us a win,” Baksh said. “I love playing in big games like this, and I think I have always played really well in these types of games.”
There was heavy traffic around the net as all five orange and blue jerseys were trying to slap it past the 5'9" Canadian native. After shot after shot was fired at him, Baksh finally fell back on the puck, stopping it just short of the goal line.\n\nAs for next weekend when the Penn State Icers come to Bird Arena, Morris said it’ll be the same deal for his senior goalie: Win Friday, play Saturday.
Jim Fuhs had a goal and an assist on Friday night while Hanley also slipped past the reigning American Collegiate Hockey Association player of the year, Mike DeGeorge. Fitzgerald beat DeGeorge on both nights while Althof and Dave Moyer also recorded goals in Saturday night’s win.
More turbulence slung into Bobcat locker room
Just hours before Friday night’s game, Morris received news that Eastern Michigan transfer Jeff Jepson was ineligible to play against Illinois. Jepson, who had been playing all season, may have been ineligible the entire season. Morris would not elaborate on the situation, but he seemed unsure if the team would have to face any forfeitures. He did say that the reason for the situation was because of a different interpretation of the transfer rules. Morris said he will release a statement on Monday after he hears back from league officials.
"We’re all baffled by it," Warriner said Saturday night, "but it’s something we’re going to have to play through. We’re leaving it up to the administration. We just have to stay focused. There is nothing we, as players, can do.”
Forfeitures or not, Penn State is coming to Athens. The puck drops Friday and Saturday night at 7:30.
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