The UC Bearcats returned home from Michigan 12-4 on the season, after splitting the weekend’s series, losing Friday to Davenport University, but later defeating Hope College in the most exciting victory of the season.

Only a few hours after arriving in Michigan Friday, the Bearcats travelled to Patterson Ice Arena to take on now 6-6 Davenport University at 8 p.m.  Despite the long trip, UC seemed primed to give number seven ranked Davenport a run for their money as the first period began.

UC took first blood, Steven Louie, assisted by team captain Mike Jagelewski, scoring at 17:20.  This would prove to be the only point for the Bearcats, and Davenport answered back with only 36 seconds remaining in the period, tieing the score at 1-1 going into the second period.

Starting center Alex Silvestros received a minor penalty for hooking, and a ten minute misconduct at 8:52 in the second, rendering him ineligible to play for the remainder of the period.

“[The penalty] was frustrating, for him and for us,” said starting goalie Ted Riolo, “It’s hard to get momentum going with your starting center in the box for 12 minutes.  It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.”

Riolo, it seems, was correct, as the game would remain deadlocked for less than a minute after Silvestros was put in the box.  At 7:54 Davenport scored on the power play against Riolo, and, a little over a minute later, they scored again.  Despite solid play in the first, Riolo was pulled in favor of rookie goalie Greg Geyer.

The line-up change wasn’t enough to stop the bleeding, however, and Davenport scored again at 3:08 and 1:13 and the Bearcats retired to the locker room for the second time trailing by 4.

The third period was no better for UC, Davenport scoring first at 18:47, taking the score to 6-1.  Within a five minute interval, Davenport racked up four more goals before UC got their feet under them and managed to prevent another point for nearly all the rest of the period.

At 49.8 remaining in play, the Davenport captain scored on Geyer, and a shoving match ensued, ending with the Davenport captain pinning the goalie to the ice.  Defenseman Jake Bonta stepped in to assist Geyer, and received a five-minute major penalty according to the ‘third man’ rule, as well as a game DQ.  Both Geyer and the Davenport captain received roughing minors.

Time expired, and the Bearcats left Patterson Ice Arena with an 11-1 loss.  Silvestros commented on the loss, saying, “It was a frustrating game.  In the first period, we held them.  Then they came out fired up.  It was an 11-1 game, but it shouldn’t have been.”  Riolo agreed, and added, “We just have to forget about tonight and move on.”

And move on they did.  Saturday night saw UC at The Edge ice arena, taking on the number one team in the ACHA D3 North Conference, the now 9-2 Hope College Flying Dutchmen.  Both teams were coming off loses the previous evening, the Bearcats from Davenport, and Hope from Saginaw State.

“We expected them to come out hard in the first,” said Riolo, “and they had the crowd behind them.”  The crowd itself was sizeble, nearly 300 strong, and for the first few minutes the extra support seemed to be working in Hope’s favor. continue reading Bearcats Return Victorious, Defeat Number One Hope

The Bearcats raised their overall record to 11-3 this weekend, sweeping Louisville in a two game series that set season records all around.

Friday night, UC hosted the now 0-7 Cardinals on home ice at Sports Plus.  The game got off to a quick start, the Bearcats picking up four goals in rapid succession in the first period.  Louisville recorded one against rookie goalie Greg Geyer, which would prove to be their only point of the entire game.

The second period saw the Bearcats dominate completely, keeping play almost exclusively in the Louisville defensive zone, and controlling the puck for nearly the entire period.  UC managed to pick up six more goals, raising the score to 10-1.

The third period was merely a more chippy repeat of the second, the Bearcats picking up four goals to end the game with a score of 14-1.  Alternate captain Ben Bailey explains the impressive victory, saying, “We came out fast in the first, forechecking and backchecking hard.” continue reading UC Sweeps Louisville, Goalie Gets Playmaker

UC’s 9-3 Bearcats are planning to “Puck Louisville” this weekend, as they take on the 0-5 Cardinals on Friday night at Sports Plus, and on Saturday in Lousiville.

The Bearcats go into the all Big East conference match-up coming off a split series last weekend, beating IPFW on Saturday but losing to Canisius College the next morning.  By this Sunday afternoon, UC hopes to have raised their record to 11-3, putting them into the top quarter of the ACHA Division III North Conference.

“We’re hoping to play well this weekend and get back on the winning side of the scoresheet,” says senior goalie, and forth year player Ted Riolo.  Judging from the University of Louisville’s record, and that of the Bearcats against them, winning shouldn’t be too much of a problem for UC. continue reading Puck Louisville! This Weekend!

The Bearcats split this weekend’s two game series, beating IPFW but losing to Canisius College, raising their overall record to 9-3.

Saturday night, UC beat IPFW 5-4 in a game that progressed into sudden death overtime.  Despite a slow start, the Bearcats managed to shape up and pull out the victory over their Indiana neighbors in the hard fought battle.

IPFW came out playing hard, taking the lead 2-0 early in the first period.  In a effort to change the tone of the game, Coach Blaine Stoughton replaced rookie goalie Benjamin Nieman at 13:58 with forth year netminder Ted RIolo.  In spite of the switch, IPFW scored again at 10:08, bringing the score to 3-0. continue reading UC Splits Series, Go 9-3

The 8-2 Bearcats are looking to scare up a couple of wins this Halloween weekend, against distant neighbors IPFW and Canisius College. 

This weekend marks the first and only time UC will see either of these teams this season. 

Coming off a weekend of mixed results, the team is hoping to pick up a pair of wins to bring their record on the season to 10-2.  In last weekend’s loss to EKU and two game sweep of MTSU, UC recorded two playmakers and 19 goals, along with more than 40 minutes in penalties. 

Saturday night, at 7 p.m., the Bearcats take the ice against the 2-2 University of Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne Mastodons, who are coming off two straight losses.  The Mastodons were forced to forfeit their last game against Oakland University in the last 41 seconds of the third as a result of a spearing penalty and game misconduct against the team’s only goalie.  UC, with two successive wins behind them, once again go into the weekend with momentum in their favor.

At 9:30 Sunday morning, the Bearcats take on Canisius College, and hope to avoid the early-morning lethargy and fatigue from back to back games the team suffered from last weekend.  According to team captain Mike Jagelewski, the short turn over between stints on the ice was a huge contributor to the penalty count against the team last weekend.  With only two games to play in this series, the shortened weekend should minimize fatigue, as well as the penalty calls against the Bearcats.

Both games this weekend will be played on home ice, at Sports Plus in Evendale.  Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for non-UC students, and $3 for children.  UC students and staff are free with UCID.  The team invites everyone to come out, enjoy the game, and support UC against IPFW and Canisius this weekend.