By Craig Degel
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The last time the Ohio University hockey team skated off the ice at the Tucson Convention Center last March, they did so with the national championship trophy.
While this weekend's matchup with the Icecats is for far less than the national title, it may be a preview of things to come.
The No.1 ranked Bobcats will face the No. 5 Icecats tonight and Saturday at the TCC. Game time is set for 7:30.
"They are very solid," Icecat coach Leo Golembiewski said about the Bobcats. "They have 14 seniors and just four freshman."
The Icecats on the other hand sport 17 freshman and just six seniors, but don't count them out.
"We of course have a pretty good hockey team," Golembiewski said.
The top eight teams in the American Collegiate Hockey Association traditionally get an invitation to the national tournament in March, and playing Ohio close Ÿ much less beating them Ÿ would give the Icecats an excellent opportunity to move up in the national rankings.
On the other hand, if they get killed, they can blame it on Reba.
Country music singer Reba McEntire was in concert at the TCC last night, thereby denying the Icecats one final day of preparation.
"Well last year when we practiced six times in six weeks we didn't say a thing," Golembiewski said. "It's tough when you're a young team because you need as much practice as you can get."
Golembiewski said his philosophy is not to whine when you lose but to cry your eyes out when you win.
Should the Icecats produce a tear-jerker, they will have the confidence to face their winter-break schedule that includes three teams from last year's national tournament Ÿ Iowa State, Michigan-Dearborn, and Illinois.
Both games will be broadcast live on KTKT (AM 990).