INDIANAPOLIS — A hundred and ninety days ago, the Indiana club hockey team etched its name into American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) history. Taking home the hardware and finally putting their name on the map, the 2023-24 squad won the program’s first championship in its 55-year history by defeating Miami (Ohio). Now, every time they take the ice, it comes with a target on their back.
The Ohio Bobcats took the four-hour trek down I-70 West in hopes of spoiling the reigning national champions’ opening night. Luckily for the visitors, it was the younger, inexperienced Hoosiers team that showed up. Twelve of Indiana’s 30 players are freshmen, along with a newly introduced coaching staff, and Indiana had a shaky start to the season, and lost to the Bobcats 7-3.
After controlling the first 25 minutes, the Hoosiers were only knotted up at one with the Bobcats after a Luke Slaven power play goal. The sophomore forward snuck his way into the slot and nipped the top right corner for IU’s initial goal. Rather quickly, the wheels fell off. Indiana was plagued by multiple penalties and left sophomore goaltender Jack Stiles out to dry.
Stiles, now in his second year, is the most experienced goalie on the roster, with freshmen Aidan Flanagan and Nate Gutzman starting their freshman campaign behind him.
After allowing two unanswered, the home side stormed back in the second period thanks to Jake Rock, who popped the netminder’s water bottle for Indiana’s second goal on the man-advantage. Rock’s wrist shot halted the scoreboard at a 3-2 deficit after 40 minutes.
In the ensuing first few minutes of the final frame, Ohio got the puck luck necessary to take down one of the league’s top teams. A Bobcats dump-in from the red line trickled through the pads of Stiles and the momentum swung in favor of Ohio. They went on to tally four goals in the third period, interrupted by a beautiful Indiana goal by its veteran leaders in Will Gerami and Ithan DeLorenzo.
DeLorenzo netted the game-winning goal in overtime in Indiana’s championship-clinching victory over Miami. The senior from Naperville, Illinois was also named a third team All-American for the ACHA Men’s Division II Southeast Region this past year.
Mark Dych’s first game behind the bench didn’t go as planned. The Indiana hockey alum, and former Purdue head coach, looks to right the ship and bring the Hoosiers back to a deep postseason run for a consecutive occasion. The young IU squad begins the season on a very similar note to its predecessor, who had also dropped its initial game in mid-September 2023.
The Hoosiers have a chance to salvage the two-game set with another meeting against the Bobcats beginning at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday. The matinee will be played at Perry Park in Indianapolis.
