Ohio took both games from Iowa State this weekend, but the victories did not come without a cost.

Four Bobcats left the ice with injuries during the weekend, and two will not be back in uniform next weekend against Kent State.

Jay Mazzarella and Jeremy Browning sustained injuries in Friday’s 1-0 win over the Cyclones. Browning suffered a concussion—his second of the season—and will sit out against the Flashes. Coach Dan Morris hopes he will be able to play in the CSCHL tournament in Ames, Iowa, Feb. 19-21.

Mazzarella was hit and fell awkwardly in the second period of Friday’s game. He is out for the season and will likely need surgery for his broken left leg. Morris said Mazzarella broke either his fibula or tibia.

“It’s unfortunate, but he’s learned a lot this year,” Morris said. “He was redshirted last year, so this is his first full year.”

Ryan Tessmer and Justin Farmer were roughed up Saturday, but both returned to the ice shortly after their injuries.

Farmer went to the locker room for stitches late in the second period. The Cyclones’ Brent Cornelius slashed Ryan Tessmer with 3:45 remaining in the second period. He went to the locker room in pain but returned for the third period.

The Bobcats will host Kent State this weekend at Bird Arena.

Ohio and Iowa State traded goals in the final frame as the Bobcats earned the sweep, taking tonight’s game 4-2.

With Zach Tisdale and Ryan Tessmer in the penalty box, the Cyclones capitalized. Mike Lebler picked the loose puck out of a sea of players and put it past Paul Marshall, cutting the lead to 3-2.

Two minutes later, Tyler Pilmore buried the fourth-and-final goal for the Bobcats, taking a centering pass from Michael Schultz on an odd-man rush and found the back of the net.

Ohio made crisp passes and had fewer turnovers in the final 20 minutes. Still, the Cyclones fired 16 shots on Paul Marshall, who finished with 43 saves.

The Bobcats were outshot 45-27.

Ohio will stay in Athens next weekend as Kent State visits Bird Arena.

Ohio extended its lead in an action-packed second period.

After killing off a pair of penalties early in the period, Zack Barbis slapped in a rebound off a shot by Steve Osacky. Barbis took the puck and put it around Erik Hudson’s left leg pad.

Iowa State struck back a minute later ending Paul Marshall’s streak of 62 straight saves against the Cyclones.

The Bobcats went on the power play with six minutes remaining in the period. Ohio took advantage as Tyler Pilmore pounced on a loose puck between the face off circles in the Iowa State zone. He put a quick shot over Hudson’s blocker pad.

Iowa State dominated the shot count in the middle frame, outshooting the Bobcats 18-8.

Ryan Tessmer went to the locker room with 3:45 remaining after Ccylones’ captain Brent Cornelius slashed him on the left hand. Cornelius was penalized five minutes for slashing in addition to a game misconduct.

Ohio will be on the power play for the first 1:14 of the third period.

Michael Schultz scored a power-play goal for Ohio as the Bobcats took a 1-0 lead in the first period.

The opening 20 minutes was typical for the Bobcats with good forechecking, open-ice hits and solid goaltending from Paul Marshall.

Schultz’s goal came with 2:25 remaining in the period while Brody Toigo was in the penalty box for roughing. With the man advantage, Tyler Pilmore fed Schultz from behind the net, and Schultz fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Cyclone goalie Erik Hudson.

The Cyclones outshot the Bobcats for the fourth straight period, this time by a margin of 11-9.

Ohio was 1-for-2 on the power play and was not penalized in the opening period.

Bowling Green 111 at Akron 183: Akron wrapped up its regular season in style with a 183-111 bashing of visiting Bowling Green Friday night. The Zips won 13 of 16 events on the night to improve to 2-5 in the Mid-American Conference. Senior Kendall Karchner, swimming for the last time in the Ocasek Natatorium, was again the standout swimmer for Akron. She won both backstroke events and swam the backstroke legs for both of Akron’s victorious relay teams. Two other seniors, Stephanie Zielinski (50 free and 100 breast) and Julia Gregos (200 and 500 free), also ended their regular season college careers with two individual victories. One of the few bright spots on the night for Bowling Green came in the 200 breaststroke, when sophomore Amanda Rom, freshman Alexis Kain, and sophomore Katie Womack finished 1-2-3, respectively. Senior Meg Richardson (100 free) and sophomore Vicky Yu (200 fly) also came away with individual victories for the Falcons. With the loss, Bowling Green dropped to 1-6 in the MAC.

Toledo 159 at Buffalo 135: For the second time in three years, Toledo concluded its MAC schedule with a perfect record, beating the Bulls of Buffalo 159-135 Saturday afternoon. The Rockets raced out of the gates, winning the first six events to build an insurmountable lead, although Buffalo made a fight out of it by winning four straight events in the middle of the meet to mae the final score respectable. Freshman Carly Harter (200 free an IM) and sophomore Laura Lindsey (100 and 200 breast) were again multiple race winners for the Rockets, who won nine of 16 overall events. Buffalo freshman Caroline Simmons was queen of the sprints, winning both the 50 and 100 free, while Buffalo’s standout senior diver Meili Carpenter won both diving events, including a 347.48 in the 3m to break her own school record for the third time this season. Carpenter, runner-up in both diving events to Akron’s graduated senior Katie Carter at the MAC championships last season, has to be considered the strong favorite in both events this year. With the loss, the Bulls dropped to 4-3 against MAC competition.

Miami 183.5 at Ball State 113.5: Reigning MAC champion Miami concluded its regular season by cruising to an easy 183.5-113.5 victory over MAC cellar-dwellers Ball State in Muncie, Ind., Saturday night. The RedHawks won the first 11 events of the meet and 13 of 16 overall, including 6 1-2 finishes, to spoil the Cardinals’ senior night. Freshmen Maegan O’Connor (100 fly and 100 back), Leah Thornton (200 fly and 200 back), Bekka Westrick (100 and 200 free) and junior Miranda Kaltenborn (500 and 1000 free) all won two races for Miami, while senior Kelsey Anagnos swept the diving events. Most importantly for the RedHawks, they won all five individual freestyle races, a stroke they had struggled mightily in the past two weeks against Ohio and Eastern Michigan. The lone individual winner for the Cardinals was senior Emily Karwoski, who took first in both the 200 breaststroke and 200 IM; Ball State’s third victory came in the day’s final event, the 200 free relay. With the win Miami improved to 5-2 in conference; the RedHawks will host the MAC championships Feb. 24-27 at the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center. With the loss, Ball State dropped to 1-6 in the MAC.

Final MAC Regular Season Standings:

Toledo 7-0

Ohio 5-2

Miami 5-2

Buffalo 4-3

Eastern Michigan 3-4

Akron 2-5

Ball State 1-6

Bowling Green 1-6

On Saturday afternoon, the Ohio Bobcats bid farewell to seven graduating seniors with a 151-149 victory over Eastern Michigan. The win was the 8th in a row for the Bobcats, who ended their season 10-2. Here’s how they did it:

The Good: Medley Races. Saturday afternoon, every race was an important race for the Bobcats. In the first event of the day, the Bobcat relay team captured a victory in the 200 Medley, led by strong middle legs from Allison Schaefer and Rachel Heim. Before the second to last event of the meet, the Bobcats found themselves four points out of the lead. In a clutch performance, the Bobcats captured first, second and fourth place. Rachel Heim’s performance led the charge for the Bobcats, who went into the last event of the meet with a seven point lead.

The Bad: Inconsistency. Looking at the Bobcat’s performance across the board, no particular event or set of events in particular stands out as being a “weak spot”. Instead, what the Bobcats will need to do to come home with a MAC championship is be more consistent. Granted, today’s lineup may not have been the strongest possible, but it did test several key members of the squad by placing them in races they don’t usually swim. Only time will tell what impacts the lineup tweaking will have in Oxford.

The Rest: Relays. As previously mentioned, the Bobcat’s performance in the 200 Medley was noteworthy. The last relay of the meet, the 800 Free, proved to be even more important. Entering the race, the Bobcats needed to take at least a second and a third place to clinch the victory. Fighting through the fatigue of a hard day swimming, Ohio’s two relay teams did just what they needed to and the Bobcat Seniors left their last meet in Athens smiling.

Meet MVP: Rachel Heim. Rachel Heim’s accomplishments this season have been tremendous, and her performance Saturday was no different. Against Eastern Michigan, Heim won three individual events and was the leg on the 200 Medley relay team that got the Bobcats back into the race. Her performance will likely lead to her winning a fifth MAC swimmer of the week. As icing on the cake, the coaching staff admires her dedication, she consistently dominates her races, and she holds a 3.95 GPA while majoring in Chemistry/Biochemistry.

The Bobcats will next see action February 24th- 27th when they travel to Oxford, Ohio to compete for a conference championship.

Heading into the last portion of the meet, Ohio’s chances of winning on senior day were rapidly diminishing. Lead by strong performances in the final three events of the day, Ohio managed to win the meet and finish the season 10-2.

3 Meter Diving: Bobcat diver MaryRose Hillstrom rebounded in this event, earning a first-place finish for Ohio. Senior Amy Bromberg earned a third place finish for the Bobcats, who cut Eastern Michigan’s lead to four with their performance.

Ohio: 130, Eastern Michigan: 134

200 Individual Medley: In an event the Bobcats needed to win to get back into the meet, Ohio captured first, second, and fourth place. Rachel Heim won her third event of the day, and the Bobcats are now leading by seven heading into the final event of the day.

Ohio: 145, Eastern Michigan: 138

800 Free Relay: Eastern Michigan managed to win the race, but all that mattered for the Bobcats was finishing in second and third place. They were able to do so, earning the Bobcat seniors a victory in their final meet in Athens.

FINAL SCORE:

Ohio: 151, Eastern Michigan: 149

Here is the second portion of today’s meet featuring the Ohio Bobcats and the Eastern Michigan Eagles on Saturday, February 6th.

1 Meter Diving: In an event usually dominated by the Bobcats, it was instead Eastern Michigan who took control of the 1 Meter board today. Eastern Michigan’s Sierra Cousineau won the event, with Bobcats Lindsey Hamilton and MaryRose Hillstrom finishing in third and fourth, respectively.

100 Free: Ohio University senior Chelsey Bower came in second place in her last race in Athens, finishing with a time of 52.02. The Bobcats also took third place in the event, with Eastern Michigan winning the race with a time of 51.97.

Ohio- 86, Eastern Michigan- 83.

200 Back:  Eastern Michigan was able to win another event, with Sarah Maraskine earning a first-place finish for the Eagles. Ohio was able to earn both a second and third place finish in the event.

200 Breast: In an incredibly close race, Eastern Michigan captured both first and third place. At the halfway mark, the top four finishers were indistinguishable. Late in the race, Ohio’s Petra Chomicz made a valiant effort to take the lead but inevitably fell short during the last lap of the race. The Bobcats have now lost their lead.

Ohio- 100, Eastern Michigan- 107

500 Free: During the last few laps of the race, Eastern Michigan’s Briana Emig was able to capture a victory from Ohio’s Amanda Traylor. The Eagles were also able to capture third place in the event, extending their lead to 14 points.

Ohio- 106, Eastern Michigan- 120

100 Fly: The Bobcats were finally able to get back on track, earning a fourth, third, and first place finish. The charge was led by Bobcat junior Rachel Heim, whose effort pulled Ohio back into striking distance.

Ohio- 118, Eastern Michigan- 127

During the second portion of the meet, Eastern Michigan has pulled away from the Bobcats. It will be up to the diving squad and the swimmers in the remaining events to help the Bobcat seniors end their careers on a high note.

Ohio Bobcats vs Eastern Michigan, Swimming and Diving

Welcome to Senior Day for the Bobcats. Here’s what has been happening so far here in snowy Athens, Ohio.

February 6th, 2010

200 Medley Relay: Led by strong middle legs from Allison Schaefer and Rachel Heim, the Bobcats were able to capture a victory in the first event of the day. Eastern Michigan captured second place in the event, with the Bobcat “B” team taking third.

Ohio- 13, Eastern Michigan-4

1000 Yard Free: In this event, Eastern Michigan’s Briana Emig took an early lead and didn’t let it slip. The Bobcats took second and third in the event.

Ohio- 21, Eastern Michigan- 15

200 Free: Ohio’s Rachel Heim took a very close race, winning by .26 of a second over Eastern Michigan’s Samantha Patridge. Eastern Michigan also earned third place in the event.

Ohio- 32, Eastern Michigan- 23

100 Back: Eastern Michigan took first and third in this event, led by Rachel Maraskine’s 57.66. Ohio’s Sarah Owen earned a second place finish.

Ohio- 38, Eastern Michigan- 36

100 Breast: In another close race, Bobcat Allison Schaefer took the lead early and never gave it up. The Bobcats were able to take first and third in the event, with Eastern Michigan’s Chelsea Allard finishing in second.

Ohio- 53, Eastern Michigan- 40

200 Fly: In an Eastern Michigan dominated race, the Eagles were able to take first and second place from the Bobcats. Ohio managed to take a third place from Eastern Michigan, but are seeing their overall lead diminish quickly.

Ohio- 58, Eastern Michigan- 54

50 Free: Ohio manages to take first and second in a display of power and speed. Senior Chelsey Bower finished in second for the Bobcats, with sophomore Anne Donovan winning the race.

At the break, Ohio leads Eastern Michigan 73-58.

Coach Greg Werner seems to have tweaked his lineup a bit to help train for the MAC Championships. This experiment seems to be part of the reason the score is as close as it is.

More updates will be coming soon.

Ryan Tessmer’s goal 3:32 into the final period proved to be enough to lift the Bobcats to a 1-0 victory.

Tessmer skated across the crease and stretched to put the puck past Iowa State goalie Erik Hudson, who was protecting the near post.

After the goal, Ohio clamped down on defense and simplified its passing. The Cyclones were still able to establish an offensive presence, but Paul Marshall once again held them scoreless en route to a 37-save shutout.

Defenseman Mark Tracy provided a key defensive assist to preserve the shutout with four minutes remaining. A Cyclone attacker was coming in alone on Marshall, but Tracy dove, knocking away the puck.

Both teams were 0-for-1 on the power play in the third period.

The Bobcats tallied nine shots in the final frame for a total of 24.

The win gives the Bobcats the CSCHL regular season title and an automatic berth in the ACHA national tournament.

The Bobcats will return to the ice tomorrow as they rematch Iowa State at 7:30 p.m.