Nationals Notebook
OBJ look to rebound while Team Ohio, Gilmour enter the fray
Let’s check in on the four teams from Ohio that are currently competing in USA Hockey National tournaments across the country:
The Ohio AAA Blue Jackets got off on the wrong foot with a 3-0 loss to Rochester (NY) Youth Hockey on Wednesday in their opening game of the Tier I 18U tournament in suburban St. Louis.
Goaltender Michael Sochan stopped 36 of 39 shots (.923) but the Ohio skaters were not able to convert against Rochester goaltender Samuel Livecchi, who stopped all 18 shots the Blue Jackets managed to generate.
The top two teams in each four-team group move on to the quarterfinals, so the Blue Jackets need to bounce back today against the Maine Nordiques at 12:45pm.
Team Ohio’s 16U and 18U teams, as well as the Gilmour Gladiators 16U girls, open their three-game preliminary round schedules on Thursday.
The Gladiators take on Selects Academy (NY) in an 8:45 a.m. faceoff to kick off the Girls Tier I 16U event in West Chester, PA.
The Team Ohio 18Us are in Green Bay where they begin their Tier II national title defense at 2:30 p.m. against the hometown Green Bay Bobcats.
The 16U side is in Grand Rapids, MI for the Tier II championships and first up for them is a tilt with the Gulf Coast Flames (FL) at 5:00 p.m.
--- Scott Harrington for Ohio Hockey Digest
