Matt Zazon Dominates Adrian, Leading Ohio to First ACHA National Championship in 22 Years
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — Matt Zazon achieved his fairytale conclusion.
Zazon recorded 26 saves, including a crucial stop with his toe in the third period, to guide Ohio University to a 3-1 victory over Adrian College in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 1 national championship match at the Centene Community Ice Center on Tuesday evening.
However, Zazon had more than just the title on his mind.
“My dad [Mike] passed away nearly two years ago, and this is for him,” Zazon stated.
This marks Ohio’s fifth national championship, and the program’s first since 2004.
Zazon played a vital role, remaining steadfast as Adrian sought to re-enter the game after starting the third period down 2-0. He made the save of the match midway through the period, somehow getting his toe on a rebound from Sebastian Smith following a rush by Hunter Allen.
“He [Allen] was coming in towards the crease, he took one shot, and I noticed it poke out, and the guy [Smith] was crashing the net,” Zazon explained. “I thought, ‘Oh boy.’ So I just extended my leg, and fortunately, it hit my toe.”
Adrian coach Gary Astalos described it as an incredible save.
“If we could have scored there, it would have felt good,” Astalos remarked. “The momentum was starting to shift.”
Zazon is part of a three-goalie rotation for Ohio. All three have performed admirably, but Bobcats coach Barry Schutte noted that Zazon’s poise secured him the starting position in the championship match.
“He's unshakeable,” Schutte stated. “He's a true winner, and I couldn't be prouder of him. It's a remarkable story. He spent the last three years on our D-2 team and moved up to our D-1 team this year, and then to be the key player, to be the wall for us tonight. He did an exceptional job, and we couldn't have achieved this without him.”
Laker Aldridge, Nolan Abraham, and Will Cohen scored for Ohio. Luc Reeve, who assisted on Abraham’s goal, was named playoff MVP for accumulating eight points in four games during Ohio’s championship run.
Nathaniel Mott scored for Adrian, while Peyton Trzaska made 28 saves, as Adrian competed in its fourth consecutive national championship match.
Aldridge opened the scoring for Ohio with 1:50 remaining in the first period, netting a wraparound goal.
In the second period, Ohio’s Kevin Kasper and Adrian’s Dylan Gajewski each hit the crossbar. Trzaska also kept Adrian in contention during a second-period surge from Ohio, where they unleashed 11 consecutive shots on goal.
“Being the No. 9 seed, not only do you have to play a play-in game, but then you have to win four games in four days to take the title,” Astalos noted. “We probably just ran out of steam. But I am extremely proud of our players. It was a challenging path to reach this final game, and I thought we performed quite well.”
Adrian had two power plays in the second period but failed to score against Zazon, who also deflected a prime opportunity from Matteo Turrin.
“It wasn't going to be a pretty game by any means, but we just went to work, and that's what we accomplished tonight,” Cohen stated.
Abraham capitalized on the Bulldogs’ failure to convert, scoring just 10 seconds after the second power play ended, extending Ohio’s lead to 2-0 with 4:06 left in the second period. This goal marked Abraham’s point in the Bobcats’ last three playoff matches.
“We were fighting so hard all week long,” Abraham said. “We wanted it more, and we ultimately succeeded.”
Mott got Adrian on the scoreboard with 4:59 remaining in the third, narrowing the gap to 2-1, but Cohen sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 1:32 left.
“It's about puck management tonight,” Schutte remarked. “We understood Adrian has been on a roll, and we needed to play a complete game and not give them chances, not shorten the rink, and I believe we accomplished that. We anticipated they would eventually tire given the number of games they had to play.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Cole Bauman’s overtime goal propelled Florida Gulf Coast to a 3-2 victory over Oklahoma State in the Division 2 championship match. Bauman also scored in the second period, and Anthony Zebley added another for Florida Gulf Coast, while Jordan Karafile and Gerald Cahill found the net for Oklahoma State.
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc
