Hockey wins two games in first tournament

On Oct. 3, the GCSU Hockey club team earned their second win of the season in the South Eastern Conference of the Roller Hockey Association at Snellville Tournament when they defeated Kennesaw State University 5-4 and finished the overall tournament with a record of 2-1-1.

“I was absolutely satisfied with the results of the tournament,” senior forward Jeff Brittain said. “Anytime you can go into a tournament with more wins than losses, it’s always a good feeling to come out like that. In this first weekend, we had almost as many points as we did all of last season. We’ve made a lot of improvements, and we’re a completely different team this year.

Competing at the Division II level, both the Bobcats and the Owls started off the first period plain aggressively. The Owls were quick to take control of the game when just 1:54 into the period, Kennesaw placed the puck into the back of the Bobcats’ net for a 1-0 lead. GCSU was quick to strike back when less than a minute later, senior defenseman Jared Main scored an unassisted goal 2:18 into the period to tie the score at 1-1. When 5:36 of the first period had passed, Kennesaw scored the final goal of the period to secure a 2-1 lead over GCSU.

Coming into the second period, the Owls secured a two-goal lead when they used a power play at 9:36 in the period to score on the Bobcats and put their lead at 3-1. Less than a minute later, GCSU’s freshman forward Andrew Smith was able to put another goal on the Bobcats’ scoreboard when he scored an unassisted goal and set the score at 3-2 with GCSU trailing the Owls. At 11:59 into the period, Kennesaw’s previously used power play technique proved to be a success a second time when they scored another goal and the second period ended with the Owls leading the Bobcats 4-2.

Coming into the third and final period, GCSU was determined to turn the game around. With just 3:42 into the period Smith, with an assist from freshman forward Sam Lisicia, scored his second goal of the game when he placed the puck into the back of Kennesaw’s net to make the score 4-3 with GCSU trailing by one goal. At 6:17 into the period, the Bobcats managed to tie up the score when junior forward Jeremy McNicholas scored on the Owls and set the score at 4-4. McNicolas’ goal was assisted by Lisicia, his second of the game. When 8:11 had passed, GCSU took their first lead of the game when freshman defenseman Matt Shrum, with an assist from Smith, placed a shot into the back of Kennesaw’s net, giving the Bobcats a 5-4 lead. The Owls were unable to retake control and the game ended in a 5-4 GCSU victory.

Earlier that day, the Bobcats earned their first win of the season when they defeated Western Carolina University in an 11-2 victory. When less than 30 seconds of the first period had passed, Shrum, with an assist from Smith, scored and earned the Bobcats a 1-0 lead over the Catamounts. Less than two minutes later, GCSU’s junior defenseman Cain Cantrell scored an unassisted goal to set the score at 2-0. Main was able to score another goal for the Bobcats 5:33 into the period with an assist from Shrum to secure a three-goal lead. Brittain gave the Bobcats a 4-0 lead when he placed the puck into Western Carolina’s net with an assist from Smith. Less than 20 seconds later, GCSU scored the final goal of the half when McNicholas, with an assist from Lisicia, earned the Bobcats a 5-0 lead.

Coming into the second period, the Bobcats use of a power play allowed Shrum to score an unassisted goal on the Catamounts to secure GCSU a 6-0 lead. At 5:20 Western Carolina escaped the chance of being shutout when they scored against the Bobcats to set the score at 6-1. Striking back for GCSU at 9:23 was Lisicia, with assists from Cantrell and Brittain, to give GCSU a 7-1 lead. Scoring the final goal of the second period was the Catamounts with 9:27 into the period to set the score with them trailing the Bobcats 7-2.

In the third period, GCSU refused to let up and was able to score four more goals and earn an 11-2 victory over Western Carolina.

“We did a good job at keeping the play down in their end and really setting up our breakout, so we had a little more time and space to work that out,” Brittain said. “In that game we had phenomenal goal tending in that (sophomore goaltender) Dickson did a great job. Only letting in two goals in an in-line hockey game is kind of unheard of.”

At 9 p.m. on Oct. 2 in the tournament, the Bobcats had their first tie of the season against the University of South Carolina with the score at 7-7.

When the game started, GCSU was able to take control of the game and maintain control for the first period, which ended with the Bobcats leading 3-1.

Although both teams played aggressively, GCSU continued to lead the Gamecocks in the second period, which ended with the score at 5-4 in favor of the Bobcats. In the third half, South Carolina managed to outscore GCSU 4-3 and the game ended in a 7-7 tie.

In the first match of the Snellville Tournament and their first game of the season, the Bobcats suffered a tough loss against Virginia Tech. Although GCSU scored first in less than two minutes into the first period, the Hokies were quick to bounce back and were able to secure a 6-2 win over the Bobcats.

“We started that game with the lead and kind of gradually let the play creep back into our own zone,” Brittain said. “We weren’t controlling the puck, they were just getting a lot of shots and we just weren’t really clicking well.”

The Bobcats are on the road next month to play in another four-game weekend tournament in Columbia to play in another SECRHL tournament.

“We’ll have to kind of come together more as a team and build a little bit more camaraderie,” Brittain said. “We’ll have to know that we can rely on each other on and off the rink, and establishing that respect and admiration amongst each other’s going to play a big roll and getting our endurance up will help us stay fresh even late in the game.”