CHS Week 15 Recap
By: Danny Baum
Gasparilla weekend is in the books, and so are the week 15 College Hockey South matchups. Let’s see who found treasure, and who will walk the plank!
Week 15 Game of the Week: University of Tampa (Women’s) @ University of South Florida (Women’s)
Our Game of the Week featured the undefeated Tampa Spartans, who continued their dominant reign over the College Hockey South Women’s division. The Spartans thrashed the South Florida Bulls 8-2 en route to an eighth straight win to begin the season.
Tampa raced out to a 5-0 lead just past the midway point of the second period with goals from five different players. Three of the Spartans’ first four goals were unassisted.
Ava Johnson (16) picked up three points (one goal, two assists) for Tampa, to continue her torrent pace this season. Johnson has 10 goals and six assists for 16 points in eight games this year.
Florida Southern College (D3) @ University of Tampa (D2)
While the women’s team voyaged to victory on the road, Tampa’s men’s team had to hold the fort against a solid Florida Southern team.
After a scoreless opening period, the two teams exploded for a combined 10 goals in the final two periods. Florida Southern broke the ice with a goal from Paul Rigolini (9) but quickly surrendered the lead after allowing two shorthanded goals on the same penalty.
Tampa would open up a 5-2 lead early in the third period, and hold off a late Florida Southern rally to escape with a 6-4 win. Tampa’s Ethan Gelman (24) was the top scorer of the game, recording four assists.
Georgia Institute of Technology (D2) @ University of South Carolina (D1)
The upset of the week amongst the College Hockey South games materialized on Saturday when Georgia Tech upended the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Coming into this series, South Carolina had won their previous 10 games. On the other hand, Georgia Tech was winless in their last eight starts. After defenseman Tommy Marvin (6) and South Carolina trounced the Yellow Jackets 8-5 in game one, it looked like both streaks would continue through the weekend.
In game two, Georgia Tech stunned South Carolina with two goals in 26 seconds in the first period to open the scoring. The Yellow Jackets survived being shorthanded six times in the final two periods and added two insurance goals in the third to win 4-2. When it was all said and done, Georgia Tech headed back over the border with the biggest upset win of 2024.
University of Central Florida (D2) @ Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (D2)
If the playoff race wasn’t hot already, it’s red-hot after this weekend. There are only three weeks left until the top four teams from both the North and South divisions convene in Huntsville, Ala. to take part in the playoffs. Both of these teams have hopes of being a part of that select group, but after Florida clinched a playoff spot on Saturday, there are only two available spots left.
UCF opened game one with an offensive barrage to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Embry Riddle couldn’t afford to throw in the towel though, and it was gut-check time for the Eagles. Embry Riddle pulled within two heading into the third but needed to tie the game.
Miraculously, the Eagles scored twice in the final three and a half minutes to tie the game. Neither team could score again though, and the game ended in a 3-3 tie.
In game two, the Knights would open up a multi-goal lead again, but this time there was no comeback. UCF won 2-1.
University of Tennessee (D2) @ Clemson University (D2)
Tennessee only needed one point in their final four games to secure a playoff spot in the North Division. After losing four straight to start 2024, Clemson was hanging on to their playoff spot for dear life.
After Clemson scored first in game one, Tennessee scored five of the final six goals of the game to win 5-2 in regulation. With the win, Tennessee has officially clinched a spot in the CHS Division 2 playoffs. Michael Cosentino (37) scored twice for the Ice Vols, and Patrick Green (33) stopped 35 of 37 shots.
Game two was a scrappy affair with good goaltending and heaps of penalty minutes. 60 minutes wasn’t enough though, with the game tied at one at the end of three periods. It didn’t take long for Tennessee’s Kenneth Richter (18) to win the game in overtime though, scoring just 53 seconds into the extra frame.
With the loss, Clemson’s losing streak reached six games.
Player of the Week: Defenseman David Israel (18), Florida Atlantic University
David Israel had a pair of three-point games (2 Goals, 4 Assists, 6 Points in 2 Games) to lead Florida Atlantic to a weekend sweep over the D1 University of Delaware. Argh!
ABOUT College Hockey South: Founded in 2008, College Hockey South is a 29-school, 46 team intercollegiate hockey conference spanning seven southeastern U.S. states that competes in AAU College Hockey. College Hockey South is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization.