CHS Week 18 Recap
By: Phaedra Jeleniowski
The Division 2 playoffs did not fail to fill week 18 of College Hockey South with tension, anticipation, and excitement. An unlikely match-up for the championship game crowned this season’s D2 victors, and the final teams have been locked in for the D3 playoffs.
Game of the Week: Division 2 Quarterfinal - (No. 1) Florida Atlantic University vs (No. 8) Vanderbilt University
The puck drop was only the start of the thrilling game between Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt. As the No. 1 and No. 8 seeded teams, FAU stepped onto the ice with eyes focused on the net, and did not leave until sinking five goals on Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt held a strong defense for most of the game, preventing any goals until the third period. Reese Popkin (3) scored for Vanderbilt, placing them on the board, but could not keep up with the Owls as they locked in and stole the game from the underdogs.
Despite being seeded as No. 1, FAU fell short to Clemson during the semifinals. After defeating Tampa in the lower brackets, they ended third in the playoffs.
Division 2 Playoffs
Semifinal: Florida Atlantic vs. Clemson University
What started as perhaps a bit of luck turned into a testament of their skill as Clemson upset yet another team in the playoffs. Seeded No. 6, they defeated No. 3 University of Florida in overtime scoring 4 unanswered goals, and went on to surpass FAU, the top-seeded team entering the playoffs.
Clemson set the tone of the game with a goal in the eighth minute of the first period. Despite the many goals by FAU, they struggled to find the net in the last period, permitting Clemson to shoot ahead and end the game 6-4. Herbert Kopf (24) scored his 16th goal this season after sinking two shots for the Tigers.
Semifinal: University of Tennessee vs. University of Tampa
After a grueling fight against the University of Central Florida, Tampa earned a spot in the semifinals but couldn’t find their footing in the game against Tennessee. The Ice Vols scored four times in the first period, led by Tyler Iles (10), who scored twice.
The Spartans did not fare well in the last period, only managing one goal by Finn McDonough, his third of the season. Tennessee’s Kyle Stober (7) found the net twice, and John Bunch (40) scored his first goal of the season in the last six minutes.
Championship: Tennessee vs. Clemson
The fight for gold was immediately dominated by Tennessee, with four goals by the end of the second period. Despite 36 shots on goal, the Ice Vols did not allow a single goal into the net until the back half of the third period.
Sully Kopf (11) scored for the Tigers in an attempt to bounce back in the third, but the momentum was snuffed out by Tennessee. They held onto their lead for the remainder of the game and won 4-1.
Congratulations to Tennessee on winning the College Hockey South D2 Ameritrans Cup!
Division 3 Playoff Race
After a weekend of games, the qualifying teams have been selected and seeded for the D3 CHS playoffs.
Florida Tech arrived at the rink with an unparalleled focus. With an early goal, they jump-started the game that would push them into sixth place, holding Florida down as No. 8. Seven Rossi (8) was first to score in the second period, scoring his 20th goal of the season.
Despite a valiant effort, Georgia was unable to hold up against Kennesaw State, losing 3-7. KSU was strong and unbreakable on defense, scoring five times within the second period. A hat trick was earned by the middle of the second period by Hudson Orgeron (93), who leads the team with 25 points.
The eight teams that will fight for the cup are the following: the University of Miami, Florida Southern College, Kennesaw State University, University of Alabama, University of Tennessee, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida State University and University of Florida.
Week 18 Player of the Week: Patrick Green, Tennessee
Playing two of the three playoff games, Patrick Green defended the goal against Tampa and Clemson, helping climb his team to the top of the podium. Between the two games, only two shots of 66 found the back of his net, securing the gold for Tennessee.
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.