2025-26 Season Week 2 Recap

CHS kicked off its season with another action-packed weekend! Some teams took the ice for their home openers, some faced reigning champions, and others extended their win streaks with nail-biting overtime goals. 

From shutouts to games that brought the heat on opening night, here’s what you missed from Week 2 of CHS. 

Co-Game of the Week: Austin Peay (M3) @ Eastern Kentucky (ACDC)

For our first Game of the Week, a Kentucky and Tennessee rivalry continued as the Austin Peay State University Governors (M3) and the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels (ACDC) faced off for EKU’s home opener. The Colonels were looking for revenge after falling 6-2 and 9-2 to the Governors last year. 

The two-game series ended in a draw, EKU taking Game 1 and Austin Peay besting the Colonels in Game 2, both games with a final score of 5-2. 

Game 1 brought success for several Colonels, including Tyler Mason with one goal, David McDonald with one goal and two assists, and Conner Plant, Jack Rizzo, and Briggs Yuenger with a goal each. In Game 2, the Governors bounced back with a win over Eastern Kentucky. A notable scorer for the Governors was freshman Andy Lietz, scoring his first collegiate goal with 5:12 left on the clock. 

Looking forward, Austin Peay is set to face the Georgia Bulldogs at home September 19th-21st, while Eastern Kentucky hits the road to face Ole Miss.

Co-Game of the Week: St. Leo (ACDC) @ Jacksonville (ACDC)

Looking to make their mark as brand-new teams to CHS, the St. Leo Lions (ACDC) faced the Jacksonville Dolphins (ACDC) for our second Game of the Week. With both teams looking to start their season 1-0, Jacksonville ultimately shone, outscoring the Lions 10-1 in Game 1. Top scorers for the Lions were Nick Naumou and Antonio Pedri, with two goals and one assist each. St. Leo’s lone goal was scored by Luke King on a power play late in the second period. 

Saturday’s Game 2 brought more success for the Lions. Still, Jacksonville ultimately secured the lead in the 1st and finished the game with a 7-4 victory over St. Leo. Jacksonville’s Greg Pelini earned himself a hat trick, with goals in all three periods, as well as an assist in the 1st. St. Leo’s Aj Salvadori racked up three points, with one goal and two assists, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to catch up to the Dolphins. 

Jacksonville snags a nice start to its inaugural season with CHS at a 2-0-0 record, but they hit the road on September 20th to play Florida Tech, a team that made it to the CHS Quarterfinals last season.

Middle Tennessee State (M3) @ Clemson (M3)

The Clemson Tigers (M3) fell short in their home opener, being defeated 9-4 by the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (M3), reigning CHS champions. MTSU was looking to make a comeback and improve its 0-2 record after falling to UNC-Wilmington in its first games of the season, and Game 1 against the Tigers proved successful.  

The Blue Raiders had multiple stars of the game, but Matt Siciliano led the team with three goals and one assist.

Game 2 saw a shutout recorded for MTSU goaltender Grant Williams, saving all 35 shots on goal from the Tigers. The final score of Saturday’s game was 5-0, with goals from Linden Palmer, Keenan Rosas, Matt Siciliano, Nick Haust, and Ethan DeMumbrum, and Yuli Lima and Tommy Chunchkov having three assists each.

MTSU looks to maintain its win streak as the Blue Raiders face off against the Alabama Crimson Tide for their home opener in Murfreesboro on September 26th.

Liberty (W) @ Tampa (W)

On Friday, the Tampa Lady Spartans looked to make a statement against the Liberty University Flames, with both teams finishing last season with impressive records.

The Flames established themselves as the team to beat in the ACHA W2 ranks, as they humbled the Lady Spartans 7-1. The loss against Liberty was Tampa’s first regular-season defeat in program history.

Up next for Tampa is the third annual Columbus Classic. The Lady Spartans dominated the first two installments of the tournament, going 6-0-0 with a plus-54 goal differential. Tampa’s quest for a three-peat begins Friday with a matchup against South Carolina

Vanderbilt (M3) @ South Carolina (M3)

After Zamboni issues cancelled their season opener against UNC-Charlotte, the South Carolina Gamecocks (M3) faced the Vanderbilt Commodores (M3) in Columbia for a two-game series on Saturday and Sunday. 

The Gamecocks swept the Commodores 2-0 over the weekend. In Game 1, South Carolina was led by Karsten Ewert with two goals and one assist. John McAdams put the nail in the coffin for the Commodores, extending the Gamecocks’ lead with only one second left in the 3rd. Game 1 final score was 5-2.

Game 2 was a shot at redemption for Vandy, but they ultimately fell short. The Gamecocks felt the pressure, though, as Vanderbilt took an early 2-1 lead at the end of the 1st. 

USC’s Robert Dixon forced overtime with a goal late in the 3rd, but the Commodores were unable to respond, and Sean Miller scored in OT for the Gamecocks, securing another win for USC with a final score of 5-4. 

South Carolina entered the 2025/2026 CHS season with a 23-game win streak, and after narrowly sweeping the Commodores, the Gamecocks will have to bring their A game when they play Kennesaw State if they want to extend that streak. The Gamecocks return to the ice to face the Owls at home on September 19th and 20th.

ABOUT College Hockey South: Founded in 2008, College Hockey South is a 29-school, 45 team intercollegiate hockey conference spanning eight southeastern U.S. states. College Hockey South is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization.