The eleventh week of the College Hockey South season was marked by the highly-anticipated Columbus Classic, where dominance was asserted, upsets unfolded, and moments of glory were achieved. Stars across the league continued to make their names known on the ice. As the league nears the playoffs, teams continue their fight for the top spot in their respective decisions.
Game of the Week: Columbus Classic: Saturday, Nov. 16 - University of Alabama (W) vs. University of Tampa (W)
The Columbus Classic delivered a long-awaited showdown between the top-ranked University of Alabama Frozen Tide and the undefeated defending Columbus Classic champions, the University of Tampa Lady Spartans.
The Frozen Tide are known for their high-octane offensive play, while the Spartans have built a reputation on consistency. They have not lost a game since falling in the National Championship last year. But Alabama was looking to change that.
Lady Spartans Forward Lauren Cloherty found the back of the net first, but the Tide’s Claire Carson answered to tie it up before heading into the first intermission. The Tide surged ahead in the second period with a goal from Samantha Lantz.
However, there was no quit in Tampa’s Molly Braga. She netted two goals to give the Lady Spartans the edge after the second period. Braga capped off a brilliant performance with a third goal in the final period. Tampa remained undefeated following a 4-2 win over Alabama.
When asked about her team’s success, Braga credited their collective effort: “Hockey has never been an individual sport, and never will be. We are not just winning for ourselves. We are winning for the girls next to us, the girls that will come after us, and even the little girls in the stands who want to be out there like us someday.”
Columbus Classic Day 1: Friday, Nov. 15
The opening game of the Columbus Classic saw the University of South Florida (USF) Lady Bulls extend their win streak, shutting out the Auburn University Tigers 4-0. Auburn goaltender Stephanie Xhumba’s bid for a third straight shutout was thwarted. Left Wing Julia Eisenberg had her stick on three of the Bulls’ four goals, earning two assists and a goal.
The University of Georgia (UGA) Ice Dawgs took on the Lady Spartans in Friday's second game. But it did not go the Dawgs’ way – Tampa cruised to an 8-0 victory.
Seven Tampa skaters contributed to the team’s goal count – forward Molly Braga was the only player to tally two goals. The Spartans put the Ice Dawgs in the dog house.
The day's final game was a lopsided affair between the Alabama Frozen Tide and the University of Miami Hurricanes. But it was more of a showcase for the Tide than a competition. Alabama put up seventeen goals against Miami’s four.
Once again, the Frozen Tide showed off their diverse offensive attack: ten players contributed to the seventeen-goal tally. Claire Carson and Anna Zahorchak led the pack, who both scored a hat trick.
Columbus Classic Day 2: Saturday, Nov. 16
Along with the game of the week, the Ice Dawgs and Lady Bulls took the ice on Saturday. Georgia sought redemption after a tough shutout loss on Friday, but the second team they faced out of Tampa Bay also denied them a victory.
The Lady Bulls defeated the Ice Dawgs 9-2. Eisenberg again played a starring role on the ice, scoring two goals and an assist. This time, she was joined by teammates Annabella Buontempo and Lauren Pinjian, who scored two goals and two assists each.
Paige Oukes was the lone bright spot for Georgia, scoring the only goals for the Ice Dawgs. This was USF’s second win over UGA this season.
Saturday’s closing game in Columbus was a nail-biter between Auburn and Miami. The Canes were the underdogs heading into the match, four spots behind the Tigers in the standings, but that did not matter.
Auburn’s Gabriella Donato put on a standout performance, earning herself a natural hat trick less than ten minutes into the game. However, the Hurricanes returned with four unanswered goals to end the first period. Through the second period, Auburn tied the game at 6-6.
Hurricane Megan Malolepszy put the cherry on top of her night: her third goal was the game-winner with just over three minutes remaining. The Tigers were unable to score on goaltender Morgan Scola as the clock wound down and fell 7-6 to Miami.
Columbus Classic Day 3: Sunday, Nov. 17
The final day of the Columbus Classic opened with a close contest between sixth- and seventh-ranked Georgia and Miami. If Georgia wished to salvage their weekend, they needed to beat Miami.
If anyone would rally the Ice Dawgs, it would be Paige Oukes. She was the only Georgia skater to find the back of the net through the first two games. Thankfully for the Dawgs, she opened the scoring.
Up until the third period, it was a back-and-forth battle. With every goal for one team came two for the other. Georgia had the lead going into the final frame. Hurricane Justina Holland kept her team’s hopes alive with a tying goal in the third.
But just a minute later, Oukes pushed up the ice for her third goal of the game – which turned out to be the game-winner. With assistance from Mya Kearney and under the leadership of Oukes, Georgia walked away from the weekend with a win.
Following just their second loss of the season on Saturday, the Frozen Tide looked to end their trip to Columbus on a high note. They faced off against the Lady Bulls, who looked to complete their weekend with a perfect record.
Claire Carson launched the Alabama offensive attack and continued her goal-scoring campaign between her teammates’ additions to the scoreboard.
Carson rallied her team on the final day of competition, earning a hat trick and leading them to victory. The Tide ended their final game with a 5-1 win and walked away 2-1 on the weekend.
The Columbus Classic concluded with Tampa and Auburn facing off. Riding high off a win against a fierce Frozen Tide team, the Lady Spartans rode their momentum into Sunday.
Leah Klingel and Megan Neylon both tallied two goals, while Kaylee Cronin and Braga each added another to the scoreboard. With a final of 6-1 against Auburn, the University of Tampa Lady Spartans repeated as Columbus Classic Champions.
Molly Braga was named tournament MVP after scoring six goals in three games, including a clutch hat trick against Alabama.
Klingel is proud of her team’s successes, saying, “It reflects all the hard work we have put in.” Klingel continued, “For the women at Tampa, it is an incredible feeling to win, but it means even more to watch the game grow and be a part of something bigger than all of us.”
Vanderbilt University (D2) at Middle Tennessee State University (D2)
The Vanderbilt Commodores and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Blue Raiders faced off in a battle for the top of the division standings. MTSU was undefeated in divisional play entering the week, with Vanderbilt trailing them by just two points.
The Raiders have relied on star Matthew Siciliano through the first ten weeks of play. With over forty points on the season, the Commodores needed to keep an eye on their biggest threat.
During the first game between the Tennessee schools, they traded goals through the second period. Then Siciliano emerged. He scored the game-winner in the third and gave his team some extra security by adding another point to the scoreboard less than ninety seconds later.
MTSU glided off the ice with an 8-4 victory over Vanderbilt.
Saturday’s rematch saw Siciliano make his presence known just eleven seconds in. The Raiders rolled through an absent set of Vanderbilt skaters, winning 8-0.
Florida Atlantic University (D3) vs. Florida Institute of Technology (D3)
The Florida Tech Panthers and the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Owls took to the ice along the East Coast of Florida. The first-ranked Owls sought to cement their spot over the second-ranked Panthers – and they did just that.
Friday’s home game for the Owls was a masterclass. FAU delivered a statement win with a 15-2 thrashing of the Panthers. Four minutes into the game, a short-handed goal gave the Owls all the momentum they needed. They finished the first period ahead 5-1.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, there were still forty minutes to play. The Owls added seven more goals to their tally in the second. The Panthers fell behind 12-2. In the final period, the Owls added insult to injury: three more pucks met the back of the net, devastating the Panthers in the series-opening game.
Saturday was a fresh start for the Panthers, who hoped to find success in front of a home crowd. Despite both teams having thirty-eight shots on goal, Owls goaltender Seth Fisher gave the better performance. FAU took the series with a 10-5 win on Saturday.
ABOUT College Hockey South: Founded in 2008, College Hockey South is a 30-school, 50-team intercollegiate hockey conference spanning eight southeastern U.S. states that competes in AAU College Hockey. College Hockey South is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization.
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