|
|
 |
|
USC Hockey Club Opens 2nd Half With Winning Weekend
After a long holiday break, the Gamecocks returned to the ice this past weekend and celebrated a victory for the first time in over 3 months. Despite the overall success of the weekend, it did not start as the club had hoped.
Travelling to Savannah on Thursday night, the Gamecocks faced a much improved Citadel Bulldogs team. Over 60 minutes, the Gamecocks were unable to maintain consistent pressure as the Bulldogs skated to a 6-3 win. The opening period saw the Bulldogs take a 2-0 lead by controlling the faceoffs in the Gamecocks zone, and the Gamecocks were unable to convert on any of their chances. However, the second period was a complete reversal as the Gamecocks consistenly attacked the Citadel net as Dennis Castagnola and Marty Wessinger both returned to the lineup and converted chances in close. A late goal by the Bulldogs restored a lead heading into the 3rd period.
As much as the second period belonged to USC, the third period was dominated by The Citadel. For the majority of the period the Gamecocks were spectators as the Bulldogs scored 3 goals in the first half of the period to take a commanding 6-2 lead. A late powerplay goal by Andrew Swint rounded out the scoring. The final score was 6-3 for The Citadel as USC proved once again that you cannot win if you are unwilling to compete for 60 minutes.
Returning home Friday night to open the home schedule, the Gamecocks faced Emory Unviersity for a quick two game series. In the opener, USC came out and played sloppy defensively, allowing Emory to take a 2-0 lead despite outshooting Emory by a healthy 16-7 margin. Before the end of the first, Dylan Skarupa converted on a rush to cut the lead in half.
As the club had done the previous night, the Gamecocks came out strong in the second period scoring 3 times to take a 4-3 lead into the second intermission. Matt Kramer, Patrick Flood and Patrick Mulligan scored the goals for the Gamecocks.
The lead was extended to 5-3 on a nice effort by Taylor Swint early in the thrid period, but Emory would not quit. USC's lead was cut to one off a faceoff in the defensive zone. As has been the case too many times this season, the Gamecocks gave up an easy goal following a defensive zone faceoff loss. Within a few minutes, Emory tied the score on a powerplay goal as the Gamecocks were unable to kill the 4th powerplay awarded to Emory. Over the final 6 minutes, both teams traded scroing chances but nobody was able to convert as the game went into overtime.
The five minute overtime session of 4 on 4 play was entertaining as both teams again had chances to end the game, but overtime solved nothing. Eventually, the Gamecocks were able to secure their first win since the 4th game of the season by defeating EMory 1-0 in a shootout. Mulligan was the only player to score in the shootout and Thomas Shiels stopped all 5 shots he faced to eanr the victory.
Early Saturday morning the teams faced off once again and the Gamecocks came out firing the puck. Mulligan scored another goal on the Gamecocks first shot which saw USC take an early lead. However, much like the rest of the weekend, the Gamecocks were unable to maintain the pressure and Emory capitalized on some chances in close. Heading into the 1st intermission, USC had a slim 3-2 lead.
That lead was expanded throughout the second period as the Gamecocks scored 5 goals to take a commanding lead. It became a tenuous lead late in the second period as Emory scored a powerplay goal to make the score 8-4, and followed that goal with another powerplay shortly thereafter. However, USC was able to thwart the Emory attack this time and the 4 goal lead was preserved.
Over the final 20 minutes of the game, USC played their most consistent period of the weekend, scoring 3 more times and limiting Emory's chances. In the end, USC was able to skate away with an 12-4 victory. Jordan Dunning played a solid game in goal for his 2nd victory of the season and was supported by a solid offensive attack. Martin Wessinger lead the attack with a goal and 4 assists as 12 different players recorded a goal.
This coming weekend the Gamecocks look to extend their winning streak as they travel to Atlanta to face SECHC rival Georgia Saturday, and LSU on Sunday afternoon.
New Merchandise Available
New Gamecock Hockey T-Shirts just in! Available in Black and Garnet in most sizes. Please contact any gamecock hockey member to find out how to order. Thanks and GO COCKS!
Gamecocks Set to Open 2nd Half
Following a difficult end to the first half of the season which saw the club lose its final 10 games, the Gamecocks return to the ice Thursday Janaury 14th against The Citadel. The game is to be played in Savannah, GA as the opening game of the very successful Savannah Tire Hockey Classic. This event has been organized for several years with Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Georgia Tech all taking part on an annual basis. This year, the Gamecocks Ice Hockey Club was approached about participating in a Thursday night opening game. Based on the history of the tournament, it will be well organized with plenty of fan support and excitement.
Following the tilt against in-state rival The Citadel, the Gamecocks return to home ice Friday night as they host Emory University in the first ever meeting between these two programs. Friday night's game will start at 9:15pm while the finale of the weekend series will be at 8:15am Saturday.
Carolina Ice Hockey Ranked #7 in South Region
The first official South Region Rankings were released October 23rd and the USC Ice Hockey Club are currently ranked #7. After cracking the top 10 last season for the first time, and participating in regionals (also for the first time), the 2009-2010 season began with a lot of promise. To date, the club has maintained these standards with a perfect 4-0 record. Over the next several weeks however, the team is scheduled to play 3 teams ranked in the top 10, as well as an established Division 2 team. This stretch of games should help define this year's club, and a strong showing will be required to maintain the current ranking.
For a complete list of the rankings go to: http://www.achahockey.org/page.php?page_id=18083&league_id=1063
Members of USC Ice Hockey Club Walk in Support of Breast Cancer
On October 3rd, members of the USC Ice Hockey Club participated in the First Ladies Walk for Life in support of Breast Cancer Research. Overall, there were more than 1000 people walking to raise awareness and provide much needed funding for this horrible disease. Altogether, 6 members of the club completed the 3 mile walk that began and ended at Findlay Park. The Ice Hockey Club would like to thank everyone who supported this endeavor through donations and t-shirt sales.
Gamecocks Ace First Road Test
Coming off a successful opening weekend with two wins versus Appalachian State at home, the USC Ice Hockey Club took to the road following Fall Break and came away with two convincing wins.
On Friday October 16th, the club travelled to Charlotte to face UNC-Charlotte. Buoyed by a strong showing by the special teams unit, USC defeated their opponents by a final score of 11-1. In contrast to the opening weekend where USC surrendered 3 powerplay goals and were unable to convert on any chances of their own, the powerplay scored 4 times and the penalty killers did not give up a goal.
The offensive attack was lead by freshman c
enter Christian St. Laurent who scored 3 goals and added 3 assists. Andrew Swint (1G, 2A), Ryan Kaiser (1G, 2A), Max Heimerman (1G, 1A), Kevin Andrews (3A), and Dylan Skarupa (2G, 1A), all had multiple point nights as well. Freshman defenseman Karl Wiant scored his first goal with the Gamecocks while adding an assist. Matt Kramer and Mike Garey rounded out the scoring.
Despite the score, Thomas Shiels continued his strong start to his career by making 28 saves on 29 shots, and was asked to make several big saves as the UNC-Charlotte offense generated chances all night. In particular, Shiels made a highlight reel save in the 3rd period on a 2-on-1 rush. Sliding across to his left, Shiels was able to glove the puck in front of a wide open net. On the play the referee signaled a goal immediately, and the UNC players were celebrating, until Shiels revealed the puck was in his glove.
The next night the Gamecocks travelled to Atlanta for a neutral site contest against Mississippi State. This game marked the first time these teams had faced off, and was the first SECHC match-up of the year for the Gamecocks. On the strength of a 4 goal effort by Andrew Swint, the Gamecocks shut out the MS St. 9-0.
Despite numerous chances early in the first period, the game remained scoreless until halfway through the period. At 9:59 of the first, Swint knocked in a rebound following a shot by Kaiser. Kramer also picked up an assist on the play. This goal sparked the offense as Swint completed the natural hat trick by the end of the first. Mark Thomas rounded out the scoring in the first period which saw the Gamecocks outshoot the Bulldogs 29-5.
The second period saw the Gamecocks continue to generate chances, and was highlighted by a penalty shot goal by Kramer. St. Laurent added 2 more goals on the night, coming short of back-to-back hat tricks despite plenty of chances. For the second straight night, Kaiser added a goal and 2 assists, while Kramer added 4 assists to go with his 2nd period goal.
Once again, Thomas
Shiels was solid in net picking up the first shutout of his career. Overall the Gamecocks outshot the Bulldogs by a 65-26 margin, but Shiels was once again required to make some quality saves to preserve the shutout.
The 2 wins improves the Gamecocks record to 4-0 on the young season and now have a week to prepare to host SECHC rival Georgia. Game time is 8pm on October 23rd, so come out and support the Gamecocks as they look to continue their excellent start to the season.
Gamecocks Ready for 2009-2010 Season
Coming off the most successful season in club history, the 2009-2010 edition is looking to prove that last season was not a fluke. For the first time since joining the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) prior to the 2006-2007 season, USC qualified for the South Regionals, and further asserted their position by finishing 1-1 against top ranked teams in the South. Last season also saw the club finish 3rd at the inaugural Southeastern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SECHC) tournament. Overall, the club finished with a 15-9 record, including wins against rival Tennessee (eventual SECHC champion, and National qualifier) and Loyola College (#6 in South Region). However, these successes are now history, and the Gamecocks can no longer surprise opponents.
Preparations for the current season began in the spring. USC parlayed past success into an improved schedule, and were forced to decline many offers to participate in prestigious tournaments. This season the focus is on a more balanced home schedule in order to increase exposure, and keep fans interested. Some of the highlights include home games against Georgia, Florida, and Georgia Tech, as well as a home and home series with longtime rival Clemson. In addition, USC will be participating in a tournament hosted by the University of North Carolina just before the holiday break, and battling The Citadel as part of the Savannah Classic in January.
This season’s roster features 14 returning players and will be led by veteran forwards Ryan Kaiser, Kevin Andrews, Matt Kramer and Max Heimerman. Defense will continue to be a strength of the club as 5 defensemen return including team captain Patrick Mulligan, and veterans Tyler Elmendorf and Martin Wessinger. In goal, the Gamecocks expect Jordan Dunning to improve upon his solid freshman campaign. The annual influx of talent each September will complete the roster and help overcome the loss of some key players.
The goal of this program the past several seasons has been to improve every time they step on the ice, and based on the success of last season, it will not be easy to accomplish. However, this group of young student athletes has already shown the commitment that will be required to exceed expectations. The only difference now is that the University of South Carolina Ice Hockey Club is expected to not only compete, but to win! In just a few short months, it will be determined whether the Gamecocks are up to the challenge.
Ice Hockey Club at the University of South Carolina
Welcome to the new site and home of the Ice Hockey Club at the University of South Carolina; home of the Fighting Gamecocks. We ask that you please be patient as the site grows but if you have any interest in our club please feel free to contact our Head Coach, Mark Cairns, at polomac27@hotmail.com or our President, Max Heimerman, at uschockeyclub@yahoo.com.
|
|
