A historic season for MTSU club hockey culminated on Sunday afternoon, when the Blue Raiders hoisted the Ameritrans Cup for the first time in team history.
Middle Tennessee (22-6-1) defeated the University of South Florida (20-6-1) by a score of 4-0 to clinch the program’s first College Hockey South championship.
The first period saw both squads trading scoring chances early, with possession split evenly. MTSU captain Linden Palmer broke the ice, beating USF goaltender Ryan Koch to the left post and burying home the game’s first goal.
The Blue Raiders stayed relentless in the offensive zone just 30 seconds after Palmer’s go-ahead goal. MTSU forward Donovan Yesnach continued his hot streak by slotting home a slapshot past Koch, giving Middle Tennessee a 2-0 lead over the Bulls.
Entering the first-period intermission, the Blue Raiders held onto a commanding three-goal lead. A Zamboni malfunction delayed the game by 30 minutes, and forced both teams to relocate to a new ice rink.
USF swapped goaltenders during the extended break, with Florida native Zachary Leniek replacing Koch. The Bulls began to turn momentum as winger Grant Dietz was granted a penalty shot after being pushed down during a drive to the net. Kopec denied the attempt, stretching his right pad to keep the shutout intact.
After the missed penalty shot, MTSU seized the pace of play, peppering the USF defense with a flurry of shots. Palmer delivered again for the Blue Raiders, notching his second goal of the contest off the cross-ice pass from winger Brendan Ogle.
At the close of the second period, the Blue Raiders led USF 4-0; 20 minutes remained between the Blue Raiders and being crowned conference champions.
The final period turned into a gritty, defensive effort as both teams struggled to generate scoring chances. MTSU shut down USF passing lanes as the clock ran out on any comeback efforts.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Blue Raiders stormed the rink, celebrating a historic 4-0 shutout victory. Kopec, a brick wall in between the pipes for the Blue Raiders, turned away all 50 shots he faced to secure his first shutout of the season. Kopec earned the Ameritrans Cup Most Valuable Player honor.
“I never thought I would experience this in my four years,” Palmer said in postgame. “Two years ago, we won four total games. I am honestly speechless.”
The Blue Raiders will have another chance to win hardware as MTSU will travel to Jacksonville, Florida, to play in the Division II AAU College Hockey Nationals. With the Ameritrans Cup held high, the Blue Raiders look to carry their momentum into their first-ever bid in Nationals.
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