MTSU club hockey competed in the Division II AAU College Hockey Nationals and dominated the field of teams. The Blue Raiders swept all three round-robin opponents, securing a spot in the tournament’s knockout stage.
MTSU takes 8-2 victory over Kutztown
Middle Tennessee (3-0) opened pool play against Kutztown University (0-3). The Blue Raiders capitalized on a flurry of goals within the second quarter to power MTSU to an 8-2 victory over the Golden Bears.
As the squads hit the ice to begin the first period, both teams looked to establish a physical tone early. The increased intensity resulted in a slugfest of penalties for both sides. Both teams were sent to the penalty box twice, but both penalty kill units held firm, keeping the score knotted at zero.
Kutztown defenseman Paul Perricone sniped the puck from between the faceoff dots past MTSU goaltender Ayden Kopec to give the Golden Bears an apparent 1-0 advantage with 15 minutes left in the first. However, the referees later waived the goal, citing that scrums in front of Kopec dislodged the net, canceling the go-ahead goal.
After the first intermission, momentum rapidly shifted in favor of the Blue Raiders. MTSU winger Donovan Yesnach sped past the Golden Bear defense, converting the breakaway opportunity, giving MTSU the 1-0 lead just two minutes into the second.
In under five minutes, the Blue Raiders struck again as MTSU wing Anthony Paponetti tapped home a deflected puck, boosting the Raiders lead to 2-0 with 12 minutes left in the second. Kutztown quickly cut into the Blue Raider’s advantage thanks to forward Stephen Graney going top shelf, beating Kopec on his blocker side. Both sides would trade goals, with MTSU holding onto a 4-2 lead as time was ticking down in the second period.
With less than 30 seconds remaining in the second, MTSU winger Zach Giblin crashed the net, tapping home a snapshot past Kutztown goaltender Jai Jani, securing a three-goal lead for the Blue Raiders.
MTSU scored three more goals within the final frame, making the final score 8-2 in favor of the Blue Raiders.
MTSU defeats Embry-Riddle 4-2
The Blue Raiders continued to capitalize on their offensive firepower to handle Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (1-2) by a score of 4-2 to record their second consecutive win in pool action.
Fans in Jacksonville didn’t have to wait long to hear the buzzer sound as center Brendan Ogle converted a power play opportunity one minute into the first, giving the Blue Raiders a 1-0 lead. The fireworks didn’t stop for MTSU as forward Ethan Demumbrum slotted home a wrist shot from the faceoff dot to elevate the lead to 2-0.
Shortly after MTSU went up by a pair of goals, the Blue Raiders stepped on the gas pedal. Blue Raider defenseman Jack Beachler threw a shot on the net and Giblin guided the rebound past Eagle goaltender Ian Holland, pushing the MTSU lead to 3-0 as the clock hit zero in the first period.
The second period quickly turned into a stalemate, with both teams unable to put the puck in the back of the net despite offensive chances. Embry-Riddle forward Ray Olson pushed a wrist shot past Kopec as the Eagles got a much-needed spark, making the score 3-1 through two periods.
Sensing a change of momentum in favor of the Eagles, Embry-Riddle changed their offensive scheme. ERAU clumped their forwards toward the crease, creating more opportunities at the front of the net while limiting Kopec’s vision. This strategy paid off as Eagle defenseman Jayden Yawkey delivered from the blue line, cutting the MTSU lead to one.
With all the momentum shifting towards ERAU, Eagle forward Derek Costanzo would be sent to the penalty box, giving the Blue Raiders two minutes on the powerplay. Twenty seconds later, Matthew Siciliano delivered the game-clinching goal for MTSU, extending the advantage to 4-2.
Embry-Riddle pulled Holland within the final minutes of the third, but MTSU held on for the win. Kopec stood tall in net for the Blue Raiders, stopping 35 of 37 shot attempts, powering MTSU to a 4-2 victory.
MTSU survives late Anna Maria comeback
With two commanding victories, the Blue Raiders faced their final pool play opponent, the Anna Maria Amcats (2-1), with an automatic bid into the knockout stage on the line. The Blue Raiders blanked the Amcats 3-0 to clinch their first-ever bid into the knockouts.
The first period saw both squads trading shots on net, with both goaltenders turning away quality goal-scoring opportunities. The Blue Raiders would break the ice first, thanks to Ethan Denumbrum firing a snapshot past Amcat goaltender Ben Hardy halfway through the first period. The Blue Raiders wasted little time adding to their advantage. Denumbrum would convert again for MTSU, putting Anna Maria on their heels.
With pressure mounting on the Amcats, frustration boiled over as Siciliano was tripped while driving to the crease, awarding a penalty shot to MTSU. Siciliano carried the puck from the red line straight to the crease, squeezing the backhanded shot through Hardy’s pads to extend the MTSU lead to 3-0 at the end of the first period.
Despite several penalties, the Blue Raiders lit the lamp twice in the second period. The first came when Hardy surrendered a rebound, and Beachler wasted no time burying it to extend MTSU’s lead. After several penalty kills, MTSU captain Linden Palmer created a shorthanded scoring opportunity. Palmer delivered a pinpoint pass to Yesnach’s stick, who tucked the puck in the netting, extending the MTSU lead to 5-0.
The Blue Raiders scored early in the third, followed by four straight Anne Maria goals to close the gap to 6-4. Despite the Amcat’s comeback efforts, the clock hit zero, and MTSU held on for the victory.
MTSU advances to the quarterfinals of the Division II AAU College Hockey Nationals for the first time in club history. The Blue Raiders will play for a semifinals spot when they face Bishop’s University on Friday, March 21 at 7:15 p.m. CDT.
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