The lights dimmed inside Bridgestone Arena, the ice glowing beneath 20,000 navy seats that have seen the glimmer of the Stanley Cup and countless puck drops.
On this night in Nashville, Tennessee, the Music City belonged to Middle Tennessee club hockey.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, chants of “it’s great, to be, from Middle Tennessee,” reverberated from the lower bowl.
Middle Tennessee (21-6, 20-2 ACHA) rolled in a rivalry matchup against Vanderbilt University (4-16, 3-11 ACHA) 8-2 in the third edition of the “Battle of Nashville” this season.
“I think we played playoff-style hockey tonight, and it showed,” forward Tommy Chunchukov said.
The Blue Raiders got the rink rocking with a goal by Chuchukov in the opening minute of the first period. The Commodores answered shortly after with a goal by Vanderbilt forward Edward Crane, quieting the MTSU faithful.
Middle Tennessee tacked on two goals at the end of the period, extending the lead to 4-1 at the end of one. Moments after the horn sounded, Vanderbilt forward JP Ameen fired a shot at MTSU goaltender Ayden Kopec, causing a scrum near the goal.
“You’ve got to protect your goalie at all costs,” MTSU defenseman Justin Beachler said. “When something like that happens, you stand up for your guys.”
The fight ignited the Blue Raider fans inside Bridgestone, drawing roars as the refs separated both sides. Following the intermission, a host of MTSU players were sent into the penalty box. Vanderbilt began the second period with a four-on-three power play. Middle Tennessee’s penalty kill stood strong, holding VU scoreless on the man advantage.
Building on the fans’ momentum, the offensive landslide continued in the second for the Blue Raiders, notching three goals to boost the lead to 7-1. Following the end of the middle period, Murray turned to Grant Williams in goal to finish out the third period to keep both goaltenders fresh.
Getting both Ayden Kopec and Williams reps heading into nationals was key, given the five games in five days during nationals, Murray said.
One goal for each side in the third sealed the deal for the third “Battle of Nashville” win of the year for MTSU. As the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard, a sea of Blue Raider fans cheered on the dominant offensive performance.
“That was just awesome… we saw a sea of blue,” Chuchukov said. “That was an unreal experience and I’m never going to forget that.”
The Blue Raiders sold over 1,300 tickets on top of the Vanderbilt fans, Murray said.
Students, MTSU hockey alumni and everyone in between filled the lower bowl of Bridgestone Arena. The crowd was a quilt of Blue Raider pride, showing out for the final home game of the season for both squads.
“Blue Raider nation really showed out,” Murray said. “I think 90% of the crowd was rooting for MTSU, it also got the crowd more involved, which was heavily in our favor. That kind of environment makes a huge difference for our guys.”
The Commodores’ season concluded with senior night after an exit from the CHS tournament in the play-in last weekend. On the contrary, the Blue Raiders are heading to the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division III National Tournament in St. Louis.
MTSU is one of four College Hockey South teams that have clinched a spot in the quest for a national title. Following a loss to the University of Tampa in the CHS tournament quarterfinals, the commanding win over Vanderbilt sets the tone for the remainder of Middle Tennessee’s postseason run.
“You could go to nationals and beat a team 8‑0, but the next game could be a barn burner,” Murray said. “Every game, you have to go in with an underdog mentality from this point moving forward.”
The Blue Raiders will begin nationals play on March 18, starting in pool play, taking on three teams to advance to the knockout stage. MTSU clinched the No. 2 overall seed and will take on Grand Valley State University, Northwood University and Saint Vincent University.
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