The FGCU Division II hockey club team swept the East Texas Baptist University Tigers at Hertz Arena, 6-2 and 11-1. With the sweep, the Eagles exit the weekend with a 3-2 record after dropping its first two games of the season to Liberty University.
Andrew Kolka put the Tigers on the board first with a goal in the ninth minute from a power play that stemmed from a cross-checking penalty by Eagles’ Christopher Emmett. Captain Jack Cohen tied the score up for the Eagles with three seconds left in the first period, ending it 1-1.
The Eagles continued to outshoot its opponents, 37 to 17 shots, through 40 minutes but struggled to put the puck inside the net. It wasn’t until a shot in the 12th minute by Shayne Tomlinson gave the team its first lead of the game. Tigers’ Dmitrii Sergeev tied the game up 2-2 minutes later.
The final period was a dominant affair for the FGCU offense as they scored five goals over the next 20 minutes. Carson Engelmann started the scoring run with a goal in the third minute, followed by Cohen scoring his second score of the night in the eighth minute to give the Eagles a two-goal lead.
As time began to run out, the Tigers pulled their goalie to put an additional skater on the ice. This further hurt the Tigers, as Jake Court scored a short-handed goal in the final minute of the game.
Michael Mucci only solidified this victory with a final goal with seven seconds left to defeat East Texas Baptist University, 6-2.
FGCU’s dominance poured over into the second game of the weekend, as they outscored East Texas Baptist University by 10 goals through 60 minutes.
The first period saw the Eagles score five times. Aiden McCarthy scored the first goal followed by Shane Murphy and Court splitting the next four.
Tomlinson opened the second period with back-to-back goals in the opening two minutes which put the Eagles up 7-0. The momentum was too much for the Tigers as FGCU continued to score with Jordan Comilla, McCarthy and Murphy scoring the team’s last three goals of the second period.
Avery Cook scored East Texas Baptist University’s only goal of the game in the 19th minute.
David Walsh scored the Eagles’ final goal of the weekend to take an 11-1 victory. The win marks the team’s first victory against ACHA Division II competition as its sole win was against Liberty University’s Division I hockey club team.
The FGCU Division II hockey club team will welcome the Bentley University Falcons to Hertz Arena on Oct. 18-19.
