By Danielle Achin
The Rams Ice Hockey team faced o= against UMass Dartmouth on home ice and battled to a 1-1 tie Feb. 15.
Both teams immediately opened the game rallying shots against one another. Despite the aggressive defense, neither team was able to reach the back of the net, resulting in a scoreless first period.
Rams goalie Blake Carlson had 13 saves total for the first period while the Corsairs goalie blocked 17.
The Rams extended their lead halfway through the second period when Andrew Miller buried the shot past the Corsairs goalie for the 1-0 lead for FSU.
Dartmouth answered with another flurry of shots at the net, but Carlson deflected against them with 11 saves in just over ten minutes and held the Rams 1-0 for the remainder of the period.
At the start of the third, Dartmouth was determined to knot the score. After peppering FSU’s goalie with more shots, the Corsairs finally tipped the twine with a goal from Jimmy Pelton just six minutes into the frame for the 1-1 tie.
In the final minutes of the period, the Rams and Corsairs still held the 1-1 score and both teams
struggled to find an opening in the net to advance their lead.
With the 1-1 standstill, this sent the game into overtime.
The Corsairs gained an opportunity to take the lead after a straight shot to the net, but Carlson came in for the save once again.
Just under two minutes later, the Rams gained a chance on a powerplay opportunity after the Corsairs were penalized for tripping.
Rams Patrick Colgan came in from the right wing and shot at the net, and Matthew Paiotti came in with a slapshot but both were unsuccessful against the Corsairs.
In the final minutes, players attempted shots, but were unable to sneak by the teams’ goalkeepers. The buzzer rang leaving the score at a 1-1 tie against UMass Dartmouth.
Despite not receiving the win for his team, freshman Trevor Stenburg praised his team for their intense aggression on the ice.
“I knew showing up to the rink that we would be in a dog fight all night,” Stenburg said. “Dartmouth is a really chippy team who loves to wear teams down and make them quit. But I think having it be our seniors’ last home game, it gave us something more to play for.”
Stenburg said whether it’s winning games or filling in roles the team has been missing, consistency is something they are always working towards to help keep their confidence.
He said, “Only taking two penalties the whole game against a team with a dominant power play really helped keep the ice in our control.
“If we stay out of the box and play with the passion we had against Dartmouth, we can surprise a lot of people and come out on top,” he added.
The Rams return to the ice Thursday evening when they head to Plymouth State for a 6:00 p.m. MASCAC clash with the Panthers.