Tar Heels Complete Perfect Weekend With Thrilling 7-6 Shootout Victory Over Rowan
By: Emma Mays (@emma_grace422)
HILLSBOROUGH, NC – The Tar Heels survived a war of attrition against Rowan Ice Hockey, clinching a 7-6 shootout victory in dramatic fashion.
While the scoring may not have been fast paced, the action on the ice certainly was. Both teams were swift and played a fast-paced competitive game. In the first period, Rowan was the first to find the back of the net but the Tar Heels responded swiftly with back to back goals, the first by Nic Gringas and the second by Kevin Ma.
The Tar Heels sped into the second period with a goal by Daniel Kauber only thirty-six seconds into the frame. The pace of the game remained high as Rowan responded with a goal of their own with 7:58 remaining. Roughly eight minutes later Rowan scored again, tying the game up 3-3. As tensions grew on the ice, Rowan took the lead with less than a minute remaining.
Kauber on the mindset of the team going into the third period:
“You know, we were down one so we all knew we were still in the game,” he said. “We just knew that we just needed to pick our heads up, keep on going, keep grinding, and get back to our game because when we play our game, we’re a good team and we know we can beat anyone.”
Rowan extended their lead early in the third, scoring less than a minute in. Despite this, the Tar Heels returned to “playing our game,” as Kauber puts it, with Nick Ansbacher netting a goal mere moments later. Zach Mangel followed up by tying the game 5-5, setting the stage for an intense finish. As the pressure to take the lead mounted, Cuan Doig put UNC ahead with a clutch goal. However, the celebration was short lived as Rowan scored with less than a second remaining to tie the game 6-6 and force overtime.
The game proceeded to go into a five-minute overtime in which neither team managed to score on the other. With no goals in extra time, this led the game’s fate to rest in the hands of a classic shoot-out.
Rowan’s first shootout attempt was denied by faithful UNC goalie Ander Andreev, while the Tar Heels capitalized on their opening shot. This set the tone for the rest of the night, as Rowan continued on the route of failure and the Tar Heels battled, going three-for-three in the shootout to secure a Carolina victory.
Andreev on his mental preparation going into the shootout:
“I’m just trying to stay big, keep my cool and play my position,” he said. “It’s just a breakaway every time. I’ve done it thousands of times so just staying with my routine and trusting myself I think is really important in that situation.”
The Tar Heels look to continue their success next Friday, Oct. 4th with a matchup against the University of Alabama D-1 Ice Hockey. Tickets can be purchased here. UNC Basketball players RJ Davis and Seth Trimble will serve as Honorary Captains for the game.
