Tar Heels Make a Comeback After Losing Streak

By: Leyla Bonilla-Forgacs

The North Carolina Men’s Ice Hockey team played against the Elon University Phoenix on Sept. 25, securing a 7-1 win. This was a week after they lost back-to-back games against the University of Kentucky Wildcats.

The Tar Heels had been on a four game losing streak, and they were determined to win against the Phoenix.

North Carolina had a strong opening, with three goals made in the first period. Junior Kash Bishop opened the scoring, making his first goal of the 2026-2027 season. A few minutes later, junior Owen Kenny sank the puck in again. Less than 30 seconds later, sophomore Andrew Pi also scored his first goal of the season. 

The team went into the second period with the score 3-0. A few minutes in, Pi scored again. Following his goal, the Phoenix managed to get the puck in the net, and the Tar Heels made sure that wouldn’t happen again. 

The third period again saw an onslaught of goals made by North Carolina. Two were made by first-year Ethan Balamucki and graduate Jack Glen, and the third was another by  Pi, making a hat trick in his first goal-scoring game of the season. 

The Tar Heels played dominantly both defensively and offensively throughout the entire game. 

The Tar Heels will play against the University of Alabama Frozen Tide on Oct. 2 and 3 at the Pelham Civic Complex in Alabama.