Tar Heels secure 6-0 win against 49ers in season opener
By Sarah Stephens
As the sun set over the Orange County Sportsplex on a hot, humid Sept. 4, a new season of Tar Heel Hockey dawned. On Friday evening, the North Carolina Men’s Ice Hockey team took on the Charlotte 49ers at home to drop the puck on the 2026-2027 season.
Tar Heel Hockey fans, who endured a long offseason, filled the stands with an energy showing that the community was beyond ready for a weekend night puck drop.
The Tar Heels’ roster has undergone leadership transitons to begin the season, including senior forward Matt Grady taking the helm as Team Captain, succeeding Patrick O’Shaughnessy. Drew Smith, Daniel Kauber and Kevin Ma have also been named as assistant captains. In terms of personnel, over 10 players have joined the roster including first-years, transfers and a graduate student.
“I’m really happy to lead this group,” Grady said. “We’ve got a whole locker room full of leaders.”
The Tar Heels, who finished the previous season with a 7-15 record, dominated the ice on their opening night as they defeated UNCC 6-0. An early goal by Grady in the first period set the tone for the rest of the roster, cruising to a shutout win.Â
Jake Gelman, a first-year forward and new addition to the roster, scored his first goal as a Tar Heel in the first period.
A three-goal assault in the second period lifted the Tar Heels to a 5-0 lead over Charlotte, with the fifth goal being scored shorthanded by junior forward Nick Ansbacher.
“As the competition gets better, we got to be more aware and cognizant,” Head coach Steve Rice said. This is Rice’s third year leading the UNC roster after being named coach in August 2024.Â
Junior forward Owen Kenny finished the game with two goals, including the dagger to secure the 6-0 shutout win. All three of North Carolina’s goalies, Ander Andreev, Joseph Ambrosio and Giordan Gulati, saw ice time throughout the season opener. Â
“We’ve got Liberty next week, so we’ve got to be nice and sharp for them,” Grady said.
North Carolina faces a travel-heavy upcoming two-game slate as they travel to Lahaye Ice Center on Sept. 11 to face off against Liberty followed by a home game on Sept. 12 against Virginia Tech.
“Everyone was grinding hard, laying body, making sure that all the pucks were getting there first…just really making it hard to play against us,” Kenny said.
The Tar Heels will take on Charlotte once more at home on Saturday, kicking off the season’s first “Heels After Dark” game at 10 p.m. hoping to secure a 2-0 start to the season.
