EULESS, Texas – Facing off against Texas Christian University, the East Texas Baptist University hockey team came away with a sweep against the Horned Frogs over the weekend. The Tigers are currently on a three-game winning streak that has propelled them back to an even record of 7-7 on the season.
 
Game one would see ETBU break out for four first period goals on their way to a 6-1 win. Both Riley Knott and Davis VanGemerden would score two goals in the game while Skyler Spiller posted three assists on the night. Alex Domas would hold down the net for 15 saves on 16 shots allowed. For TCU, Evan Jones would have the lone goal while Nick Magusick faced 56 ETBU shots and collected 50 saves.
 
Then in game two, ETBU grabbed victory with three third period goals to complete the sweep 6-3. Michael Candido posted a hat trick while Knott, VanGemerden, and Michael Garvie would also record a goal for ETBU. Nick Buzzuto (four saves) and Domas (two saves) would make six saves one nine shots total. Jones would score all three goals for TCU making him the only goal scorer for the series on the Horned Frogs' side. Owen Roche would make 50 saves on 55 shots.
 
Game 1: ETBU 6, TCU 1
Early in the first period, the Tigers found themselves a man down due to a penalty. But that didn't faze them as they would manage a short-handed goal from Knott (15:29) to grab an early 1-0 lead. Later, just ten seconds apart, VanGemerden (9:35) and Devon Baird (9:25) would score even strength goals as the lead was built to 3-0. The teams would keep the score the same until a costly TCU penalty gave ETBU a golden opportunity on the power play. With thirty-two seconds left, VanGemerden would put in the fourth goal on assists from Baird and Spiller as the Tigers led 4-0 into the first intermission.
 
Only one goal would be scored in the second period as Jones would end the shutout by ETBU with a short-handed goal to make it 4-1. The Tigers would manage to apply pressure offensively only to have Magusiak stop the shots. But the Horned Frogs had trouble getting by Domas and the Tigers' defense, who kept the three-goal lead into the third period. Five minutes went by into the period before ETBU converted their second power play on a goal from Knott (14:55) for a 5-1 edge. After another TCU penalty, it was Candido who scored (8:27) ETBU's third power play goal as the lead jumped to 6-1. Domas would not allow a TCU goal for the remainder of the game.
 
Game 2: ETBU 6, TCU 3
TCU would get off to a better start in the game as Jones (16:11) would start the scoring to give an early 1-0 lead. The Tigers would even up the score as VanGemerden (13:05) found the net. But Jones would respond on a power play goal (9:22) that secured a 2-1 lead for the Horned Frogs. Things got tougher for the Tigers in the second period as they would allow the hat-trick goal from Jones (10:25) to trail 3-1.
 
From that point on, however, ETBU would seize momentum as they scored five unanswered goals. First, it was Candido who cut the lead to 3-2 at the 4:49 mark. Then with ten seconds left, Garvie would give Nick Scott an assist as he tallied the tying goal for a 3-3 tie after two periods. ETBU would then grab their first lead of the game four-and-a-half minutes in as Candido (15:31) would get the puck past Magusiak to lead 4-3. Knott then gave ETBU a little breathing room with an even strength goal at the 10:46 mark, which brought the score to 5-3. TCU tried to rally, but the goalkeeping of ETBU kept them off the scoresheet. The Tigers would seal the win as Candido would score an empty-netter with two minutes left to complete the 6-3 triumph.
 
ETBU will end their ten-game road trip this upcoming weekend as they travel to El Paso for two games against the University of Texas-El Paso. The first game starts at 11:00 AM on Friday while Saturday will see the puck drop at 3:30 PM.