MANSFIELD, Texas – Facing the Patriots of Dallas Baptist University once again this season, the East Texas Baptist University hockey came away with a split in their two game series in Mansfield. ETBU currently has a 5-7 record with the results from the weekend.
ETBU would nearly pull off a comeback in the first game before losing 6-3 to the Patriots.
Davis Van Gemerden had two goals and an assist while Maason Sprott would pick up ETBU's third goal of the game for ETBU. Then, in game two, the Tigers never conceded the lead to DBU as they would storm to a 7-4 victory.
Skyler Spiller led the way with two goals while
Michael Garvie posted a game-high three assists for the night.
Game 1: DBU 6, ETBU 3
After six scoreless minutes, the Patriots would put the puck behind the net first at 13:27 as Mark Miller gave DBU a 1-0 lead. It would be another three minutes before Spence Cowand (10:09) picked up the second goal for the score to be 2-0 in DBU's side. But the Tigers would not be shut down for long as Van Gemerden would manage to score on assists from Sprott and
Alec Shea.
The score of 2-1 would stay until the second period, where two minutes went by before Anthony Blakely (17:29) brought the two-goal lead back for the Patriots. Nearly eight-and-a-half minutes later, Miller (9:00) would see DBU up by the largest lead at three goals with a 4-1 cushion for the Patriots. ETBU would have trouble trying to find the goal for the next twenty minutes until with 8:28 to play in the third, a power play goal by Van Gemerden made it 4-2. Then four minutes later, Sprott (4:03) got the Tigers to within a goal at 4-3. ETBU desperately tried to get the tying goal. But an even strength goal from Cowand (1:59) and an empty net hat trick goal from Miller would seal the 6-3 win for DBU.
Game 2: ETBU 7, DBU 4
Nearly eight minutes into the first period, Trenton Lee (12:01) would give DBU the early lead at 1-0 on a power play. But ninety-five seconds later,
Albert Wiggins (10:25) would answer with a power play goal of his own to tie the game. After both goaltenders kept the game tied for the next eight minutes, Spiller would give ETBU the lead for good at 2:01 in the first period.
The Tigers would get a two goal lead from
Riley Knott (18:42) to lead 3-1. But after DBU's Lane Haught (13:24) brought them Patriots within 3-2, ETBU would respond with two goals from Spiller (12:31), who scored a short-handed goal, and Sprott (10:43), which made the score 5-2. Only a DBU goal from Miller at 8:59 saw the lead down 5-3 through two periods.
The third period got going nineteen seconds in when Van Gemerden got the three goal edge back with a power play goal at 19:41. But Miller answered again (17:47) to see the score at 6-4. ETBU would keep the two-goal lead as Fitzgerald made a couple of big saves. In the end, it would be an insurance goal from Garvie with thirty-one seconds left that sealed the 7-4 win for ETBU.
ETBU's road trip continues as they head to Euless, Texas next week to take on TCU. Friday night's game starts at 7:00 PM while Saturday's game will be at 5:00 PM.
