SHREVEPORT, La. – Returning home for the first time in two months, the East Texas Baptist University hockey team ended their 2018 portion of the schedule against Texas A&M University at George's Pond splitting the two-game series. ETBU won the first game on Friday night, 7-4, but then fell, 8-5, on Saturday.

On Friday night, ETBU rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the second period to win 7-4. ETBU had a hat-trick performance from Skyler Spiller while both Riley Knott (assist) and Davis VanGemerden (two assists) each tallied two goals. Tyler Fitzgerald went the entire game collecting 40 saves off 44 shots. Chris Wyse, Adam Pipe, Huston Svondrk, and Jaren Panick would score a goal for TAMU while Joseph Reynolds (30 saves, five goals) and Brydon Gillilan (10 saves, two goals) combined for 40 saves off 47 shots.

The Aggies would bounce back to win Saturday's contest 8-5. The Tigers had two goal games from VanGemerden and Michael Garvie while Michael Candido added the fifth goal. Nick Buzzuto would spend much of the game picking up 35 saves in net. For TAMU, Pipe and Garrett Finn led the way with two goal performances while Svondrk, Panick, Kyle Mills, and Gary Russell scored the other half of eight goals. Gililian would play the entire game making 47 saves on 52 shots.

Game 1 – ETBU 7, TAMU 4
Eight scoreless minutes would go by before the scoring began. It was Svondrk (11:29) that put TAMU up first. The next couple of minutes would see a couple of posts being hit off shot attempts. Spiller would equalize on an assist from Knott (6:43). But with 1:41 left to go in the period, Pipe struck one past Fitzgerald as the Aggies led 2-1 after one. The second period would see a two-goal lead for TAMU after Wyse (16:32) picked up his goal. But the period would soon change in ETBU's favor. Spiller (12:01) and VanGemerden (10:35) would each get even strength goals to tie the game at three apiece. Then, ETBU took advantage of a power play from Knott (2:20) as they had their first lead of the game a 4-3.
 
Sixty-seven seconds into the third period, it was Panick would tie the score at 4-4. But the tie wouldn't last as Spiller knocked in a hat trick goal sixty-four seconds later at 17:49 to give ETBU the lead. Knott would then extend the lead to 6-4 (15:02) with his second of the game. ETBU would have chances to tack on goals with multiple Aggies in the penalty box. But Gililian and TAMU kept the two-goal deficit in tack while Fitzgerald prevented any chances on an Aggie score. In the end, VanGemerden sealed the win with a short-handed goal (0:49) to preserve the 7-4 win.
 
Game 2 – TAMU 8, ETBU 5
For the second game in a row, TAMU struck first as Pipe (13:35) found the net to make it 1-0. However, ETBU penalties would allow two power play goals from Panick (8:17) and Russell (8:15) a little over a minute apart as the Tigers faced a 3-0 hill to climb. Garvie would get the Tigers on the board (4:20) only for Svondrk to convert the third power play goal and fourth in the period with 0:54 to go. TAMU started the second period down two men in the box as ETBU capitalized on a 5-on-3 power play with Garvie (18:20) coming through. Near the blue line almost five minutes later, Candido (13:50) fired a slap shot to bring the score to 4-3.
 
With momentum on their side, ETBU sought to tie the game on a power play, but were unsuccessful. This would bring two critical goals for TAMU from Pipe (7:50) and Finn (4:22), who enjoyed a 6-3 lead through two periods. Each team would alternate goals in the third period as VanGemerden would strike first (13:04) on a power play to trail 6-4. Finn responded with a power play goal of his own as the lead went back to three at 7-4 (10:42). Gililan would make some clutch saves preserving three goal lead as time dwindled. VanGemerden would tack on his second power play goal with 3:36 to play. But any hope of an ETBU miraculous comeback ended as Mills used an empty net (0:16) to take the split winning 8-5.
 
ETBU won't be back home until January 18^th at George's Pond when they host Auburn University at 7:00 PM, which will be followed by a 2:00 PM game the next day.