COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Traveling down to College Station for a two-game series with the Aggies of Texas A&M, the East Texas Baptist University hockey team saw their 17-game winning streak come to an end. They fell in game one, 5-4, and then had a tie in game two, 3-3, but TAMU has the advantage in the series winning the shootout. ETBU is now 17-1-1 overall.
In game one,
Riley Knott,
Matt Duncan, Davis VanGemerden (two assists) and
Timothy Zittel would score a goal for the Tigers.
Alex Domas recorded 26 saves in 31 shots.
Saturday's game would end in a 3-3 tie but TAMU won the shootout to take the series. Duncan, VanGemerden, and Zittel would score a goal while the first two would also record an assist along with
Brendan Laing.
Tyler Fitzgerald was in the net stopping all but three shots of the 28 he faced.
Game 1: TAMU 5, ETBU 4
After a scoreless first period, the Aggies would break through on a power play goal with 14:58 to go in the second period for an early, 1-0, lead. This lead would stay entering the second intermission. The third period would be wild as eight goals would be scored between the two teams.
It all started with Duncan scoring the power play one minute into the period. TAMU would retake the lead at 2-1 (16:59) and would maintain this lead for the next 11 minutes. Than with 5:03 left, the Aggies would extend their lead to 3-1. Just under a minute later, Zittel would cut the lead down to 3-2 only to have TAMU recapture the two goal 55 seconds later. Once again, ETBU would cut the lead to one as VanGemerden would score with 1:15 to go. TAMU would add an insurance goal with 53 seconds left making it 5-3. Knott would finish the scoring with 31 seconds to play on a short-handed goal as TAMU would hold on for the win.
Game 2: TAMU 3, ETBU 3 (TAMU wins series taking the shootout, 2-0)
TAMU carried their momentum from Friday night into Saturday and would score two power play goals (8:19, 2:19) for an early 2-0 lead in the second period. Held down for much of the period, the Tigers finally got on the board with 23 seconds left on a power play goal from VanGemerden. In the second period, Duncan (9:24) would score the lone goal to tie it at two going into the third period.
Fitzgerald and TAMU's goaltender Jake Sirkis would keep the opposition off the scoreboard for the first 14 minutes of the period. The Aggies would capitalize on a short-handed goal (5:58) to take a 3-2 lead. With time winding down, ETBU tied the game as Zittel (0:18) found the net to send the 3-3 game into overtime. Both teams wouldn't score in the extra five minutes and the contest went into a shootout. TAMU scored on their first two shooters as ETBU drew a blank in the shootout.
ETBU will return to action in January 2020 when they host the University of Texas-El Paso on the 15
th at 7:00 p.m. in their final home series of the year at George's Pond.
