SHREVEPORT, La. – Starting the season off 4-0 with a historic sweep of the University of Texas, the East Texas Baptist University hockey came away with, 4-0, and, 7-3, wins over the Longhorns. ETBU is now 2-0 at George's Pond on the year and stay perfect on the season.
Game one saw the Tigers enjoy a shutout, 4-0, defeat over UT.
Davis VanGemerden tallied two goals while both
Matt Duncan and
Skyler Spiller added insurance goals to seal the win.
Game two would be a more convincing win as the Tigers skated off with a 7-3 triumph.
Riley Knott was ETBU's top goal scorer with a hat trick while Spiller, Duncan,
Jimmy Beirne, and
Brendan Laing added to ETBU's tallies.
Game 1: ETBU 4, UT 0 (Friday night)
The first period was a defensive battle as ETBU goalie Fitzgerald would battle with UT goalie Sean Keuhn. Neither side would allow any goals for the first five minutes. But then, VanGemerden found the net 18 seconds later for an early 1-0 edge. ETBU's defense would pounce Texas and prevent them from scoring after the first and second period while Van Gemerden's second goal early in the second gave ETBU a 2-0 lead.
By the third period, the Tigers' defensive pressure would frustrate the Longhorns while Fitzgerald was preventing open nets with save after save. A critical point came when UT and a five-on-three power play advantage only for ETBU to successfully kill off both of them. In the end, an empty net goal by Duncan and an insurance power play goal from Spiller 33 seconds apart sealed ETBU's game one victory.
Game 2: ETBU 7, UT 3 (Saturday afternoon)
The Tigers and Longhorns would prevent the other from scoring in the first half of the first period. That wouldn't last as ETBU would put up a three-spot to end the first period of 3-0. Duncan scored the first goal off a rebound a little over 11 minutes into the game. Beirne would follow with a slap shot goal from his left side while Laing would make the third goal his with four minutes to go.
Spiller would make it, 4-0, 29 seconds into the second period. UT would finally get on the board with 7:42 to play. Knott would then put two goals in the net as the Tigers led, 6-1, through two periods. UT would get the deficit to, 6-2, to start the third period. But Knott would pick up the hat trick goal with 11 minutes to go in the contest. The rest of the game saw ETBU give up one goal while killing off power play chances by UT.
ETBU returns to George's Pond next weekend as they will go up with Dallas Baptist University. Friday night's contest will start at 7:00 PM while Saturday will see a 2:00 PM start.
