Virginia Tech Men’s Hockey 2023 Fall Semester Recap

By: Chris Pierce

BLACKSBURG, V.A. – As the season changes from fall to winter, a much-needed break is in call for the Virginia Tech Men’s hockey team. Now, taking a deep breath, with over a month until the Hokies are back in action, let’s look at how the team has performed so far this season.

To say the least, the 2023 Fall Semester for the Hokies was a complete rollercoaster of a ride for the team. Coming into the season, Head Coach Joey Mullen quoted the team as having one of the deepest lineups he has ever had in his tenure at Tech. There were several key players from last season's team including veterans Rocco Salvato and Griffin Mudge, both of whom were chosen to wear the ‘C’ and ‘A’ lettering on their uniforms respectively. Moreover, the Hokies had rostered 10 new rookies consisting of nine freshmen and one transfer from across the pond. 

After starting the month of September, a rocky 3-2, several questions lingered about the consistency of the lineup. Offensively the production was reliable in most games with Gavin Peduzzi continuing his historic career at Tech, as well as the emergence of rookies such as Kam Khazai, who scored a hat-trick in his fourth career game.

Where the issues though seemed to lie were in their special teams. Too many penalties led to countless penalty kills where the opponents would punish the Hokies on the score sheet. On the flip side, the Hokies when they had a chance on the powerplay, were not able to capitalize as much as their opponents. Most of the Hokies' early games were decided by their inability to stay out of the box, which would dictate how they played come October.

The Hokies struggled in October going 1-4-1 in the first three weeks of the month. Tough competition lined up their schedule as the team would head to Louisville, Kentucky to participate in the Derby Showdown where they faced Kentucky, Indiana, and Louisville, all three teams which were ranked inside the ACHA Southeast top 10 last season. Although the Hokies did lose all three games, they were all by one score. This gave the team hope heading into the final week against Stevenson at home where they outscored the Mustangs 13-4 in an impressive, consistent offensive weekend.

What seemed to woe the team throughout this part of the season was their inconsistency in playing a full 60-minute hockey game. The weekend in Louisville proved to be a turning point in the right direction for the Hokies as things were starting to click. The chemistry between lines was at an all-time high, players were able to compete with the best of the best in the league, and looking ahead the time could not have been any better with the ACCHL Fall Showcase up next.

The annual ACCL Fall Showcase tournament at The St. James in Springfield, VA would be the Hokies' most daunting task yet of the season. With the ACCHL Premier division up for grabs, this was the opportunity for the team to gain momentum in the standings and prepare for what is to come in February in the playoffs.

Virginia Tech would find a rough patch early in the first game against Rider as they allowed 11 goals to the Broncos who have surprised many in their first year in the league. The Hokies at this point were 6-7-1 (2-2) and hope had seemed to diminish after a tough loss, but this team did not get discouraged one bit heading into their next game against Rowan. Goalie Ian Kee pitched a perfect shutout performance in a 4-0 win over the Profs.

This win, perhaps the most crucial one of the season, swung the Hokies back in the driver's seat heading into the final game with Maryland.

In domination of the Terps, the Hokies took control early and did not look back finishing the weekend 2-1 holding second place firmly in the ACCHL Premier division. November and the rest of the fall semester would end on a high note as the team cruised their way to a 13-2 victory over George Washington to close out.

This semester was one for the record books. Currently, the Hokies are 9-7-1 with a 4-2 record in the ACCHL Premier division and are ranked fifteenth in the ACHA Southeast Region. Junior Gavin Peduzzi made history becoming the fastest Hokie ever to reach 100 career points. Peduzzi was also the fifth player in program history to join the 50-goal, 100-point club, also the fastest in club history. Moreover, all 10 rookies this year have played at least six games and have recorded at least one point.

Here are the current team leaders:

Points – Gavin Peduzzi (32)

Goals – Kam Khazai (13)

Assists – Gavin Peduzzi (22)

Wins – Ian Kee (8) *Career High

Looking ahead to the spring semester, the Hokies return to the ice on January 12, 2024, in a crucial matchup against #7 North Carolina. The tough road continues with two against UNC that weekend, plus a rematch with the Mountaineers who defeated the Hokies at home earlier this season. Additionally, two games await at the end of January against NC State, who defeated the Hokies three times last season, including in the first round of the ACCHL playoffs.

With the fall semester in the books, we can now take a much-needed break and relax before doing it all again next month. 

Happy Holidays from Virginia Tech Hockey!