Lynn University’s mascot is the Fighting Knights. They lived up to that name on Saturday night when they faced-off against the Embry-Riddle Eagles. In the second period, a Lynn defenseman and the Lynn goaltender started a scrum in front of the net. Lynn’s goaltender grabbed Mike Pandolfo, alternate captain of the Eagles, and threw him to the ice, where another Knight jumped on top of him. All the players on the ice converged, and in the end, Pandolfo would have to leave the game, as well as Lynn’s goaltender. One problem with that though; that’s the only goalie Lynn had. With the ejection of the goaltender, the Knights forfeited to the Eagles with a period and a half left to play. The Eagles would win on a short night’s work.

            But, how did we get to that point, as all that took place in the second period. This was a rare away game for the Eagles, as they traveled three hours to play Lynn. The rink was so silent you could hear a pin drop, contrary to the Eagles’ home rink where the fans shake the building. The game started and both teams played slow. The Knights, having only 8 players dressed, maybe to conserve energy, the Eagles, to feel out their opponent. Once the Eagles picked the tempo up, it was all over. The Eagles scored 4 goals in the first period, coming from Brendan Barger, Chris Barton, Matt Sillcocks, and Mike Pandolfo. It was a talent show for the Eagles, as each scorer showed off different skills. Barger, a defenseman, used his superior speed and drove the puck to the net for an easy goal between the goalie’s pads. Pandolfo used his fantastic stick-handling and kept the puck away from every Knight on the ice en route to his goal. Barton used his vision from the point as he took a controlled low shot on net that snuck through for a goal. Sillcocks used his ability to play strong on the puck, and powered into a high scoring area to give the Eagles 4 goals on the period.

            The second period was coming up Eagles again. Barger again took the puck end to end, out skating everyone, as the puck dribbled in as he crashed the goaltender. Lynn’s captain would put one in for them, followed by another Eagles goal scored by Mike Pandolfo making it 6-1. The next shift the fight would ensue, and the game would be stopped.

            It almost seems tradition to have the games the Eagles play against the Knights to end early in a forfeit, as the game these two teams played earlier in the season ended the same way. A win last night gives the Eagles the uncontested top spot in the East Florida Collegiate Hockey Conference, followed by Flagler, Lynn, and FIT.

            A short write-up for a short game, but tune in next week as we have a weekend full of Embry-Riddle hockey. Friday night, the Eagles will take on the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders, and a Sunday matinee has the Eagles playing the University of Tampa Spartans. Both games are sure to be competitive hockey, and feature great plays to watch, read, and write about.

-Nick Conrad