Written by: Mickey Gonzalez

UCF returned from a two-week break with a weekend series against USF. The Knights came in hoping for a win to start back off, but just weren’t able to secure one.

In Friday’s game, USF scored once in each period. Going into the third period two goals behind, the Knights were determined to flip the game in their favor. Shane O’Donnell gave UCF their first goal of the night. Andrew Schneider got another goal a couple minutes later, tying the game up. After that, it was a desperate attempt from both teams to get the final goal needed for victory. Ultimately, it was USF who scored once more with four minutes left, securing a 3-2 victory for the Bulls.

Saturday’s game was a battle for the weekend—the sweep or the come-back. After two goals in the first period, USF stayed consistently ahead. Even after a goal in the second period, and two in the third (one from O’Donnell and two from Drew Bengston), UCF never quite managed to catch up. The end score was 5-3; another win for the Bulls.

It was clear to anyone watching the games that everyone was desperate to win. Both teams saw their own fair share of players in the box, with 5-on-4, 4-on-4, 5-on-3, and even 4-on-3 across the games. Six of the thirteen goals this weekend were either power play or short-handed goals.

Amongst the chaos, Knights goalie Benjamin Thibault played strong, blocking 36 of USF’s 39 shots on goal Friday and 49 of 54 shots on Saturday.

UCF’s next games will be against the FGCU Eagles at the Hertz Arena in Estero, FL at 6:00pm on Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27. Come out and support the team or watch the game online at bdehockey.com!