TAMPA, Florida. - The Tampa Spartans Men’s Hockey Team scored 8 goals in their dominant win against USF to take the first game of the series

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: USF 3, Tampa 8

Records: Tampa (14-1-1), USF (8-6-1)

Location: Clearwater Ice Arena | Clearwater, FL

HOW IT HAPPENED GAME 1:

1st Period

•       The Spartans scored only 2 minutes in to the game with a backdoor goal from Billy Cody on passes from Ryan Andrews and Jack Manware.
•       USF answers with a power play goal to tie the game at one.
•       Senior Ryan Murray breaks the tie in favor of the Spartans with a tip in front, with the shot coming from Christian Kukas

2nd Period

• USF wasted no time this period tying the game at two, scoring only 20 seconds into the 2nd.
• Connor McMahan of the Spartans breaks the tie once again with a one-timer goal on passes from Jack Manware and Ryan Andrews
• Tampa, on the powerplay, added to their lead with a goal from Stephen Buck making the score 4-2 Tampa.
• The power play once again led to a goal from Junior Matt Needleman on a shot from the point.
• A desperation save from a Chuck ellis led to a 2-on-1 snipe by Jack Manware with an assist from Billy Cody.

3rd Period

• USF started to fight their way back into the game with a goal 2 minutes into the period.
• Tampa’s Stephen Buck quickly responded with his second goal of the night as he gained his own rebound and buries one with an assist from Senior Evan Hoffberg
• The Spartans scored the last goal of the game on another one-timer by Connor McMahan from Junior Grant Parrish and Matthew Needleman.

GAME 2: UT vs. USF

WESLEY CHAPEL, Florida. – The University of Tampa’s Men’s Hockey Team scored 9 goals in their high-scoring win against USF to take both of the games in the series.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: USF 8, Tampa 9

Records: Tampa (15-1-1), USF (8-7-1)

Location: Advent Health Center Ice | Wesley Chapel, FL

HOW IT HAPPENED:

1st Period

•       UT started off the scoring with a goal from Sophomore Jake Karant with assists from Jack Manware and Nico Evangelous
•       Tampa increases their lead with a goal by Connor Berry on the powerplay
•       USF cut Tampa’s lead in half with a goal making the score 2-1
•       USF scored another to tie the game at the end of the 1st period at two

2nd Period

• USF scored on the first powerplay chance they got to give them their first lead of the game
• The Spartans were not out of it yet as a goal from Billy Cody ties the game once again
• Stephen Buck of the Spartans gave them another lead in the game with his first of the night with assists from Grant Parrish and Evan Hoffberg
• USF was not going to be out of the game yet either as they capitalize on their first powerplay of the game tying the game up once more.
• Adding onto to their momentum, USF popped another give them another lead in this high scoring game
• The USF Powerplay did it again, as they score yet another goal on their powerplay to give them a two-goal lead.
• Tampa’s Stephen Buck had cut the Southern Florida lead down to one with a goal and an assist from Josey Davis
• Spartans’ Jake Karant gets his second of the game as he tied the game on a 1-on-1 snipe from the top of the circles
• Tampa breaks the fourth tie of the game with a goal from Alternate Captain Josey Davis to give them the lead heading into the third.

3rd Period

•      The USF powerplay scored another goal to open up all the scoring for this last period of play, bringing this game to its 5th tie of the game
•       Junior Matthew Needleman buried his first goal of the night to break the tie once again making the score 8-7 in favor of Tampa
•       UT on another powerplay chance added another goal to their lead from Senior Gus Aldridge
•       With the goalie pulled, USF scored another to try and mount a comeback, but ended up falling short as the Spartans win it 9-8.

UP NEXT:

•       The Spartans host Miami University in their last home game of the Fall Semester.
•       Stay tuned for postseason updates and information about the 2021-2022 season.

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