Tampa Gets Chomped: Gators Complete 2-Game Sweep Against the University of Tampa

By: Becca Friedman

In a neck-and-neck game, the Gators came out on top against the University of Tampa Spartans during their matchup Friday evening. The Spartans have had a successful season so far with a record of 9 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie compared to the Gators 7 wins, 4 losses, and 0 ties. The two teams were evenly matched, and this was reflected on the ice. It wasn’t until the end of the third that the Gators were out of the woods, for the Spartans were pressing to tie up the score through the final seconds of the game. The Gators, however, did not let up and ended the game with a 4-3 win. Goals were scored by Katz (#3), McCoy (#89), Edwards (#74) and Horwitz (#27). 

Florida has struggled with consistency on the road. They went 0-2 in their series against the South Carolina Gamecocks, and 1-1 in their games against the UCF Knights. Worries regarding this inconsistency were put to rest with Florida’s 4-1 victory against the Tampa Spartans on Saturday evening. The Gators did what they do best: continuously apply pressure on net. The team’s offensive efforts have been impressive with the Gators averaging about 37.7 shots on goal in their last six games. In their Saturday matchup against Tampa, Florida put up 15 more shots on goal than the night before. Lampinen (#34), Katz (#2), Horwitz (#27) and Mara (#19) got the Gators their four goals to close out a winning series against Tampa. 

The Gators got the big home win at Community First Igloo Saturday night, while also celebrating Pink in the Rink night in support of the American Cancer Society. The team sported black and pink jerseys with “Hockey Fights Cancer” printed on the shoulder. To raise money for the UF Health Cancer Center, the Gators auctioned off the limited edition jerseys and sold “Hockey Fights Cancer” T-shirts as well. 

With a successful weekend behind them, the Gators will not hit the ice again for over two months. The team will face the 11th-place University of South Florida when they return on January 26th.  

The Gators Top the UCF Knights in a Thrilling Overtime Win

October 21, 2023

Becca Friedman 

The Gators returned to the ice this Friday after a disappointing weekend away in South Carolina last week. The Gators unfortunately left South Carolina empty-handed, going 0-2 after two extremely competitive, one-goal-deficit games. Coach Frank Pasquale said in a pre-game interview that he felt the team would come out stronger after their performance in South Carolina, and the Gators did just that. 

Neither the Gators nor the Knights struggled to find the back of the net, especially early on. The Gators came out of the first period leading 4-3. Lampinen continued his point streak scoring the first two for the Gators, along with goals from Shepard (#17) and Katz (#3). 

The Gator goals kept coming in during the second period, but they were not alone on the scoreboard. The Knights came back with three additional goals in the second, to end the period with a score of 6-6. 

Neither team scored in the third period, leaving the score at 6-6 going into overtime. The Gators walked away with a well-earned victory over the Knights with an OT goal scored by Noah Horwitz (#27), his second of the night. 

One Down, One to Go

The Gators will face the Knights again this Saturday afternoon at @4:00 pm at the Orlando Ice Den Olympic Rink. The Knights have proven to be an extremely offensive team, hammering the puck at the goal every chance they get. 

For the Gators to get another win today, they need to focus on maintaining their defensive shape in front of the goal, for the Knights were left unmarked in front of the blue paint one too many times. The Gators also need to focus on tightening their position in the neutral zone to avoid more breakaway opportunities for the Knights, especially for Matthew Scribner (#19).  

The Gators need to capitalize on their power play opportunities. Lampinen got a short-handed goal, but the team could not score on any of their five-man advantage’s. 

The two Florida teams were head-to-head the entirety of the game, up until the final minutes of extended time. The Gators have now jumped ahead of the Knights in the standings, taking their spot at #3 in the division. With a win under their belt, the Gators need to carry this momentum into their game today to snag their second win against the Knights. 

SEC Matchup: The Florida Gators Fall to the Gamecocks, Breaking Their 5-Game Win Streak

By: Becca Friedman

Period 1 recap:

Coming in as the #1 ranked team in the D2 South Division standings, the Florida Gators knew that they had their reputation to uphold. The Gators were coming off of a 5-game winning streak but then went on an almost 2-week break from the ice. For their first game back, the Gators faced the South Carolina Gamecocks in an SEC showdown.

It was feared that momentum could have been lost during this break, but the team came out hot. Right off the bat, the Gators applied immediate offensive pressure to Goalie Zach Hayes (#35) with Lampinen (#81) leading the rush for the Gators. There were two power plays within the first 2 minutes of the first period, one for each team. The Gators capitalized on their man advantage, scoring at 17:36, one minute into the PP. Keegan Lampinen came into the game as the point leader for the Gators and defended that title with the first goal of the game.

The Gamecocks, however, struggled to find their offensive footing early on in the period. They could not generate a goal during their first power play the way the Gators did. They did not get one shot on goal during their 2-minute man advantage. The superstar South Carolina player, John Riggins (#25), made his presence known early on with some solid scoring chances against Shield, but he struggled to get the puck in the back of the net.

As the period continued, the Gators started to lose their momentum, not applying as much offensive pressure. Right winger Michael Katz (#2) had a prime scoring opportunity in front of the net, but his deflection went high. Katz then redeemed himself with a top shelf goal with an assist from Lampinen 5 minutes left in the 1st.

With less than 2 minutes left in the period, the Gamecock’s Marco Pineda (#9) finally snuck one past Shield. Shield blocked the team’s first few attempts, but they continued to hammer the puck at the goal until they finally got one in.

Overall, the Gators came out strong with 2 crucial goals early on, but the Gamecocks strengthened as the period progressed with Riggins leading them offensively.

Period 2 Recap:

Coming off of their late goal in the 1st and starting with a man advantage in the 2nd, the Gamecocks bounced back early in the second period. In the opening minute of the period, two Gators were in the penalty box, giving the Gamecocks a 2 man advantage. Although they did not score here, they got solid shots on goal, applying immediate pressure on Shield.

5 minutes into the period, South Carolina finally went to the box leaving the Gators with a powerplay that they could not capitalize on or use to generate real scoring chances. Instead, the Gamecocks had three strong shorthanded opportunities, leaving the Gators with little time to set up in their own zone.

Shield was the Gators ultimate saving grace, not letting any of their pucks get to the back of the net for the first half of the period. With less than 10 minutes left in the 2nd, Tommy Marvin (#6) on the Gamecocks got one past Shield. The Gamecocks got the goal they needed to even up the score, 2-2, and they continued to press offensively.

The Gators made it 3-2 with 5 minutes left in the 2nd period, getting that momentum change they so desperately needed. Lampinen racked up his second point of the game with an assist to Maddox Olenick (#83).

The Gators drew a penalty with 45 seconds left of the period, allowing them to start with the man advantage in the third.

Period 3 recap:

To start off the third period, the Gators came out strong with a powerplay goal in the opening minute. They had great offensive control and movement which allowed Katz to get the puck to the back of an open net, making it 4-2 for the Gators. Florida increased their lead by two, taking momentum back from the Gamecocks. They continued to set up chances, increase their physicality, and maintain better control in the neutral zone.

Things took a turn for the worse, when South Carolina’s Brendan Flaherty (#3) scored with 12:20 left in the period to make the score 4-3. Within a minute of Flaherty’s goal, Lokken (#19) got the Gamecocks their equalizing goal. The entire momentum shifted into the hands of South Carolina, and they took complete control of the puck in their offensive zone. The home ice advantage was definitely felt during this period, with the fans feeding off of the Gamecocks’ energy. Making it three goals in three minutes, Connor Burman (#12) scored to give the Gamecocks their first lead of the game. In almost a blink of an eye, the Gators now found themselves trailing 5-4, after being up by 2 goals three minutes prior.

The remainder of the period was filled with stoppages, penalties, and two ejections. The stoppages after South Carolina’s goal scoring spree allowed the Gators to catch their breath. Jackson Choi (#4) scored against Hayes with 4:28 left, while the Gators were up two players on a 5v3. To end the period, and the game, Gamecock Jake Puskar (#8) sneaked in a goal that left everyone, including Shield, shocked.

The third period was dominated by South Carolina’s offense, coming back and scoring 4 goals in one period. The Gamecocks have snapped the Gator’s five-game win streak in a 6-5 victory on their home ice. This devastating loss for the Gators needs to motivate them instead of discourage them, for they face the Gamecocks once again this Sunday October, 15th.

GATORS ANNOUNCE NEW HEAD COACH

By: Staff

The Gators are excited to announce the hiring of their new Head Coach, Frank Pasquale, who will begin his role with the D2 team for the 2023-24 season.

“I am extremely thrilled and honored to be the Florida Gators coach for the upcoming season.  Previous Coach Mike Marcinkiewicz played a large role in helping elevate the club during his eight seasons, and my coaching staff and I look forward to continuing the upward trajectory”, said Pasquale.  “With a talented core of returning players and some very accomplished new players coming to Gainesville, the future looks bright for us.”

Pasquale is a USA Hockey Level 5 coach and has more than 20 years of experience coaching on Long Island, NY, at the 14/16/18U AAA levels, as well as Junior Hockey.  He has helped develop and move players to the USHL, DI college, ECHL, AHL and NHL.

Joining him on the bench will be assistant coaches Frank Cervasio and Mike Parimucha, both of whom possess a wealth of playing experience in the Northeast at the junior, prep school, and collegiate ranks.  “We feel confident about the skill set our coaching staff brings to the Gators, and Frank and Mike will be integral parts of our organization,” said Pasquale.  “We plan to not only help the players in the areas of skill development and team play, but to create a culture that will attract high-level players and quality individuals to our program for years to come.”

Florida Gators Take Sixth Place in CHS Playoffs, Falling to FAU Owls on Saturday

By: Marinna Stopa

After losing to Alabama in the quarterfinals, Saturday afternoons contest against Florida Atlantic University was to decide fifth place.

FAU came out of the locker room flying, scoring three goals in the first period. The first one, coming three and a half minutes in, was a powerplay goal from a well-versed power play unit.

The teams’ power play unit got plenty of reps in the previous day against the University of Georgia, where they had nine chances with the man advantage, capitalizing on three of them.

The game for Florida didn’t really get started until the last handful of minutes.

Center Parker Mara, with assists by defenseman Bohdi Duncan and left-winger Nick McCann, shoveled one past FAU goaltender Gunnar Stevens, giving their team some life back with three and a half to go in the period.

Less than two minutes later, center Tom Walker got his fourth of the season, with an assist by right-wing Joshua Weinstein. With this goal, the lead was cut in half, bringing UF into the middle frame only down by one.

The South Florida team would strike again a minute and a half into the second period, re-extending their team’s lead to two.

Six short minutes later, Maxim Thellab secured his first goal of the game when he picked up a loose puck in front of the net, capitalizing on a frazzled FAU defense.

Mara and McCann both gained their second points of the night with assists on Florida’s third goal of the game.

The Gators finally tied up scoring with eight and a half to go in the period, again with a goal by Thellab and an assist by Mara.

However, this would not stay for long, as the Owls scored on the following shift fifteen seconds later. Jacob Friedman and Myles Davidson would each get their second point of the game to put their team back on top.

Keith Goldberg further extended that lead, shooting the puck clear over Nathan Shield’s glove with six to go in the period.

At this point, interim head coach John Hunt decided to pull the Florida goalie, replacing him with Mason Burdick, who played yesterday in the loss against Alabama (link).

Right at the start of the final frame, following a short intermission, Florida would, once again, claw back to within one. With his second point of the game, Weinstein got a beautiful puck past Stevens’ shoulder before the FAU goalie even knew what was coming, with assists by Josh Horwitz and Quinn Shepard.

For the remainder of the period, the Gators gave it everything they had, putting nearly twenty shots on net and producing beautiful opportunities on its two power plays. Unfortunately, they were not successful in completing the comeback once more, and, with Burdick pulled from his net, FAU was able to end the game with an empty net goal with thirty seconds remaining.

To end the season, ten players were in the double digits for points, with captain Connor Nicholson in the lead with 29. The senior also led his team in assists, with 22.

Thellab was the team’s leading goal scorer, with 18 on the season.

Five players were averaging at least a point per game; Luke Braun, Parker Mara, Connor Nicholson, Maxim Thellab and Nick McCann.

Zack Zelmanski spent the equivalent of an hour in the box over the course of the season, leading the team with 61 penalty minutes, made up of 23 minor penalties and three majors.

Even though this final result is not what the Gators wanted, this season certainly showed a sneak peak into a prosperous future.

Most of the team is underclassman, with less than a handful graduating this spring, so the team will be full of familiar faces come next fall.

This 13-8-1 final record is a stark difference compared to last seasons, where the Gators ended 5-10-1.

There is much to be excited about for the Florida Gators and the team thanks you for supporting them every step of the way.

The University of Florida Gators sent fifty-seven shots on net, but were unable to defeat the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in the quarterfinals.

By: Marinna Stopa

The game late Friday night in Huntsville was a true battle between two equally strong teams, but one too many mistakes and the goalie showdown proved to decide the end result.

The Gators got a power play less than three minutes into the game, and although they were not able to capitalize, proved to give the team a flow of momentum that continued for the rest of the frame.

Despite all of the offensive chances for UF, it was Alabama that opened up the scoring for the match.

Defenseman Benjamin Breen was able to capitalize on a bad line change and get one past UF goalie Mason Burdick, giving his team the lead with three minutes to go in the period.

In the opening draw of the second period, Alabama would receive their fourth penalty of the game, going against their most penalized player, center Max Savaloja.

Florida would take advantage of the extra space on the ice quickly, with Maxim Thellab and Parker Mara working together to create a beautiful set up that ends up behind Alabama goalie Luc Haggitt.

For the next nineteen minutes, the two teams played aggressive, tough hockey, creating turnovers and laying big against the boards. All of the offensive and defensive pressure for both sides amounted to nothing and the Gators and Crimson Tide went into the final period still tied at one a piece.

Less than four minutes into the final frame, Breen got his second of the game off a super clean shot that flew straight over Burdick’s glove, restoring the Alabama lead.

The Tide would strike once more with seven minutes to go, with Breen scoring his third in a row for a natural hat trick off a 2-0 breakaway chance where Burdick had no chance.

In true Florida spirit, the team played till the very end, and with the Gator goalie pulled, forward Nick McCann was able to shovel one past Haggit to bring the score to 3-2.

With only twenty seconds to go following the goal, the Gators were unable to find the equalizer and fell to #3 seed Alabama.

Rightfully so, Burdick was awarded UF’s player of the game for his outstanding performance against a sizzling Alabama offense. He saved 37 of the 40 shots for a .925 save percentage and made some incredible moves to bail out his team at the right time.

Overall, the team played extremely well, but Alabama was able to capitalize on the few mistakes they did have.

Senior center Parker Mara was absolutely everywhere on the ice, creating really great chances for his team and for himself.

Senior captain Connor Nicholson sacrificed his body on more than one occasion to prevent pucks from hitting Burdick and played a very physical game.

Sophomore Matthew Brkljacic was flying around the rink, seemingly making the journey from one end of the ice to the other in just a couple of strides, doing so while making key defensive plays for his team.

The Gators will play for the final time during the 2022-23 season Saturday afternoon at 3:30 CST (4:30 EST), against the Florida Atlantic Owls, who lost to Georgia right after the

conclusion of the Florida game. This meeting will decide fifth place in the College Hockey South playoffs.

When the two teams met in November, both games got one win each, with both games going into overtime and ending in 5-4 decisions.

Playoff Preview: University of Alabama Crimson Tide

By: Marinna Stopa

Friday night’s matchup between the Gators and the Crimson Tide will certainly be one you don’t want to miss.

Finishing with a 13-6-1 record, the University of Florida earned the #6 slot in the College Hockey South playoffs.

They will face the University of Alabama, who own the #3 seed with their 16-6-1 record.

Accounting for the fact that Alabama has played three more games than UF, the two teams have equal records and pretty similar team feats.

Both teams average five goals a game, around two goals more than their opponent on average.

In terms of power play goals, the Gators have 26 – more than double as many as the Crimson Tide with 12.

So while Florida has proven to have a more lethal power play, Alabama will certainly give the team some competition.

Both teams have some of the best penalty killing units in the league. Alabama has allowed the second-least amount with 8 and Florida isn’t too far behind in fourth place having allowed 12.

With that, Alabama is also tied for second in the league with the most short handed goals with 13. Florida sits in eleventh place with eight.

The Gators look to maintain its offensive dominance rolling into this weekend, having scored ten goals in its last three games.

Four of these came from forward Maxim Thellab (#47), who starts off the top three players to watch for Florida this weekend.

One could say #47 is on fire offensively right now, but to be honest, he hasn’t cooled down since his first goal in September against USF.

In his last ten games played, he’s put ten goals on the board and assisted with another, for a total of 11 points.

The freshman is averaging over a point per game this season, having 15 goals, 5 assists for 20 points in 19 games played.

Of Jackson Choi’s six assists this season, half of them have been to Thellab, including one of his two goals against FSU a couple of weeks ago.

The left winger has 14 goals and 6 assists for a total of 20 points in 20 games played. This means the Maryland native is also playing at a point per game rate going into the game against Alabama.

In his last ten, the freshman has six goals and five assists, for eleven total points. Against FSU, he had the first goal of the game and an assist to Thellab, which ended up being the game winning pass.

With the most assists and points on the team, Captain Connor Nicholson has led his team to victory many times this season.

In fact, in the center’s twenty appearances this season, he’s had five games with two or more points and has only been withheld from the score sheet only four times, one of which was the shutout against Tampa.

With seven goals and a whopping 22 assists for a total of 29 points, this puts the senior in the top 5% of the league in scoring.

On the other bench, Alabama has some offensive weapons of their own to look out.

Max Savaloja has 24 goals and 16 assists for a total of 40 points in twenty-one games played, a rate of about two points a game.

The center is currently riding a three game point streak, with 6 goals and 2 assists against Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee.

While #10 is an offensive threat, he also leads his team in penalty minutes, with 50. This is twice as much as the player in second place.

Right behind him in the scoring race, Matthew Dumond has 37 points in 21 appearances, with 13 goals and 24 assists.

The forward hasn’t been absent from the scoresheet since mid-November, accumulating 17 points in the seven games played in the three months since.

Alabamas (probable) starting goalie is Luc Haggit.

In his 15 games played, he has posted a .916 save percentage, allowing an average of two goals behind him.

He is coming off a 21-save shutout, his fourth of the year, against Tennessee two weeks ago.

You can watch this game in real life at the Ice Sports Center in Huntsville, AL, where tickets are $10 a day and can be purchased at the arena or here.

You can also watch a live stream of the game here.

Gators Dominate Florida State Seminoles in Final Regular Season Game

By: Marinna Stopa

En route to a 5-1 win, the University of Florida Gators played a complete game, dominating offensively, making key defensive plays and dazzling the home crowd.

Unlike the two in-state rivals’ previous meeting in Savannah, where Florida took home the Thrasher Cup for the second year in a row, the Seminoles began the game with a threatening opposition against the Gators.

Fortunately for the home team, Florida was able to gain and maintain pressure in the offensive zone, not giving Florida State much opportunity to gather any momentum.

To start off the scoring onslaught, with assists from defenseman Matthew Brkljacic and forward Mamim Thellab, forward Jackson Choi was able to get a quick shot into the net just over seven minutes into the game. This was goal number 14 on the season for the freshman.

At this point, most of what little energy the Seminoles had was lost and, instead, transferred over to the Gators.

Less than four minutes later, the same three players combined once again to extend their teams’ lead by a pair. This time around, Choi and Brkljacic sent a pass to Thellab shooting down the middle of the ice, who was able to lift the puck clean over FSU’s goalie Ryan Malvaso’s glove.

With this point, Brkljacic increased his season assist totals to double digits, with 10 on the season.

With an on-fire offense, the Seminoles defense was spilling all over the ice, leaving players unattended, taking bad penalties and leaving their goalie out to dry.

The Gators definitely took advantage of all of the open ice, ringing shots off the crossbar and forcing the Seminoles goalie to, literally, pull out all the stops.

To finish off the first period, forward Joshua Weinstein got his eighth goal of the season with the help of defenseman Bohdi Duncan and forward Quinn Shepard, bringing both of their season point totals to five.

Following an absolutely dominating first period, the Seminoles came out of the locker room not willing to back down.

Despite Duncan’s massive hit in front of the net, center Mitch Gordon was able to get one back for FSU eight minutes into the period off a defensive breakdown by the Gators.

Even though the Seminoles pushed back more defensively and offensively, Florida still had plenty of shots on net. About half way through the period, Malvaso looked to be in considerable pain after he made a series of really great saves.

With the extended pause to check out the Seminole goalie, Florida Head Coach Mike Marcinkiewicz decided to pull goalie Burdick to split the game with Shield, giving them both ample playing time before the playoffs.

In the last twenty minutes, forward Connor Nicholson was able to get one of his own at the halfway point of the period. For the captain, this was his team-leading 27th point of the season and his second goal in two games. With assists by forwards Nick McCann and Evan Edwards, the pairs’ point totals increased to 15 and 19, respectively, on the season.

To seal the deal, Thellab got his second goal and third point of the afternoon with less than five to go in the game, assisted by defenseman Zach Zelmanski, his seventh assist of the season.

In the two meetings between the in-state rivals, shots from Florida got to the Florida State net a whopping 109 times, with 11 of those landing behind the goalie. This means that for just about every 10 shots, the Gators got one goal.

In comparison, the Seminoles only managed to get two of the teams’ 42 shots behind Burdick and Shields, for an incredible .952 save percentage.

Next for the Gators is CHS playoffs in Huntsville, Alabama, but the opponent is unknown because the official bracket has yet to be released.

Nonetheless, the first game will be during the late afternoon or evening of Friday, February 24th.

The Gators Battle in Two Tough Losses Against the Undefeated University of Tampa 

By: Marinna Stopa 

            Handing the undefeated University of Tampa Spartans its toughest battle yet, Friday night started the Gaspierlla weekend off with a bang. 

            Aided by the cheers of a voluminous and rowdy student section, the Gators got the game started quickly, keeping play away from goalie Nathan Shield, in for his second straight start, and in the Tampa zone. 

            Despite the team’s offensive efforts, it would be Tampa that would get the first goal of the game nearly five minutes into the first period, off a slapshot that sailed right over Shield’s glove side. 

            Florida did not let this slip up stop them and were able to score its first goal of the game on the powerplay with 11:11 to go in the opening period. Off a shot from the point made by defenseman Vaclav Prospal, forward Jackson Choi was able to clean up the rebound and get it behind Tampa goalie Shea Grant. 

            Less than three minutes later, with the Spartans distracted by a “missed call” by the referees, forward Joshua Weinstein was able to capitalize on Tampa’s lack of attention and whistle a shot into their net, giving the Gators its first lead of the night.

            Tampa forward Colm Trainor was able to tie the score up at two a piece with less than six to go in the first frame, getting a shot past the Gator defense’s blocks. 

            Florida was able to regain the lead yet again with 90 seconds left to go in the period, with a goal by center Max Thellab off great passes by center Parker Mara and Choi. 

            To start the second, Tampa put up two goals, taking the lead back, the second of which was scored only a couple of seconds into the teams’ fourth power play of the night. 

            This didn’t last long, however, after Florida also got its fourth power play opportunity of the night with under seven minutes to go in the period. Choi got his second goal of the game, this time off a beautiful pass by Mara right in front of the netminder that the forward was able to shovel away. 

            Capitalizing on a 5-on-3 opportunity later in the period, Thellab then got his second of the game, with assists going to Mara and defenseman Matthew Brkljacic.

            The Gators went into the final frame in the lead yet again, this time with 5-4 on the board. 

            Just like the previous period, the Spartans were able to tie up the game then take back the lead quickly to start the third period, with both goals coming within the first six minutes. 

            With just under four to go, Tampa got its final goal of the night, extending its lead to two. 

            Center Luke Braun wouldn’t let his team go down without a fighting chance, scoring his eleventh goal of the season with three and a half minutes to go. 

            Unfortunately, the Gators couldn’t tie up the score for a final time in the dying minutes despite incredible efforts to do so and the Spartans took the Friday night battle 7-6. 

            Of the 21 games they’ve played thus far, this is only the sixth time Tampa trailed at some point of the game – and only the third where they trailed multiple times.  

            Florida’s six goals were the most the Spartans had given up all season and most since October 30, 2021, when they also gave up six to Embry-Riddle.

Previously, they had given up four goals in four separate games, but haven’t since the beginning of November against UNC-Wilmington. 

Key Florida Players: 

  • Jackson Choi: (2G, 1A) 
  • Maxim Thellab: (2 G)
  • Parker Mara: (3A)

The fact that it was Gasparilla weekend was definitely apparent two days later, when the two teams rematched Sunday afternoon. 

Play seemed​ to happen in slow motion on both ends of the ice for b​oth teams. 

With that being said, it was a much more defensively-focused game. 

It was an absolute clinic in both nets, as both goalies pulled out all of their moves to shut the game down offensively.

Passes were crisper, penalty kills were tighter, and hits were better received, especially compared to Friday night.

Many of Florida’s problems stemmed from sloppy play in front of goalie Mason Burdock and at the blue line. 

This is the reason the first goal of the game, scored by Tampa defenseman Daniel Griffen for his second of the weekend, hit the back of the net half way through the game. 

Spartan goaltender Will DeCaso put a couple of really great saves on Choi and Weinstein at the end of the second period, keeping his teams’ lead to one and his shutout campaign intact. 

Off a tough giveaway at the blue line by center Tom Walker, forward Jake Karant was able to go one-on-one with Burdock and score, extending the Gator deficit to two. 

With ten minutes to go in the third period, Karant would strike again, this time on the power play, solidifying the 3-0 UF loss.

With the two losses, the Florida Gators fall to eighth place in the CHS and snap a six game win streak that stretched back to the overtime win against FAU in early November. 

The team will travel to Columbus, GA this weekend to take on the Auburn Tigers (9-7-3), hoping to get back in the win column and enter the playoffs on solid footing. 

You can watch the game on Friday, Feb. 3 at 8:00 PM online here or purchase tickets here

You can watch the game on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2:00 PM online here or purchase tickets here