By Aileyahu Shanes

Follow on Twitter @a_shanes10

After a long break, the Gators are finally ready to hit the ice again this weekend. The team has been red hot so far. They currently hold a 1-0-1 SECHC record and a 4-0-1 overall record. The club is coming off two strong performances against the UCF Knights, taking the first game 7-3 and the second one 5-3.

Although forward Vinny Marino is still out with injury, the Gators have a plethora of options at the helm. John Hunt has been spectacular for the Gators. The team’s leading scorer currently has fourteen points in just five games. Defenseman Matthew Brkljacic has also impressed as well. Nicknamed Bobby Orr for his amazing offensive abilities, he has recorded seven points in just five games. The matchups against UCF have also strengthened the confidence in the team’s goaltending, as freshman Tyler Uhr had a bounce-back performance in game two of the back-to-back.

However, this matchup sees the Gators pitted up against one of their toughest opponents yet: the FAU Owls. The SECHC rivals are off to a hot start. They currently hold a 4-0 SECHC record and are coming off a dominant performance against Lynn University, where they came away with a 10-2 victory. Some notable players to look out for from that performance are forwards Griffen Bono and Nick McInchale. Both sophomores had dominant performances and recorded two goals each.

Both games will be played down in Coral Springs at the Florida Panthers Ice Den. The first game will be tonight starting at 8:45pm and the second game will be on Saturday with a 1:45pm puck drop. Saturday’s game will be a special one as it is Pink the Rink night. This is a special breast cancer awareness night where the Owls will hold a special charity raffle. The proceeds will go to the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation.

Both games will surely be a thriller. They will set the tone to see who the true rulers of Florida are and will be huge in shaping up the SECHC standings.