Kentucky hockey defeated the East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) Tigers 3-1 on Sunday, Sept. 15, after shutting out the Tigers 6-0 the previous night.
Physicality was the story of the weekend as both teams were eager to check their opponents and send a message. Multiple fights broke out during the first game of the series with several penalties given out.
The fights were the result of extra contact after the whistle, a common occurrence during a hockey game, but there was one instance where the Wildcats took exception.
“We’re going to stand up for each other… we’re not going to let anyone get picked on,” sophomore winger Gabe Rodriguez said.
This sentiment was echoed by teammate Sam Thompson, a freshman defenseman who came to the defense of one of his teammates that was on the receiving end of a hard shove from ETBU’s Andrew Kolka after play had stopped.
“You try and keep it (emotions) in check, but when you got guys picking on one of your players, you gotta protect them, so that’s what I did tonight,” said Thompson.
The situation quickly escalated as both Thompson and Kolka lost their helmets while brawling and trading punches. Officials had to take both players down to the ice before they were tossed from the game.
As he was escorted off the ice for the second time in five games to start the season, Thompson gestured to the crowd, which roared in approval. The game was well out of reach already, but the fight catalyzed the Cats as they scored two more goals enroute to their 6-0 shutout victory.
All six goals were scored by different members of the Wildcats, something that Rodriguez, one of the goal scorers, attributed to the makeup of the team.
“We have a deep roster, we have a lot of guys who are always ready to play and ready to go,” he said.
That depth would be tested as Kentucky was set to play its third game in three days, the next of which took place only a little over 12 hours later that same day.
At 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, the Wildcats took on the Tigers for a second time. The game was unexpectedly close after Kentucky’s 6-0 blowout just a few hours before.
With eight minutes left in the second period, forward Ty Patefield tried to score on a fast break from the other side of the rink. The officials overturned the goal since the goalie kicked the puck out of the goalline. After this ruling, Kentucky got physical and sent two Tigers off the ice with injuries. The Wildcats also had over five players sent to the penalty box.
Freshman forward Alex Clingerman found the back of the net for the first goal of the game just five minutes into the third period. This goal started a chain reaction as East Texas quickly responded with its own goal to tie the game at one apiece.
This did not stop the Wildcats as junior winger Jack Noel and sophomore winger Jake Laube responded with their own goals, pushing Kentucky to a 3-1 win.
While some teams may find it stressful when their opposing team hits the back of the net immediately after their first goal, senior goalie TJ Ramsey did not let the one goal get under his skin.
“[My head] was calm, it was all okay,” Ramsey said. “We just got to get back out there and get [another goal].”
Laube admitted the first two periods were not the cleanest. After playing three games back-to-back, the team was exhausted, but even this fatigue did not prevent the Wildcats from securing another win.
“I think we were honestly just beat,” Laube said. “Three games (in) one weekend back-to-back-to-back is a lot for a team, but we all came together in the third period. Our second period was not strong, but we all played together as a team and finished strong.”
The Wildcats have now won four straight games to finish their homestand and will look to keep their momentum as they head to the Iceland Sports Complex to take on Louisville for the season’s first away game on Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. ET.