The Kennesaw State club ice hockey team defeated Eastern Kentucky University in dominating fashion, with a 9-1 win on Friday and a 10-2 victory on Saturday.
On Friday, the Owls showcased their offensive prowess, scoring four goals in the first period, two goals in the second and finishing off EKU with three goals in the third to notch their fourth victory in a row. The game was a team effort, with six different players contributing to the scoreline.
Ryan Patel led all performances with two goals and an assist on the night. Patel scored the Owls’ first goal after a strong solo-break through the neutral zone. His second goal came late in the third period as he scored the ninth and final goal of the game.
While defender David Kearns would remain scoreless, he tallied three assists on the night.
“Depth throughout the lineup is our biggest strength,” head coach Sean Bernhardt said. “We have four lines that can all play, and we can keep our lines pretty fresh because of it”.
The Owls were able to carry their momentum from Friday night’s victory over EKU into Saturday night’s matchup, securing their fifth consecutive win.
KSU found success in spreading the puck around, as from the Owls produced 12 point scorers. A point is awarded to players for every assist or goal scored.
Forward Evan Dier scored two goals on Friday and an additional two goals on Saturday. Dier is second on the list of most goals scored behind Devin Bousquet with eight.
Another forward that led the team to victory on Saturday was Ian McDonald, who netted another two goals for the Owls. While KSU has a very gritty, rough style of play, McDonald’s speed is able to give the Owls a strong counterattack, breaking through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone.
“We haven’t seen our best competition yet so we’re just trying to get better every night,” Bernhardt said. “It was up and down a little bit tonight, but I think for the most part it was a positive. We got 10 on the board, and everybody was clicking.”
Although the Owls will be away this weekend against Liberty, they return home on Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21 to play the University of Central Florida. Both games will start at 10:00 p.m. Home games are held at the IceForum at Town Center.
