Beloit Men’s hockey had its first home game in its inaugural season against Augsburg University on Wednesday, Nov. 12, resulting in a hard-fought 4-2 loss.
The first few minutes of the game were very physical, with both teams fighting for possessions along the boards and hard checks. Beloit had a lot of time early on in the offensive zone, including several near-miss shots in the opening five minutes. The Auggies ultimately scored first, giving a 1-0 lead despite several solid saves from Beloit goaltender Anthony Zollezzi’28.
Just over 3 minutes into the second period, forward Valerii Kneib’27 scored unassisted to tie the game 1-1, shifting the momentum in Beloit’s direction. The Bucs kept pressing, leading to a clean shot by Josh Gulde’29, assisted by J.D. Shoniker’29, giving Beloit a 2-1 lead.
The lead was short-lived, however, and Augsburg quickly tied up the game off another net-front scramble. The physicality amped up, leading to a string of penalties on both sides. A checking-from-behind call and several interference penalties that threw off Beloit’s rhythm.
As the game continued into the third period, fatigue and frustration seemed to set in for the Bucs. Heated exchanges between the refs and players energized the crowd, but ultimately added to Beloit’s penalty count. The combination of fatigue and time in the box undercut Beloit’s momentum, but the Bucs left it all on the ice.
Despite the loss, Beloit had many bright spots. Zolezzi held strong in the net with several impressive saves, and forward Nathan Hinze’29 won 12 of his 15 faceoffs. The Bucs also showed a considerable amount of offensive pressure, with sophomore Nik Johnson ’28 leading the charge.
The Buccaneers didn’t stay down long and wasted no time turning things around. On Friday, Nov. 14, the Bucs took on Hiram College and won 6-1.
The next men’s hockey home game is Thursday, Nov. 20, and shuttles will be offered for student spectators.
Photo credit: Elliot Ave-Lallemant’27
Leave a Reply