South Carolina’s hopes to ring 2018 in victorious disappeared in a flurry of odd-man rushes and ill-timed penalties Saturday night as Georgia rolled to a 13-5 whitewash in Irmo.
Gamecocks forward and team captain Jake Tengi returned to the ice after being sidelined for two months and registered a goal, but little could be done to stop the flow of the Ice Dawgs' attack. The offense that netted Georgia back-to-back SECHC titles in 2016 and 2017 quickly took center stage as they scored three times within the opening minute and 42 seconds. Georgia headed into the first intermission leading 6-2 and never looked back en route to their third win of the season over South Carolina.
The Ice Dawgs set the tone just nine seconds after the opening faceoff, as a pass along the neutral zone boards sunk behind South Carolina defenseman Greyson Curry and was picked up on the other side by Ice Dawgs forward Zach Flasch for a two-on-one rush that ended with Carter Penzien beating goaltender Jared Ward for Penzien’s first of three goals on the night.
Ward was pulled just prior to the end of the first period after surrendering his sixth goal on 20 shots. Nick Jasinsky recorded 22 saves on 29 shots in relief for the Gamecocks.
On special teams, the Gamecocks' penalty kill buckled as Georgia poured in four power play goals on six attempts. South Carolina defenseman Brian Sohr added a power play marker of his own in the second period to get the Gamecocks within three, but Georgia responded with five unanswered goals to close out the game.
Tengi beat Georgia’s Andrew Webb early in the second period for his seventh goal of the year and first since returning from a concussion he sustained at Georgia on Nov. 3.
As of Jan. 17, the Gamecocks are ranked tenth in ACHA D3 South Region, just high enough to qualify for a spot in the South Regional Tournament next month.
South Carolina is back in action Saturday against Georgia Tech at The ICE in Cumming, Georgia.