By Abby Doperak · KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Ice Vols will host the South Carolina Gamecocks in a weekend series at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on Nov. 8 and 9. Tennessee…
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Ice Vols will host the South Carolina Gamecocks in a weekend series at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on Nov. 8 and 9.
Tennessee is looking to carry over the momentum from their most recent sweep against Auburn, which featured back-to-back home shutouts. After an off weekend that allowed for extra practice time, the Ice Vols are ready to return to competition.
In their series against Auburn, Tennessee made several major adjustments to their lines and overall roster in search of on-ice chemistry. With the return of defenseman Chris Kelly and the call-up of two Division III players, the Ice Vols appeared to find their rhythm.
However, just as Tennessee seemed to be hitting its stride, the team faces another challenge. Several players have landed on the injured reserve list since the matchup against Middle Tennessee State. Fans will see key contributors such as forward Henry Cohen and alternate captain Tyler Iles sit out this weekend while they recover.
Even with a short-handed lineup, Tennessee isn’t taking this matchup lightly.
“Obviously, this is never ideal,” forward Jake Premo said. “We have to have the next man up mentality. Some players will have to step up and fill some important roles.”
South Carolina enters the series fresh from a 7-0 shutout victory against Wake Forest. The Gamecocks also blanked Clemson 7-0 the week before, giving them back-to-back shutouts of their own.
Despite sweeping the Gamecocks last season and holding a 6-5 record this year, Tennessee knows it must remain sharp. This weekend marks the first two of a potential five matchups between the teams this season. The Ice Vols hope to use the series to study South Carolina’s strengths and weaknesses and gain an advantage later in the year.
While Tennessee has been strong at home this season, South Carolina has shown the ability to dominate both at home and on the road. With both teams capable of producing shutouts, the Ice Vols’ offense will need to elevate its play.
“You can’t look at previous opponents,” Premo said. “We have to keep playing our game and our style of offense. We need to just stick to what we’ve been doing and trust that it will work.”
Fans are encouraged to attend as the Ice Vols face the Gamecocks at 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:00 p.m. Sunday at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased online or at the door. Admission is free for students with a valid student ID.