By Abby Doperak · ANTIOCH, Tenn. – The Tennessee Ice Vols will travel to Antioch to face the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders on Friday, Oct. 17, at 9:45…
ANTIOCH, Tenn. – The Tennessee Ice Vols will travel to Antioch to face the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders on Friday, Oct. 17, at 9:45 p.m EST.
In their most recent series against the Tampa Spartans, the Ice Vols split the weekend. Tennessee opened strong with a win on Friday, Oct. 10, showing solid puck control and communication. However, the team struggled to maintain momentum in a loss on Sunday, Oct. 12.
“It’s all about consistency,” President and goalie Patrick Green said. “We’ve typically been successful on Fridays and have to bring that mentality through the rest of the weekend. If we stick to our fundamentals, we’ll turn out just fine.”
The Blue Raiders enter Friday’s matchup following a sweep of Lynn University, earning a 10-5 win on Oct. 10 and a 5-4 overtime victory on Oct. 11. With a 6-2 record, MTSU looks to continue its strong offensive run.
To counter MTSU’s offensive power, the Ice Vols will need to lean on a defense that has consistently been a bright spot this season. Tennessee currently sits at 4-4, aiming to move past inconsistency and push for a winning season.
“We’ve always been a team that loves to win, and historically the last few years we’ve been successful at that,” Green said. “We need to find our routine of winning, and that’ll carry us through our upcoming games.”
It’s an exciting weekend for Tennessee hockey fans; Tennessee’s M3 team will also face the Blue Raiders in Antioch. The M3 squad kicks off its season Saturday, Oct. 18, at 3:30 p.m. EST, against an MTSU team with eight games already under its belt.
“It is exciting to finally get into playing games and competing at a higher level,” defenseman Nate Zimmerman said. “I know everyone on the team has been eager to play in a game, and we have a lot of young talent that is going to do great things.”
Opening the season against a more seasoned opponent presents a challenge, but the Ice Vols are confident in their development and ready to compete at a high level.
“I think one of our biggest strengths we hope to use to beat MTSU is our speed,” Zimmerman said. “We have a lot of new guys and returning players that can move the puck up and down the ice really quickly, giving us a lot of opportunities to score.”
With momentum building across both rosters, the weekend could mark a turning point for Tennessee hockey.