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Tide turns against UAH in overtime

The UAH club hockey team saw its four-game win streak snapped Saturday as the Alabama AAU D1 team bit back with a 4-3 overtime decision at the Huntsville Ice Sports Center.

A day after the Chargers sniped the Tide 3-2 in overtime, UAH surrendered a 3-0 lead to fall to 4-2-1 on the season. Alabama improved to 5-4-0.

Keaton Watts scored the first two Charger goals, one coming three minutes into the contest, the other on a tap-in rebound two minutes into the second period.

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At the 4:36 mark of the second, Josh Corrow’s back-hand pass from behind the goal line found Henry Hoff all alone in the slot, and Hoff buried it to give UAH a 3-0 lead.

The Frozen Tide got on the board with three minutes left in the second on a Dylan Dreveny goal. Early in the third, Finn Forster cut UAH’s lead to 3-2.

Alabama then tied the game halfway through the third on a Matt Dumond power-play goal that wasn’t without controversy. The UAH bench was very vocal as it appeared a lineman missed an offsides call against the Tide right before the goal.

The Chargers survived a late Kolton Watts interference penalty that extended into overtime, but Seb Henault scored the game-winner for the Tide with 1:51 remaining.

Andrew Sledge made 38 saves, including some big saves in the overtime penalty kill to keep the Chargers alive. The Tide outshot the Chargers 42-32.

UAH gets back into College Hockey South Division 2 North action next weekend with a big series at home against Clemson. Both the Chargers and Tigers are 3-0 in conference play.

Pictured: UAH goaltender Andrew Sledge makes a save against the Tide. Photo by Todd Thompson/RiverCat Photography.

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Resilient Chargers finish off sweep of MTSU

Kolton Watts scored two goals to lead the UAH club hockey team to a 7-5 win over Middle Tennessee on Saturday for a series sweep.

The Chargers (3-1-1) have won three straight to start College Hockey South play. MTSU falls to 1-5-0 overall and 1-3-0 in league play.

A much quieter first period compared to Friday’s frenetic game, but there were still many shots on goal to be had. UAH outshot MTSU 16-15 in the period.

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This time it was the Chargers who scored first, with Elijah Howard netting his first goal of the season from the slot at the 6:35 mark. However, Brendan Ogle would equalize for the Blue Raiders almost a minute later.

Things picked up in the first half of the second period, however. Keaton Watts and Kolton Watts scored to put UAH up 3-1, but Middle Tennessee fought back to tie the game by the halfway point.

MTSU took its first lead of the game at the 2:43 mark of the third, but Josh Corrow, who had a hat trick in Friday’s 13-7 win, rifled a score from the left side just five seconds into a UAH power play to tie the game at 4-4.

Zachary Giblin put the Blue Raiders up again near the halfway point of the third. The Chargers then showed resiliency yet again, tying the game at 5-5 as Kolton Watts finished a tic-tac-toe play with Keaton Watts. Kolton has a team-leading seven goals on the year.

With 7:11 to go, Henry Hoff took a snipe up the middle to regain the lead for the Chargers at 6-5. Then with under two minutes to go, Hoff finished the 7-5 win with a goal on a two-on-none with Bradly McDonald.

Drew Sledge played in goal for UAH, stopping 32 of 37 MTSU shots. UAH had 45 shots on goal in the contest.

The Chargers have the next weekend off before hosting Alabama’s AAU D1 team in non-conference action at the Huntsville Ice Sports Center on Oct. 13 and 14.

Pictured: Bradly McDonald (forward) celebrates as Kolton Watts scores one of his goals. Photo by Jaime Crawford/JC Sports Photography

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UAH scores 13 in win over MTSU

The UAH club hockey team rolled to an 13-7 win over Middle Tennessee on Friday night in Antioch, Tenn.

UAH (2-1-1 overall, 2-0-0 College Hockey South) actually fell behind 3-0 in the first ten minutes, but then cruised to win the opener of the two-game set. Game two against MTSU (1-4-0, 1-2-0) Saturday night is at 8:45 p.m.

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It was the worst possible start for the Chargers, who allowed goals on the first two MTSU shots in the first minute of play. Add a power-play goal at the halfway point of the opening period and the Blue Raiders rolled to a 3-0 lead.

UAH was short-handed again after that third goal, but got on the board 44 seconds later. Keaton Watts stole the puck at center ice and then scored high stick-side from the left circle, cutting MTSU’s lead to 3-1.

The Chargers tied the game at 3-3 with back-to-back power-play goals 1:30 apart on blasts from Josh Corrow and Bradly McDonald. Then with 1:01 remaining in the first, Henry Hoff gave UAH its first lead as he roofed in a rebound.

About seven minutes into the second period, UAH scored three goals in a span of 32 seconds to lead 7-3. Kolton Watts, Corrow, and Nathan Litton provided the tallies.

MTSU got one back with 9:03 remaining in the period, but Corrow’s third goal of the night and Elijah Howard’s pickpocket in the slot gave the Chargers a 9-4 lead in the second intermission.

UAH outscored MTSU 4-3 in a garbage-time third period. Keaton and Kolton Watts, Hoff, and Jacob Harrison scored for the Chargers.

Cameron Crawford stopped 27 of 34 shots between the pipes for UAH, which outshot MTSU 42-34.

Pictured: Josh Corrow fires a shot that led to one of his three goals on the night. Photo by Jaime Crawford/JC Sports Photography.

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Watts power: Chargers sting Vols in OT

Keaton Watts’s power-play goal early in overtime gave the UAH club hockey team its first victory of the season, a 4-3 decision over Tennessee on Friday night at the Huntsville Ice Sports Center.

The Chargers got a four-point night from Keaton’s brother Kolton and 43 saves from goaltender Cameron Crawford to win the College Hockey South opener for both teams.

Tennessee (0-3-0 overall, 0-1-0 CHS) scored the opening goal halfway through the first period on a close call. Connor Frazer’s shot in the slot was just before a whistle, and the officials determined that the puck crossed the goal line past Crawford in time.

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The Chargers (1-1-1 overall, 1-0-0 CHS) tied the game at 1-1 just under five minutes remaining in the second period when Matteo Siciliano’s blast from the left point found its way home. Kolton Watts and Henry Hoff got the assists on the power-play goal.

The Vols regained the lead about six minutes later on a Michael Consentino tally, but UAH equalized again with 1:07 to go in the period. Kolton Watts followed up a rebound from the right circle after a Charger breakaway to make it 2-2 after two.

Kolton scored his second goal of the night halfway through the third, taking Keaton’s pass from the defensive zone up the right wing and beating Patrick Green for UAH’s first lead.

The Chargers committed back-to-back tripping penalties, and Louis Gimbert tied the game for Tennessee at 3-3 with 2:19 left in regulation.

Then the Vols got the penalty bug, with boarding and roughing calls to set up a two-man advantage in the final 1:22 of regulation.

The game did go into overtime, and with a 5-on-4 advantage, Keaton Watts found the puck in the slot and wristed it home for the winner 52 seconds in.

The Chargers won despite the Vols holding a 46-30 advantage in shots.

UAH sees its first road action next weekend at Middle Tennessee State.

Pictured: Cameron Crawford, Josh Campbell, and Zachary Wolfe celebrate UAH’s overtime victory. Photo by Todd Thompson/RiverCat Photography.

Chargers fall 6-1 to AU

The UAH club hockey team lost 6-1 to Auburn on Saturday to finish its season-opening two-game set.

Keaten Watts scored the Chargers’ lone goal with 4:09 remaining in the second period after Auburn (1-0-1) staked a 5-0 lead.

Elijah Howard got an assist.

UAH (0-1-1) will next host Tennessee to open conference play in College Hockey South’s Division 2 North.

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Chargers survive ferocious Auburn rally in 5-5 tie

The UAH club hockey team survived a furious Auburn rally and held on for a 5-5 tie in its season opener for both teams at the Huntsville Ice Sports Center on Friday night.

The Chargers held a 5-1 lead early in the third period, scoring five straight before Auburn countered with four of their own. Cameron Crawford had a stalwart 62-save performance, including stopping seven Tiger shots in overtime.

Game two of the series is at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

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Auburn took a 1-0 lead with 47 seconds remaining in the first period with Henry Lange’s power-play goal. The Tigers outshot the Chargers 16-3 in the frame.

The second period was all Chargers. UAH tied the game at the 4:18 mark when Kolton Watts beat Camden Denk on a 2-on-none break with Henry Hoff.

Watts would leave the match on a game misconduct along with Auburn’s Jordan Pakuris following a scrum in front of the Charger net. UAH did get a resulting power play, and Hoff slipped the puck between Denk’s pad and the post for a 2-1 Chargers lead with just under eight minutes remaining in the second.

Hoff made it 3-1 over two minutes later on another power play as the Tigers were racking up penalties. His snapper from the left was assisted by Bradly McDonald and Keaton Watts.

McDonald made it a four-goal period in the final minute, with Tyler Trombly and Josh Corrow with the helpers.

UAH made it five unanswered when Jackson Herman scored early in the third. Auburn cut the Chargers’ lead to 5-2 with a power-play goal two minutes later.

Auburn then took advantage of three consecutive UAH penalties to complete the rally. The Tigers tied the game at 5-5 with 3:17 remaining.

The Tigers outshot the Chargers 67-29.

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Lakers roll over UAH in game 1

Lake Superior State pulled away in the second period to defeat UAH 6-1 on Friday night in Game 1 of the WCHA quarterfinals series in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

UAH (3-17-1) faces elimination heading into Saturday’s Game 2, which starts at 4:07 p.m. Central Time.

The Lakers (16-6-3) struck first at the 3:14 on a goal by Pete Veillette, who is too dangerous to be left alone. Veillette was unmarked as he took a pass from behind the net in front and quickly beat David Fessenden for his 12th goal of the season.

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Lake Superior took a 2-0 lead eight minutes later on a power-play goal. Fessenden never saw the puck as it slipped between him and the post after flying through a screen off the stick of Brandon Puricelli in the right circle.

After a penalties on the Lakers at the end of the first period and 24 seconds into the second, UAH had a prime opportunity to come back. But despite having over a minute and a half of two-man advantage and scoring a goal, the Chargers found themselves no closer.

Lucas Bahn, dragging the puck to make a Laker defenseman commit, snapped the puck past Mitens for his second goal of the season to cut LSSU’s lead to 2-1.

The Lakers regained their two-goal lead with a short-handed goal just six seconds later. Veillette stole the puck in the UAH zone and quickly scored his second goal of the game.

LSSU then scored three goals in a span of 4:50 to pull away, starting with a Lukas Kaelble’s blast from the blue line to make it 4-1.

Fessenden’s night of tough breaks ended with 3:40 left in the second, when Alexandro Ambrosio’s shot, deflected by Jacob Nordqvist, hit his pad, went up in the air, and somehow fell in the net for a 5-1 Laker lead.

Derek Krall came in, and soon allowed a Miroslav Mucha goal that made it 6-1 at the second intermission. There was no scoring in the third period.

The Lakers outshot the Chargers 27-14.

Bemidji State shuts out UAH again

If this was the last meeting between longtime rivals UAH and Bemidji State for a while, it will be hardly memorable, especially for the Chargers.

The Chargers was shut out by the Beavers again Sunday, this time by a 4-0 margin at the Sanford Center. UAH lost 2-0 on Saturday.

UAH (3-16-1 overall, 3-11-0 WCHA) ends the regular season losing 11 of the last 12 games. The Chargers’ offense continues to struggle, scoring only six goals during their now seven-game losing streak.

The Chargers now turn to the WCHA playoffs. UAH, the seventh seed, will head to second-seeded Lake Superior State for the best-of-3 WCHA quarterfinals starting Friday.

Bemidji State (13-8-3, 8-5-1), the fourth seed, will host fifth-seeded Michigan Tech.

Derek Krall got the start in net for the Chargers for his first action since Feb. 17. He made 25 saves on 29 BSU shots.

The Beavers wore down the Charger defense on a long shift and took an early lead when Alex Ierullo scored through a crowd in front of the UAH net just 2:11 into the contest.

BSU could have had more. They only had nine shots on goal in the first period because the Chargers blocked 12 attempts.

UAH had three power-play attempts in the second period but could not do much with them.

Bemidji State made it 2-0 by tiring out the Chargers again. Brad Belisle scored on a rebound with 6:08 remaining in the second.

The Beavers got two quick goals early in the third period, both on deflections by Alex Adams.

UAH shut out at Bemidji

The Chargers, playing with a shorthanded lineup, were shut out 2-0 on Saturday at Bemidji State.

UAH dressed only 10 forwards and 18 players total. No reason has been given for the short roster.

The Chargers (3-15-1 overall, 3-10-0 WCHA) were fine enough defensively, getting 31 saves from goaltender David Fessenden and blocking 22 shots, but managed only 16 shots on BSU netminder Zach Driscoll.

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Bemidji State (12-8-3, 7-5-1) scored first when Aaron Miller took a nice centering pass by Eric Martin, beating Fessenden low at the doorstep with 3:06 left in the first period.

The Chargers generated more scoring chances during the first half of the second period, but could not yet solve Driscoll. The senior netminder, who denied Tyrone Bronte in his breakaway in the first period, made a stop on Frank Vitucci’s rebound opportunity to keep UAH off the board.

Two straight slashing penalties against Brian Scoville put the Beavers back in the offense, and it was again Fessenden’s turn to shine. He made 13 saves in the second period to keep it a one-goal game at intermission.

The Beavers scored their second goal during a delayed penalty on Ayodele Adeniye, as Brendan Harris back-handed a rebound with 6:26 remaining in the third period.

UAH killed that penalty, but the Chargers’ chances dwindled when Adrian Danchenko got a kneeing major and a game misconduct with 3:40 left.

The regular season ends Sunday with the series finale at Bemidji starting at 2 p.m.

The Chargers know where they are going for their WCHA quarterfinal series. UAH, already locked in as the seventh seed, will head to Lake Superior State, which clinched the second seed with a 2-1 win over Ferris State on Saturday. Game 1 of the best-of-3 series is Friday.

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BG’s third-period burst denies UAH of upset

Bowling Green spoiled UAH’s Senior Day upset bid Sunday, scoring twice halfway through the third period toward a 4-2 win at the Von Braun Center.

The Chargers (3-14-1, 3-9-0 WCHA) led the 13th-ranked Falcons 2-1 at the second intermission in their season home finale, but could not capitalize on crucial power-play opportunities at the start of the third period.

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UAH finishes the regular season next weekend at Bemidji State. The Chargers are locked into the seventh seed in the WCHA playoffs, which begin in two weeks.

Bowling Green (19-8-1, 8-5-1) made its grip on the second seed tighter with the victory, leading Lake Superior State by seven points. If the Falcons hold, they would be hosting UAH in the best-of-3 quarterfinals. Bowling Green has finished its regular season.

The Falcons outshot the Chargers 27-18 and won the possession battle most of the game, but UAH that held the lead twice.

The Chargers got an unlikely goal from an unlikely spot to open the scoring. Defenseman Lucas Bahn took the puck up the right half-wall to just in front of the goal line, threw it toward the net and banked it off Falcon goaltender Zach Rose with 1:26 remaining in the first period.

It was Bahn’s first goal of the season and second of his UAH career, assisted by Connor Merkley, playing for the first time since February 5, and Adrian Danchenko.

UAH gave away the lead almost immediately after starting the second. A turnover lead to a two-on-none breakaway for the Falcons. Tim Theocharidis finally scored after playing catch with Brandon Kruse to tie the game at 1-1 just 35 seconds into the period.

The Chargers got the lead right at 2-1 back with their first short-handed goal of the season. Drew Lennon’s slapshot from the right circle, off a nifty cross-ice pass from Bauer Neudecker, beat Rose for his second goal of the season near the halfway point in the contest.

The Falcons used a short leash on Rose, pulling him for senior Eric Dop, who shut out the Chargers in Bowling Green on Wednesday. Dop continued to stymie UAH, stopping all nine shots he faced.

UAH had a huge chance to increase its lead at the end of the second period and the start of the third. Anton Malmstrom drew a major penalty and a game misconduct with a hit from behind on Connor Wood, and T.J. Lloyd took a roughing minor to give the Chargers a two-man advantage for two minutes.

The Chargers could not capitalize despite getting five shots on Dop over the five minutes of power-play time.

That would bite UAH halfway into the third, when Bowling Green scored two quick goals to take a 3-2 lead. Connor Ford stuck in a rebound in front during a power-play with 10:43 remaining, and Sam Craggs then scored high on the doorstep 54 seconds later.

Ford then added an empty-net goal with 49 seconds remaining for the final 4-2 score.

Before the Chargers’ final home game of the season, UAH honored seniors Merkley and Wood.