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.
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.