RJ Craig
This past weekend, the Lady Ice Dawgs traveled to Columbus, Ga. to face off against their divisional foes in the second annual Columbus Classic.
Friday, Game 1
The Dawgs’ first game was against the University of Tampa Spartans, a rematch from last year’s tournament.
The first period featured a dominant effort from Tampa—five different players scored to give Tampa an early 5-0 advantage, including three points from senior forward Laura McGregor.
The second period saw the Dawgs go on the power play following a high-sticking call on Tampa, but they could not take advantage.
Two more Tampa goals in the third sealed the game, shutting out the Dawgs 8-0.
Saturday, Game 2
The Dawgs’ next opponent was the University of South Florida Ice Bulls.
As with the game against Tampa, the first period also saw the Ice Bulls go up 5-0 with senior captain Annabella Buontempo leading the scoring with four points and sophomore forward Jules Eisenberg shortly behind with three points.
In the second period, USF scored another goal, only to be quickly countered by Georgia’s sophomore forward Paige Oukes who scored a short-handed goal following a hooking call against the Dawgs.
Oukes scored again in the third, with an assist by freshman forward Georgia Verheyden, but her effort proved futile as the Dawgs lost 9-2.
Sunday, Game 3
The Dawgs’ third and final game was against the University of Miami Hurricanes, and the Dawgs sought to avoid the weekend sweep by capturing a win.
The Dawgs came out swinging early in the first period with goals from Oukes and senior forward Cecelia Pumpelly to go up 2-0, their first-ever lead in the tournament. Miami scored at 6:46 to cut the lead in half.
The second period was a back-and-forth affair between the two teams.
Over four minutes, Miami and Georgia exchanged blows: Miami struck first about four minutes into the period, followed by Georgia scoring a minute later (Verheyden, Oukes), combatted by a Miami goal a minute later, which was only countered by another Georgia goal (Oukes) thirty seconds later.
Verheyden scored again less than a minute after Oukes’ goal to take back the lead.
Once the dust settled, the Dawgs led 5-4.
In the third, Miami tied the game at five goals apiece at around the 9:00 mark, but Oukes put the Dawgs ahead for good on the assist from senior forward Mya Kearney.
Despite dropping the first two games, the Dawgs’ decisive 6-5 victory over Miami helped them end the tournament on a high note.
It was a stellar performance for Verheyden and Oukes, who combined for seven points and five goals. Oukes recorded another hat trick, her fourth of the season.
“[It] was the most fun game I’ve played since I joined the team…we definitely felt like the underdogs going into that game, so walking away with such a hard-fought win was so rewarding” senior forward Katherine Davis said.
While the Dawgs perhaps did not win as many games as they had hoped, they inspired a new generation of girls to play hockey by simply being there, skating around the rink with a positive attitude, and smiling from ear to ear, no matter the score on the ice.
“We’ve already seen impressive growth…not only are we expanding our own teams and increasing viewership, but we’re also inspiring the next generation of players,” captain Hailey Hultberg said.
In an incredible weekend for women’s hockey, the Columbus Classic drew many new fans and girls who otherwise would not have been exposed to hockey, and the Dawgs will continue to be an integral part of furthering that goal.