By Russ Eddins
Journalism Student
The second series of inter-division play could have gone better for the Ice Rebs. Clemson came to Olive Branch and took both games. While this does sting for the Rebs, they still have a lot of season left.
Clemson is having an outstanding season, and the Rebs caught them at the wrong time. That being said, Ole Miss did not help themselves. They played poorly at times in game one and most of game two.
The Rebs never had a lead in this series. Game one was really good, but it felt like Ole Miss was on their heels for most of it. A penalty shot for the Tigers doubled their lead, putting the game on ice. The final score was 6-2.
A series of odd-man rushes for the Tigers put them up 5-1 after the two periods in game two. Ole Miss never seemed to get a foothold in this game.
Defense coach James Erwin said, “There’s currently a lack of pride and identity” in the team. Earlier in the season, the coaches recognized that the team was too high on the highs and too low on the lows. They are currently at a low point, and it is up to the veterans on the team to keep everyone going. No one on the team is taking these losses.
The Refs
The refs were atrocious all series long. On several occasions, penalties were called on Ole Miss that either should not have been penalties or should have been given to Clemson. Bad calls happen, but they happened way too often in this serious. It is not just a matter of having a fair game but also a matter of player safety.
Physicality is a very important aspect of hockey is hitting; however, it is the ref’s job to ensure it is done correctly and without intent to injure severely. The players are college students; their safety should be the ref’s number one concern, and in this series, it was not.
Notable Performances
Alex Wallace and Patrick O’Brien(Clemson) had one goal and two three-point assists.
The most notable player in this series was Sully Kopf. He only had two assists for two points, but it seemed like he got a lot of ice time. If Clemson had a big play, Sully Kopf was a part of it in this series.
What’s Next
The Ice Rebs look to get back on track against Southern Illinois Edwardsville Univeristy(SIUE) this weekend in Illinois. The Ole Miss hockey team will post the game times on Friday and Saturday.
There is a lot of hockey left to play. The Rebs have several divisional matchups yet. They have plenty of time to figure things out and get it going. The Rebs have back-to-back divisional series a few weeks after the SIUE series. The season is far from over.
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