By Joey Lachman
WESLEY CHAPEL-The UCF Knights were handed a crushing 10-0 defeat Saturday night courtesy of a fantastic performance from the USF Ice Bulls. The Ice Bulls packed the stadium at Advent Health Arena and gave their fans a great show. The victory capped off a weekend sweep of the UCF Knights and propelled USF into the top 10 of the conference standings. The Ice Bulls are now preparing for a matchup with the University of Miami before their senior night on Feb. 11.
It was a close game for the first six minutes or so and then USF turned up the heat with a goal from center, Andrew Ward. After the first goal, the Arena erupted with cheers and applause, and it was the beginning of a great night for the Ice Bulls and their fans. Throughout the game the fans' relentless passion and energy only made the Ice Bulls skate even harder. two more goals came in the first period for the Ice Bulls each scored by Tyler Stowe, the Junior forward, and we went into the first intermission with a score of 3-0 USF.
This would be the start of a trend for the Ice Bulls as they scored at least three goals in each period Saturday night. USF dominated the stat sheet with 56 shots on goal, double that of UCF. With the momentum on their side seemingly all night, the Bulls continued to have long shifts in the Knight's defensive zone and found ways to put the puck in the back of the net. The Freshman with a lightning shot, Andrew Ward, netted a goal in each of the three periods giving him a hat trick.
Throughout the game, the chants and hollers were pushing the players to put on a show for their loving supporters. “The fans made a big difference today, [the fans] brought a lot of energy and I think it was shown in our play,” said senior goaltender Tyler Leniek. “We always look forward to these games, it always brings a big crowd, we don’t want to let down the fans, we want to come out and ball out and do our best.”
Not to be overlooked is the tidy defensive work by the Bulls and the outstanding play by their goaltender Tyler Leniek. Leniek was a brick wall in the crease for USF saving 26 out of 26 shots and having a few incredible stops denying the Knight’s offense. This victory moves USF to 11-9-0 on the season and advances them to ninth place in the CHS South standings.
It was an incredible atmosphere for Bulls fans Saturday night as their team won with an exclamation point. After back-to-back wins in which the Ice Bulls played a high-quality brand of hockey, things are looking up. Suring things up in their own zone, being patient with the puck and finding ways to finish off chances have been the Ice Bull's way as of late. If the energy in the Advent Health Arena Saturday night is a sign of anything to come, the final home game of the year, Senior Night, Saturday, February 11th against Embry Riddle will certainly be one to remember.
Phenomenal reporting work, Joey! Great job!