Tag: Georgia Tech

The Second Annual College Hockey Scholar Shootout Is ONE WEEK AWAY

On October 2nd through the 4th, the Vanderbilt Ice Hockey Club will host the second annual College Hockey Scholar Shootout at Ford Ice Center in Antioch, Tennessee. The tournament will feature Vanderbilt’s hockey club alongside programs from five other universities: Georgia Tech, the University of North Carolina, and Northwestern, as well as first-time participants Notre Dame and Duke.

The teams participating, club-level programs and members of the American Collegiate Hockey Conference (ACHA), all hail from universities ranked in the top-50 academically according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2015 College Rankings. They will be competing for the rights to claim the Keith Davis Scholar Shootout Memorial Trophy – otherwise known as “The Davey” – in honor of the Vanderbilt ice hockey club’s founder Keith Davis (Vanderbilt ’79) who passed away in 2011. A successful doctor and businessman following his graduation from Vanderbilt, Keith embodied the student-athlete ideal throughout his life that the tournament is meant to celebrate.

Here is the schedule for the weekend (all in Central Time):

Friday 10/2

  • 7:00pm – VANDERBILT vs. Notre Dame
  • 9:15pm – GEORGIA TECH vs. Duke
  • 9:30pm – NORTHWESTERN vs North Carolina

Saturday 10/3

  • 2:15pm – NORTHWESTERN vs. Vanderbilt
  • 4:45pm – DUKE vs. Notre Dame
  • 7:15pm – NORTH CAROLINA vs. Georgia Tech

Sunday 10/4

  • 8:30am – DUKE vs. Northwestern
  • 10:30am – NOTRE DAME vs. Georgia Tech
  • 11:00am – VANDERBILT vs. North Carolina.

* Home team in caps

Admission will be free so bring the entire family, fraternity, choir … bring EVERYBODY out to the Ford Ice Center for an awesome weekend of hockey that celebrates the very best virtues of college athletics!

MAPCO Scholar Shootout Update: Day 1 in the Books, Trophy Announced

Day 1 of the MAPCO College Hockey Scholar Shootout wrapped up with plenty of fireworks and intrigue. Hosted by the Vanderbilt ice hockey club, the tournament features programs hailing from Universities that rank in the top-50 academically according to the 2014 U.S. News. & World Report.

Here’s your day 1 wrap-up:

  • Vanderbilt 13, Georgia Tech 2 (7:00pm CT)
  • Northwestern 9, Wake Forest 4 (9:15pm CT)
  • Florida 4, North Carolina 3 (9:30pm CT)

The Host Rolls

Powered once again by the team’s top line and power play units, Vanderbilt rolled over its long time out-of-conference rival Georgia Tech in the tournament’s opener. Sophomore Ryan Doppelheuer and junior Jack Gibbons both netted hat tricks while sophomore John Longman notched two and senior Anthony Bilotta scored one. All totaled, seven different players registered for Vanderbilt.

In his first start in net, Commodores freshman Jake Rubinstein stood tall making 25 saves on 27 shots for the win.

Jack Kisor and Joey Schutz accounted for the Georgia Tech goals.

Wildcats Pounce Early, Stave Off Late Demon Deacon Surge

In a penalty-filled game that saw both teams collectively net 18 penalties and Wake Forest receive two game misconducts, Northwestern jumped to a 6-1 second period lead and held on for the 9-4 win. Details to follow with this one. Unfortunately, the statistician’s scoresheet was too blurry to read.

Gators Come From Behind To Win Thriller

After falling behind 3-1 early in the second period, the Florida Gators stormed back with two second period goals of its own plus the game winning score midway through the third period to nip the North Carolina Tarheels 4-3. Ryan Geffin netted both the tying and go-ahead goals for Florida.

Alternate captain Matt Gellatly, AJ Hamel, and Akul Gupta scored for North Carolina in a close game that ended with a furious 6-on-4 blitz by the Tar Heels. They will have a quick turnaround as they take on the hosting Vanderbilt club today (Saturday, 10/4) at 1pm.

Introducing The College Hockey Scholar Shootout Trophy: “The Davey”

With the tournament’s focus on student-athletes excelling both on the ice and in the classroom, Vanderbilt’s tournament committee set about to commission a trophy worthy of the commitment of its participating programs. After much deliberation, the committee conceived and built what it believes is an artifact worthy of the event.

Today at the tournament, Vanderbilt will unveil the Keith Davis Scholar Shootout Memorial Trophy – otherwise known as “The Davey” - in honor of the Vanderbilt ice hockey club’s founder Keith Davis (Vanderbilt ’79) who passed away in 2011. A successful doctor and businessman following his graduation from Vanderbilt, Keith embodied the student-athlete ideal throughout his life and so it seemed only fitting to memorialize his contributions to the Vanderbilt and Nashville hockey communities with this trophy.

In terms of the trophy’s construction, the team wanted to make sure the artifact had the proper amount of staying power and gravitas so it looked north for inspiration … and materials.

Forged from a palette of birch wood left over from the original Northland hockey stick factory in Hastings, Minnesota, engineers from a lumber mill in Dickson, Tennessee, fashioned an unformed chunk of wood into a 5-foot, 30-pound, giant pencil. A not-so-subtle reference to the studious qualities of the tournament’s participants, the Davey should look great in on-ice celebration photos for years to come.

Saturday’s Schedule

Be sure to drop by the Ford Ice Center today for another slate of exciting college hockey action. Here is the schedule:

  • 1:00pm -VANDERBILT (Home) vs. NORTH CAROLINA (Away) – North Rink
  • 3:30pm – FLORIDA (Home) vs. WAKE FOREST (Away) – North Rink
  • 6:00pm – GEORGIA TECH (Home) vs. NORTHWESTERN (Away) – South Rink

Thanks so much for your support of this tournament and looking forward to seeing everyone back at the Ford Ice Center for a full slate of hockey action!

Freshman Andrew Dellapina Recaps Georgia Tech, Previews Georgia

It’s no secret that the Vanderbilt Commodores ice hockey club hasn’t gotten off to the greatest start, with a 1-6-1 record through the first half of the semester. With one final game before fall break, the club was looking for something to build on with a stretch of SECHC games fast approaching.

Only a week removed from a last second heartbreaker to Indiana, the players and coaches both knew they were so close to a victory. That feeling only grew as the game began.

Georgia Tech played a very similar style to the Commodores. While most teams that Vanderbilt has faced off against so far have played a grind-it-out, hard-hitting style, GT was a skilled, opportunistic squad that generated its offense on one-off chances.

After a two goal lead evaporated by the end of the second period, the team was rattled. But the words spoken in the locker room seemed to focus the team around one goal: play simple hockey.

“Each individual player was trying to do too much,” noted Captain Anthony Bilotta. “I think we just needed to settle down and play a simpler game. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the game and think we have to try to make plays that aren’t there.”

As the team came out onto the ice for the third period, it was obvious the players had bought into the gameplan. The team came out flying, with countless scoring chances that simply wouldn’t go in. Finally, halfway through the period, freshman defenseman Andrew Dellapina intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and took it over the blue line. He made a move around one Georgia Tech player before getting knocked off of the puck by another. Sophomore transfer Bandar Alsaif locked on to the loose puck and fired a slapshot that beat the goalie glove side for a go-ahead goal.

“I saw an opportunity and jumped at it,” said Dellapina, who recorded his fifth assist of the season on the play. “I was able to get around one guy, but the second one flattened me. I looked up just in time to see Bandar wind up and unload an absolute bomb.”

Unfortunately, the bad luck that seems to have plagued the team reared its ugly head, with Georgia Tech capitalizing on a loose puck after a scramble in the corner to tie the game up with only 5 minutes left. The two teams continued to trade chances in the final five minutes as well as the ensuing overtime, but this game would require a shootout to determine the winner.

After an initial three rounds which couldn’t decide the game, Vanderbilt goaltender Bo Korpman, who stopped a whopping 42 shots during the game, was the victim of more bad luck as he stumbled backward in the middle of Georgia Tech’s shootout attempt, which gave the shooter an easy tap in for a goal. Bilotta was called upon to answer Georgia Tech’s goal, but his shot, which to most people in the building appeared to cross the goal line, was waved off by the official.

“It was pretty incredible,” said Coach Jon Holston after the game. “Everyone on the bench was in disbelief. I thought it was pretty obvious that it was a goal, but it was just the latest in a string of unlucky events.”

Although the ending took the air out of the team, everyone acknowledged that the final 25 minutes of hockey were some of the strongest the team had played all year. The plan was to enjoy fall break and come back ready to improve.

In the week and a half between the GT game and the next practice, some players relaxed. Others, like Junior Doug Kirkpatrick, kept the energy up. “I ran about 175 miles over fall break,” recalled Kirkpatrick, who always leads the rest of the team in the pre-game lap by at least 20 yards. “If I can’t go to sleep at 2 in the morning, I run a few miles. If I get a Computer Science problem wrong, I run a few miles. Pretty much the solution to any problem is to run a few miles.”

When the team returned to practice on Wednesday night, there was a new surprise waiting for them. Club President Jack Delehey, who skated in full equipment on Wednesday for the first time since his knee surgery, was waiting in the locker room with brand new equipment bags for each player. The bags featured each player’s name and number on one side, with the Vanderbilt logo and “Vanderbilt Hockey” on the other.

“The bags are fresh,” commented Tucker Rhodes, who was proclaimed by Coach Thomas Bernstein to be the team’s best passer on Wednesday night. “Everybody knows that 90% of hockey is looking good, so it’s nice to see that we’re stepping our game up.”

The aforementioned determination by Coach Bernstein was a result of passing being the focus of this week’s practice. He stood up in the stands, meticulously marking down each pass made by each player and whether or not it was caught by the recipient.

“Passing can open up our game in so many different ways,” said Coach Bernstein of the importance of connecting on a higher percentage of passing plays. “If we can make smarter passes in games and keep possession for longer, we’ll tire other teams out much more quickly and spend more time in the opposing team’s zone.”

The Commodores will look to put that theory to the test on Sunday as they take on the University of Georgia at 10:25 AM at A-Game Sportsplex in Franklin. With 8 games left in the first semester, 4 of which are League matchups.

“We’ve got six more league games to play,” advised Alternate Captain Jack Gibbons, “and there’s no reason to believe we can’t win all of them.”

Added freshman John Longman, who leads the team with 11 points in 8 games, “We’re on the verge of turning this thing around. We’ve just got to stay focused and play our game and these losses will turn into wins.”

Two Solid Wins Eclipsed By Incredible Trip To Local Diner

How do you beat a hockey weekend where you thump an inexperienced team 16-2 (Georgia State), then follow up less than 24 hours later with a 5-3 win over a perennial power (Georgia Tech)? Easy. You throw in a trip to the Marietta Diner located on Cobb Parkway in Marietta, Georgia, just down the road from the El Monte RV Rentals and Sales center. This heavenly locale can transform any hockey road trip into an unforgettable experience, and last weekend was no exception.

The Food Network’s Guy Fieri says of the Georgia hot spot, “You’d expect to find a diner like this, where, in Jersey or Philly? But we’re down south in Marietta.” Coach Bernstein, a New Jersey native, agrees. “It was like being back at home. From the patent leather booths and cheesy Tuscan murals to the massive menu and blazing fast service, the owners nailed everything.”

“It was kind of overwhelming,” said freshman defenseman Harry Londoff when asked about the menu. “You could literally order anything – an egg sandwich, spaghetti and meatballs, a Greek gyro platter, blackened salmon, even Chinese stir-fry. It was incredible.” Londoff settled on ordering the biggest plate of chicken marsala you have ever seen, a selection accompanied by both a soup and salad. “It was enough for three meals, so I was pretty happy.”

Fellow freshman Logan Johnston said of the experience, “We don’t have places like this back in Colorado.” Johnston tried spanakopita, a Greek spinach pie that the restaurant gives out as a complimentary treat to start every meal, for the first time. His feedback? “Just OK. If I liked spinach more, I probably would have liked it more.”

The place is such a hit with locals that not only was there a waiting list at 12:30am, but also it was the go-to selection for sophomores Mike Nisbet and Mike Gangemi who were each separately visiting family and friends from the Marietta area.

Said Nisbet, “It was hilarious to see Gangemi and his friends walk in, then the rest of the team end up at the diner, all without any of our three groups coordinating with one another. I guess it’s just the place to be on a Friday night in Georgia.”

Game Recaps

Not much to say about Friday night’s 16-2 win over Georgia State other than that the Atlanta club is brand new, having just hosted the first two practices of their season. They will certainly get better over the coming years.

Saturday’s game versus Georgia Tech showcased what senior captain Tom Trepanier called, “The first game of our season.” Explaining that “we went into the game with the mentality that we were 0-0,” Trepanier led by example by netting the contest’s first goal at the 8:51 mark of the first period. “We have been, and will continue to be, in ‘credibility-building mode’ in terms of making our presence known in the southeast hockey ranks. We just decided we weren’t going to lose.”

Following a Scooter McLaughlin tally just four minutes later in the first, it looked like Vanderbilt may sprint to its second resounding victory of the road trip and a 6-0 season record. Of course, that feeling evaporated when sophomore David Crowe temporarily went insane and committed an offense so heinous, so obscene, so ghastly, that the Yellow Jackets scored two quick goals, leveling the contest at 2-2.

In all seriousness, the play was not that bad but it did leave the door open for Georgia Tech to get back into the hockey game. Crowe pinched at the left point to keep a puck in the zone, an ill-advised move given that Tech’s left wing was cutting through neutral ice for a fairly routine outlet pass. Knowing he was beat, Crowe picked off the defenseman who made the breakout pass, then engaged in a bit of extracurricular tomfoolery that netted him an interference penalty. The pinch, the penalty, the delayed odd-man situation … it immediately translated to a quick goal for the Yellow Jackets that cut the lead to one. Then, on the resulting penalty kill Tech scored again making Crowe’s actions doubly painful.

“We’ve talked about working to be the smartest team in the league, perhaps in all of the ACHA,” said Bernstein. “That means no retaliation penalties, being in the right position at the right time, knowing when to press and when not to press. And in that moment, David knows he lost his bearings a bit.”

In recognition of this instance and those that may follow with other members of the club, assistant coach Jonathan Holston founded a new tradition following the contest called the “Airhead of the Game” anti-honor. Recipients get a candy bar of the same name which, as Holston points out, allows ‘winners’ to “both wallow in their sorrows and also enjoy a sugary treat to lift back up their spirits – a net positive if I do say so myself.”

Asked about winning the first ever AOTG award following the game, Crowe replied, “Delicious,” then theorized that, “The coaching staff may have mis-aligned the incentives on this one. I love these things!”

Turning Point

At 2-2 and facing increasing pressure from the Georgia Tech front line, the Commodores made a poor line change and let one of the Yellow Jacket players break free on senior goalie Brenden Oliver. In hot pursuit, graduate Ryan Weekes slid and subsequently tripped the player just as he was about to fire away at the net. The attempt, while well-intentioned, resulted in a penalty shot.

Remembering all of the saves he had made in the past year’s worth of “Last Commodore Standing” penalty shot contests, Oliver met the challenge as he stoned a double-deke with his left pad. Recalled Oliver, “He came in from the center which gave me an opportunity to manage the angles pretty well. He put the puck on his backhand but I could just read he was going to try to stuff home a forehand on my glove side. Sure enough, that’s what he did and I was able to get the save.”

The play proved to be the turning point of the game as the ‘Dores quickly notched two goals to head into the third with a 4-2 lead. Tech cut the lead to a goal but sophomore sensation Brad Pesce restored order with his eighth goal of the season enroute to a 5-3 final.

“I was incredibly proud of the guys,” said Bernstein following the game. “We played a great team, and despite taking a few shots in the mouth we hung tough. Great signs for the season.”

In attendance were about 250 fans including HockeyYall.com writer Jim Davis who was good enough to stop by the locker room after the game. Davis noted that as of Saturday, the Commodores were one of two teams in the South to still be undefeated and the only club to have 6 wins. “That news definitely added to the guys’ post-game satisfaction level,” said Bernstein, “but we’re not stopping here.”

Next up for the ‘Dores is a top-flight Florida team followed by the year-in/year-out SECHC contender Bulldogs of Georgia. “The measuring sticks are going to keep on coming,” said Trepanier. “We look forward to the challenge.”

Next Game

Following a week off for fall break, the Commodores will be back on the ice on Friday, October 14th, at 10:10pm at the Atlanta IceForum in Duluth, Georgia, versus the University of Florida Gators. If you’re in the area, please come support the team. In the meantime, the ice hockey club’s best wishes go out to Vandy football as they look to take down the JV NFL team that is the Alabama Crimson Tide. Coach Franklin et al, we believe you can pull off the miracle!

Game Information
Date & Time: Friday, September 30th, 2011 at 8:10pm ET
Location: Marietta Ice Center – Marietta, GA
Attendance: 60

1 2 3 F &#9733
Thomas Trepanier (RW): 4 goals, 1 assist
VU 5 6 5 16 &#9733&#9733
Brad Pesce (RW): 4 goals, 1 assist
GS 0 1 1 2 &#9733&#9733&#9733
Joey Grisko (LW): 3 goals, 1 assist
First Period Scoring Summary
Time: Team:
Scoring Detail:
 VU: GS:
9:08 VU
Grisko (1) – Blatt
 1 0
5:38 VU
McCann (4) – Johnston
 2 0
5:31 VU
Kaminsky (3) – Pesce
 3 0
3:02 VU
Pesce (3) – Rosenfield
 4 0
1:23 VU
Trepanier (2) – McCann
 5 0
Second Period Scoring Summary
Time: Team:
Scoring Detail:
 VU: GS:
15:30 VU
Pesce (4) – Ross
 6 0
12:58 VU
Trepanier (3) – Grisko
 7 0
9:46 VU
Grisko (2) – Unassisted
 8 0
8:41 VU
Pesce (5) – Unassisted
 9 0
6:52 VU
Kaminsky (4) – Smallwood, Weekes
 10 0
3:30 GS
Casserly (1) – Unassisted
 10 1
1:25 VU
Grisko (3) – McCann, Trepanier
 11 1
Third Period Scoring Summary
Time: Team:
Scoring Detail:
 VU: GS:
16:44 VU
Trepanier (4) – McCann
 12 1
14:30 VU
Reno (2) – Rosenfield, Leeser
 13 1
13:37 VU
Trepanier (5) – McCann
 14 1
4:30 VU
Blatt (1) – Unassisted
 15 1
4:09 GS
Abranov (1) – Gazzola, Yowler
 15 2
0:01 VU
Pesce (6) – Smallwood
 16 2

Game Information
Date & Time: Saturday, October 1st, 2011 at 3:40pm ET
Location: The ICE – Cumming, GA
Attendance: 250

1 2 3 F &#9733
Brenden Oliver (G): 28 saves
VU 2 2 1 5 &#9733&#9733
Brad Pesce (C): 2 goals
GT 2 0 1 3 &#9733&#9733&#9733
Scott McLaughlin (LW): 1 goal, 2 assists
First Period Scoring Summary
Time: Team:
Scoring Detail:
 VU: GT:
8:51 VU
Trepanier (6) – Blatt, Nisbet
 1 0
4:38 VU
McLaughlin (5) – Ross, D. Crowe
 2 0
3:54 GT
McCray – McKinney
 2 1
3:09 GT
Bishop – Gartner, Roberts
 2 2
Second Period Scoring Summary
Time: Team:
Scoring Detail:
 VU: GT:
5:42 VU
Pesce (7) – McLaughlin, Ross
 3 2
4:23 VU
Rosenfield (4) – Blatt, Londoff
 4 2
Second Period Scoring Summary
Time: Team:
Scoring Detail:
 VU: GT:
18:26 GT
McCrary – McKinney
 4 3
15:08 VU
Pesce (8) – McLaughlin
 5 3