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!