Underneath the lights of Truist Field in uptown Charlotte, the App State Ice Hockey Club team mounted a last-minute comeback effort against UNC-Charlotte but ran out of time, falling 5-4 Saturday night. The third edition of the Outdoor Classic, an annual rivalry game between the Mountaineers and 49ers dating back to 2023 and part of the 704 Outdoor Faceoff this year, saw over 3, 000 fans pack the home of the Charlotte Knights to watch the match between the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League Division II foes. With temperatures in the mid ‘60s, patches of ice melted pregame and needed repairs during the game. Kendall Smith, a sideline reporter for the ESPN+ broadcast, reported that there were puddles of water on the playing surface and paint bleeding through the ice a few hours before the game. While the ice conditions weren’t abhorrent at game time, wet spots all over the rink caused players issues while handling the puck, and they had an immediate effect on the game. Seventy seconds into the game, Mountaineers sophomore defenseman Tyson Walters lost control of the puck over a wet spot roughly 30 feet in front of his goal, resulting in a turnover and a goal from 49ers forward Ian Brown. 71 seconds later, 49ers forward Jackson Owenby doubled UNC-Charlotte’s lead, jamming the puck past App State sophomore goaltender Lucas Weyer. Larson celebrated the goal by “swimming” on the ice. App State responded in 49 seconds with their first tally of the night, courtesy of junior forward Lucas Tremont, who snapped one past 49ers goaltender Benjamin Braynin from right outside the goal crease to make it a 2-1 game with only three minutes played. UNC-Charlotte made it a 2-goal game again with just over seven minutes left in the first period on Brown’s second of the night. Brown knocked the puck out of the air and batted it into the back of the net for a highlight-reel goal. Not to be outdone, Tremont answered right back just over a minute later, rifling a shot under Braynin’s right leg for his second goal. UNC-Charlotte added a fourth goal in the first period with under four minutes remaining when forward Zack Morrow tucked one around the goal post before Weyer could cover it off. In stark contrast to the combined 6 goals in the first, no goals were scored in the second period. App State controlled the puck for the majority of the period and had several chances to score, but all attempts were denied by Braynin. The period was very physical, with both teams delivering big open-ice hits on their opponents, and a few scrums near the 49ers net after Mountaineers players repeatedly hit Braynin with their sticks. The intensity increased in the final 20 minutes, but App State couldn’t stay out of the penalty box in the third period. The Mountaineers were penalized 4 times in the first 11 minutes of the period. Senior forward Riley Brady had an opportunity to make it a 1-goal game with just over seven minutes remaining. Brady rushed to the net and tried to stuff the puck underneath Braynin’s pads, jamming at the pads with his stick. The puck crossed the goal line, but the goal was waved off by the referees. No official reason for the goal not counting was given on the broadcast. The frustration for App State boiled over a few minutes later. After Braynin covered up a shot by junior forward Jason Beck, Tremont jabbed at Braynin’s glove with his stick after the whistle blew. All five UNC-Charlotte skaters on the ice rushed over to Tremont, punching and shoving him against the boards. They eventually pulled Tremont down to the ice while several Mountaineers made their way into the pile of bodies. The fight resulted in a penalty for both teams and 4-on-4 hockey for two minutes, while Morrow was given a five minute major penalty for instigating the fight. The 49ers extended their lead to 3 in the 4-on-4 play on a shot near the right post from forward Aidan Sutter with under four minutes to go. Sutter pointed to the crowd in celebration. App State had a power play for three minutes after 4-on-4 play ended, eventually becoming a 5-on-3 when UNC-Charlotte was penalized with 2: 09 left in the game, then a 6-on-3 when the Mountaineers pulled Weyer from the net. The Mountaineers had the rest of the game to score 3 goals with a multi-man advantage. A goal by Brady after an indirect pass off the back wall with 59. 9 seconds remaining started the comeback effort. App State ran the exact same play 31 seconds later, as Tremont fired the puck off the boards, ricocheting right to sophomore forward James McGlade, who scored with 28. 9 seconds left to make it a 5-4 game. However, the comeback came up short, and App State was unable to find the game-tying goal. McGlade had a chance with 8 seconds to go, but his shot was blocked, and the 49ers came away with the dramatic victory.
https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-ice-hockeyunc-charlotte-fight-hard-in-third-edition-of-outdoor-classic/
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