RALEIGH – Tonight, the IcePack faced off against the Iceheels in PNC Arena in their very own Backyard Brawl, competing for the first annual Governor’s Cup. State and Carolina made sure not to disappoint fans and put on a match up to remember. The IcePack made sure to keep the Governor’s Cup in Raleigh with a 5-3 win over the Iceheels.
NC State kicked off the game with a goal scored by Hayden Dewey early in the first period. This was answered by UNC with a goal of their own with 11:50 left in the period. This was followed by a short scuffle that resulted in NC State team captain Sam Banasiewicz in the penalty box.
The second period started off with a UNC goal a minute and a half in. The IcePack responded to this with two goals back to back by Eric Webb and Eric Johnston, respectively, during a UNC power play. This brought the score up to 3-2, but the Pack didn’t let up, Eric Webb scored again with an assist by Ellis Rushford.
With 18:24 left in the game, the Pack’s Ryan Lenzmeier scored during another UNC power play. The fighting between the two teams continued when Ellis Rushford was sent to the penalty box with 13:47 left in the final period.
Fighting wasn’t reserved to NC State’s players and a fight broke out between Carolina’s 44 and Ryan Lenzmeier sending both players to the penalty box. Carolina scored another goal, with a hat trick, during power play that left only three State players on the ice with four IceHeels.
In the final 2 seconds of the game all 10 men on the ice engaged in a full on brawl initiated by two players from the IceHeels. This fight resulted in Carolina’s 16 and 14 being ejected from the game. All in all, when the final buzzer sounded, it was the NC State IcePack that was on top with a 5-3 win over the UNC IceHeels.
This marks the Pack’s fifth win in ACC play as well as the second consecutive win in their series against UNC. This win has also secured them a spot in the ACCHL Tournament that will take place in February 2018.
The IcePack will be back in action Friday, January 12th at 8:45 at their home rink, The Raleigh IcePlex.