Auburn hockey used a strong offensive effort in its 8-4 win to seal the season-opening series sweep against Florida State.
The Tigers got off to a slower start, allowing Florida State to take the first four shots on goal. Auburn quickly turned it around to set the tone, scoring four first-period goals to take a 4-1 lead into the first intermission.
Auburn had a strong outing from some of the team’s younger guys. Freshmen Alex Duchemin, Ethan Pustizzi, and Jack Seifert combined for three goals and five assists in the game.
“I think all the freshmen actually contributed in one way or another," said head coach Ryan Rutz. "I can’t really single anybody out, they all did what they were asked to do. All of them I think scored a goal."
Forward Chuck Bay is off to a hot start this season. After getting two assists against Florida State on Thursday night, Bay tallied a goal and three assists on Friday night.
Auburn has struggled on special teams in recent history. Auburn spent a lot of time in the penalty box in Thursday night’s game, and the trend continued into Friday night.
The Tigers allowed a Florida State shorthanded goal in the second period, so the power play will be something to keep an eye on moving forward. The team hopes to continue fine tuning the power play going into the big matchup against Alabama next weekend.
“We installed the power play now so we’re definitely going to be running a lot of that in practice to get going,” said center Blake Robison.
Auburn will use its dominant effort this weekend to drive the momentum into the next game. The Tigers put more than 100 shots on goal over the span of two games while holding the Seminoles to fewer than 40 total.
The Tigers will return to action next Friday when they take Alabama D-I in the Pelham Civic Complex. Auburn will be looking for their first ever win against Alabama’s D-I team.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Chris Mendoza is a senior from Huntsville, Ala. majoring in journalism and minoring in sports coaching. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @chris_mendoza20
