period of goal scoring though. There were some wicked hits by both teams, most notably a shot by the Eagles' Billy Fox who leveled a USF player right in front of the home crowd. Unfortunately this placed the Bulls on a power play as Fox was assessed a two minute minor for elbowing.
The penalty kill unit also had a momentous period as they were able to shut down the Bulls on four power plays. They even managed to scrounge up a shorthanded goal as Oscar Schagerstrom placed the puck in the net after a nice pass by Jordan Proudfoot. A Bulls player, distraught at watching his team give up yet another goal, shoved Schagerstrom into Hume. Not willing to let this go by unanswered, Proudfoot grabbed hold of the Bull and threw him into the wall behind the net, pummeling him with a barrage of punches before being tossed in the penalty box for roughing.
The third period found the Eagles up 4-2 and the fans anxiously awaiting what appeared to be a gritty twenty minutes. USF's penalty kill unit found themselves on the wrong end of a power play with four minutes left in the game. Not willing to give up, they were able to close the gap with a shorthanded goal after a blown high sticking call by referees. The Eagle's responded with another goal by Oscar Schagerstrom; assists by Almcrantz and Billy Fox.
Thirty seconds were left in the game, the Eagles up 5-3, and a fight almost broke out between the two teams. A bitter rivalry was brewing as the thought of losing situated in the minds of the Bulls and the taunting words of their opponents caused them to do the only thing they could think of: fight. Benches cleared with a second left on the winding clock as five Eagles players and five Bulls players found themselves amidst an all out brawl against the boards opposite the team benches. It was a great game of hockey for the fans that were able to see it and a nice boost for the D3 squad as they travel to Tampa on Saturday to face the Bulls at home.
On Saturday, October 27th, the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles' D3 squad fell victim to their first loss of the 2007-2008 season at the hands of a University of South Florida team they defeated twenty four hours prior. The home team was the victor in each of the two games in this weekend's series, testimony that fan support is an important asset.
It was a completely different game from the one played on FGCU's home ice as there were no penalties committed. USF set the tone for the game, early on in the first period, with the only goal of the twenty minutes.
FGCU's Alex Lymber scored a goal a minute into the second period, only to have a second goal scored by USF ten seconds later. It was an obvious low blow to the conscious of the team as they were only able to put one more point on the scoreboard after a goal by David Apple. Both teams displayed great defense and goaltending as neither was able to score a goal in the third period.
Unfortunately, the Eagles weren't able to overcome the deficit presented to them late in the second period after the final goal of the game was scored by USF. The loss was close, 3-2, but nonetheless disheartening. The Eagles look to bounce back as they play the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville on November 2nd. |
