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© FGCU Hockey Team 2007.
This is an official Florida Gulf Coast University Hockey Team webpage.
The FGCU Hockey Team is a proud member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association.
20301 Grande Oaks Boulevard, Suite #118, Box #26, Estero, Florida, 33928
E-mail Address: hockey@eagle.fgcu.edu     Website Development: eMCee Productions
College Hockey Alive at Florida Gulf Coast University
Record Setting Crowds were on hand for the Eagles Home Opener!
October 22, 2006
As the lights were dimmed, and the music began to shake Germain Arena, approximately 800 fans welcomed the FGCU Hockey Team back to Germain Arena for their home opener against Life University from Marietta, Georgia. When the Eagles took the ice, the sound from the fans was deafening. Whether you are a fan of hockey or just sports in general, there is no such crowd like an FGCU Hockey one. With faces painted, banners posted, and eager students swarmming everywhere, the first home game of the 2006-2007 season couldn't have been any better!  With record breaking numbers and dedicated fans, the Eagles soundly stomped Life University and provided nothing but quality college hockey entertainment.  Scores of 15-3 and 14-5 allowed the Ice Eagles to begin their home season run on a very strong note. Coaches Jensen, Stanton, and Nelson were very pleased with the team's progress on the ice, and the growth of the program off the ice, as well. Everyone was amazed at the overwhelming fan turnout; cheering just as loud for the fifteenth goal as they did for the first goal.
The Eagles played in front of a capacity crowd at Germain on opening night.
On Friday night, the Eagles were excited about their first game on home ice, and eager to get the game underway.  They stepped onto the ice amidst a flashy intro designed specifically for FGCU Hockey by the very talented Tyler Bacik. From that moment on, the team dominated both games and they never looked back. Defenseman Tyler Mackereth notched the first goal just before halfway through the first period. With that first goal on the board, the Eagles consistently drove the puck to the net, again and again, and overwhelmed Life University's defense and their goalie. When the skating frenzy had come to an end, the Eagles had put up fifteen goals and Life had answered with only three. The other scorers from Friday night were Mike Sellitto, Brett Galbraith (3), Matt Maida (2), Nic Williams (2), Brian Scholtz, Justin Moore, Mike Marrero (2), Kevin Olsen, and Zach Messer. FGCU left the rink surprised at the score, but ready for whatever Life brought to the rink on Saturday night.

The Eagles entered Germain Arena confident, but not cocky, on Saturday night, for their rematch with Life University.  While the Skating Eagles of Life University are mostly made up of graduate students, their experience was no match for FGCU's speed and determination.  Again, it was a defenseman who scored the first goal for FGCU - this time it was Peter Flores, who rocketed the puck past the netminder to get the "ball rolling" for FGCU.  This time, however, Life
Senior Tanner Bacik started in his final home opener. Bacik has been with the team since its inception.
University was a bit more cohesive, and the score was 6-2 (in the Eagles' favor) at the end of the second period, with goals by Brett Galbraith (2), Nic Williams, Zach Messer, and Justin Moore. The third period was the Eagles' charmed twenty minutes, with Uthman "Moose" Yasmusenor, Allan Penney, Justin Moore, Brian Scholtz (2), Brett Galbraith, Mike Sellitto, and Zack Venokur all lighting up the scoreboard. Eagle Radio's Ty Martin and Peter Lechler were very busy sounding the goal buzzer during the last twenty minutes. The final score of the game was 14-5.
 
The 2006-2007 home hockey season has just begun. Join your FGCU Eagles (7-1-1) as they take on the University of Central Florida Golden Knights this Friday, October 27th at 8:30 pm, in the Blue Rink at Germain Arena.  Last week, the rink was packed to capacity, so come early to grab a good seat for the game.  If you can't make it to the rink, be sure to tune in to the live broadcast of the game, brought to you by your own Jeff Healey, Tom Lott, and Miranda Hickel. The audio link is available on the broadcasting page of the team's website.

NEXT WEEK: Best Costumes win special prizes! Bring your best Halloween outfits!
Freshman Tyler Mackereth has been an outstanding rookie for the Eagles leading all defenseman in points so far this season.