The NC State Icepack lost its final game of the season in Invisalign Arena against the UNC Tar Heels, 3-1, on Friday, Feb. 3.
Despite the loss, the environment was one of the best at an Icepack home game this season. The seniors were honored with a beautiful pregame ceremony that included their families taking the ice with them one final time in their home barn.
The seniors honored were defensemen Ricky Frosch and Victor Hugo, goalie Eric Daniel, and forwards Matt Miller, Alex Fong, Garrett Auriene and Alex Robinson. This group of seniors is very accomplished, having secured three ACCHL titles, one ACHA Division II nationals appearance, and helping the team reach the highest regional and national rankings in the history of the Icepack.
In addition, the Icepack retired Jorge Alves’ #35 jersey last night. Alves was a goaltender for NC State from 2001 to 2003, winning ACCHL MVP and Goalie of the Year in his tenure with the team. He continued on into his professional career to become the equipment manager for the Carolina Hurricanes and even played in the final seconds of a 3-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lighting in 2016. He is the one of very few players in the entire ACHA to play in the NHL.
The Icepack looked like it would take advantage of the home crowd early with a goal by Frosch in the first period, but miscues by the home team would prove costly in the loss.
NC State got caught in a line change on the power play in the second period that led to a short-handed goal by Tar Heel forward Patrick O’Shaughnessy, who also scored UNC’s first goal of the contest and put the Heels up 2-1 heading into the third.
Another UNC goal came on a turnover by Daniel, leading to an easy goal by Tar Heel forward Leighton Walsh to put the Tar Heels up 3-1 with just 5:23 left.
With the loss, the Icepack saw its eight-game win streak snapped and will now turn around for a back-to-back matchup against the Tar Heels, the first of which is in Chapel Hill on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 3:45 p.m. in the Orange County Sportsplex. The Icepack will be looking to get back on track before ACCHL playoffs in the revenge matchup.
