The NC State hockey team rode a fast start to a 7-2 win over the UNC-Charlotte 49ers on senior night at the Raleigh IcePlex, a game that celebrated the careers of eleven players.
The Wolfpack (12-7-1) earned its third straight win in blowout fashion, as the team smothered the 49ers (9-11-2) in every aspect of the game, sending them to their fifth straight loss.
The Wolfpack struck quickly, scoring just 37 seconds into the game. Freshman Sam Banasiewicz sped past the 49ers defense to create a two-on-one opportunity, allowing senior Dan Blue to bank the rebound into the net for a 1-0 NC State lead. It wouldn’t last long.
The 49ers responded less than six minutes later. Charlotte forward Zack Usinger blew past the Wolfpack for a breakaway and then slickly back-handed the puck past Wolfpack senior goalie Nick Kamaris.
However, it was all NC State from there. After Charlotte goalie Ryan Tittus robbed senior Sean Blye with a beautiful stick save, senior Alex Aud was right there to knock in the rebound to give the Wolfpack a 2-1 lead.
Five minutes later, Banasiewicz scored on another loose rebound to extend the Wolfpack lead to 3-1, and senior Alec Engel scored with a little over three minutes left in the period to give the Wolfpack a 4-1 lead heading into intermission.
The Wolfpack added two more in the second on goals by junior Garrett Sunda and senior Mackie Hayman to bring the score to 6-1, and the lone 49ers goal in the third period was not enough to overcome the deficit.
“We had a really tough run last week, where we weren’t giving ourselves shots or chances to win,” Wolfpack head coach Mike Gazzillo said. “Last week we kind of turned it around. We had ACC games against Wake Forest and Duke, and we played real well.”
NC State was better than the 49ers in every way Friday night. The Pack players were faster, stronger and more efficient than the 49ers throughout the entire game, allowing the team to cruise to the easy win.
While Tittus saved shot after shot for Charlotte and was the lone reason that his team didn’t lose by a much larger margin, he struggled with containing rebounds and gave the Wolfpack the second chance opportunities that turned into goals. The porous defense in front of him allowed the Pack to take 77 shots and enter the slot at will, with Wolfpack attackers staying near the crease unchecked all night.
NC State dominated the face-off circle, winning what seemed like every single face-off it took. It also capitalized on two power play opportunities, including Hayman’s goal just four seconds into the Wolfpack’s second power play.
“The power play scored twice tonight and the defensive zone play was good,” Gazzillo said. “I’m very happy with the win tonight.”
The team plays Duke Saturday night on the road, before wrapping up its regular season with games at UNC-Chapel Hill and Elon. Then, it’s ACC Tournament time.
The Wolfpack currently lead Elon by two points in the Carolina Division of the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL), making their matchup in the final regular season game a crucial one. NC State defeated Elon 2-0 at home earlier in the season.
The Wolfpack also holds wins over Duke (7-1) and UNC-Chapel Hill (6-2) at home this season, making the final three games of the season tough but winnable.
