Friday night saw men’s club ice hockey conclude their semester by securing a 6-1 victory against Georgetown at the St. James Arena, finishing with a 7-2 semester record.
This game was the third match-up between the two D.C. teams this year. In the first, a Sept. 23 game at Capital One Arena, the Revs were shut out by the Hoyas 0-3. The Revs would avenge the loss in a Sept. 29 match-up which they would narrowly win, 5-4.
The team is also coming off a three-game winning streak and tournament win in the Atlantic Coast Conference Hockey League Hockey Tournament.
With the Hoyas and Revs being crosstown rivals and the season series being split coming into the game, the match-up carried an extra weight for the squad.
In the first period, Georgetown attempted three shots on goal that were saved by sophomore goalkeeper Sage Yoke, who saved 22 out of 23 attempted shots. After Georgetown was awarded a penalty shot, the Hoyas managed to slide the puck into the net at 6:17 into the period. Freshman defenseman Sawyer Von Jess responded with a slap shot seconds later, tying the game.
After Georgetown received a tripping penalty, junior defenseman and captain Cade Llewellyn took advantage of the penalty and scored at 4:08 in the first period. The Revs built themselves a comfortable lead in the first quarter, scoring two goals just seconds apart, both by senior forward Clendenin Stewart. Stewart was assisted on both shots by junior forward Shawn Montgomery and sophomore defenseman Justin Holt. By the end of the first period, GW built a strong lead, ending the period up 4-1.
The second period saw Stewart score his third goal of the game at the 16:35 mark, stretching the GW lead to 5-1. During GW’s power play, senior forward Ethan Redden scored 11 minutes into the period off an assist from Llewellyn. In the final 10 minutes, the Hoyas and Revs both struggled to get the puck in the net and the Revs remained in control 6-1.
The third period saw both teams suffer a scoring drought. Tensions were high as the game became heated thanks to numerous Georgetown penalties and serious body checks. In the end, the Revs came away victorious, winning 6-1.
“This year has been really great for us,” Llewellyn said. “In the league play, 7-2 is great. But last night, that cherry on top for the semester of beating your biggest rivals 6-1, especially in a game that big for them.”
GW pulled through, learning from their earlier mistakes that led to a loss in September at the Capital One Arena, but won several days later.
“It’s their charity night, and we walk in and just run them,” Llewellyn said. “It fills us with confidence and gives us promise for next semester heading into playoffs. But more than that, just really proud of team effort last night. We did everything right, so couldn’t be more happy for us.”
The Revs will not resume gameplay until the start of the new year, affording them time to learn from this game and prepare for next semester’s slate.
“Playing Georgetown is always a big occasion,” freshman forward Kiernan Laffey said. “And getting the win always feels good. We ended on a high note and look forward to bringing more wins back next semester.”
The Buff and Blue will take on Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland, on Jan. 19 at 8:15 p.m.
Ben Spitalny contributed reporting.
