Hockey looks forward to fresh start after winless weekend

Epiphany Graham, Reporter

October 10, 2023

For the first time all season, Kent State’s hockey team went scoreless – leading to its first winless weekend.

“We, as a team, know where we want to be,” coach Zach Nowak said. ‘We just need to continue to put forth our best effort on and away from the rink.”

KSU has averaged nearly 12 goals a weekend this season. Against Indiana Tech, the team scored two.

Indiana’s record is 2-2, and the Flashes are 7-2.

GAME 1:

The Flashes held on for as long as they could defensively all the way through the second period.

Indiana got the leading score with 10:43 left in the first period. The Flashes defensively held this score all the way through the second period.

Unfortunately, the third period fell through for the Flashes. With 16:55 left, ITU scored, making it 2-0 Indiana.

Shortly after ITU scored again, and the score became 3-0 ITU. Kent State’s junior goalie, Nick Beck, struggled to fight off Indiana from scoring again with 15:49 left, making the score 4-0.

With a wide-open shot, Indiana scored again, bringing the score to 5-0. Off of a rebound with 8:53 left, Indiana scored again.

Indiana finished out the game by scoring twice more, making the final 8-0 ITU.

GAME 2:

The Flashes suffered many penalties, which Nowak said contributed to their second weekend loss.

“We need to be much better defensively angling; playing off the rush would help us be better with killing those penalties,” he said.

Although this game ended with a loss, the Flashes performed better than in their first game. The first period went scoreless, but Indiana Tech scored first with 18:39 left in the second period.

Senior forward JS Florek tied things up with a shot behind the goalies back in the second, making the score 1-1.

Indiana scored with 10:23 left in the second and again shortly after.

Senior forward Jack Kinsman scored in the 3rd, making the score 2-3 ITU.

Indiana shot and scored with 55 seconds left of the game. Although the Flashes trailed close behind, they were just short of a win, with the final score being 4-2 Indiana.