The Clemson club ice hockey team fell to the South Carolina Gamecocks, 8-4, in its final contest of the 2024-25 campaign on Feb. 28.
In a seemingly dominant performance by the Gamecocks, the scoreboard favored the Tigers for the first half of the contest. Clemson’s Santiago Diaz opened the scoring just 1:12 into the first period with help from captain Cade Heinold.
South Carolina then got on the board during its second power play with just 3:36 on the clock, courtesy of Kai Bonsukan. However, Diaz collected his second goal of the night — shorthanded — during the Gamecocks second power play to reclaim the lead for Clemson entering the middle frame.
Of the four total goals scored in the second period, neither team found the back of the net while playing at even strength. Mike McKeon, assisted by Diaz, increased the Tigers’ lead to 3-1 just before the halfway mark of the period with yet another shorthanded goal, but the Gamecocks responded with three consecutive power-play goals to take a 4-3 lead heading into the final period.
Following a huge, unpunished hit on Clemson’s Cam Iacobelli that temporarily removed the 6-foot-2 defenseman from the contest, the third period was all the Gamecocks, as they collected another four goals in the second half of the frame to secure their seventh-consecutive Palmetto Cup championship.
College Hockey South’s Division I leading point scorer, John Riggins, netted two goals of his own, followed by another from Tommy Marvin for the 7-3 lead. Clemson’s Will Van Sicklin added another for the Tigers with just 3:18 left in the contest, with help from Troy Gouveia and McKeon, but the lead was too great to overcome.
Ultimately, the contest’s deciding factor was penalties; the Tigers were assessed nine penalties — five of which the Gamecocks capitalized on — to South Carolina’s three. Alas, South Carolina’s Enzo Fanelli punctuated the Gamecocks’ 8-4 win by adding yet another power-play goal with just two seconds on the clock.
As a result of its abbreviated season, Clemson will not be attending this year’s Amateur Athletic Union College Hockey Division II National Championship, and thus, concluded its 2024-25 slate as the final buzzer sounded on Friday.
