Despite scoring 10 goals across two games in a weekend series, the Clemson ice hockey team fell short to Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee, 9-8 and 4-2. 
On Friday, Oct. 14, both teams struggled defensively and in the net. Tennessee goalie Brandon Shaw saved 28 of 36 shots, while Clemson goalie JP Kerney saved 49 of 58 shots. 
The first period opened with a bang. In the first minute, Clemson defenseman Thomas Samuelsen scored the first of many goals on a wrister from the top of the circle, assisted by left-winger Thomas Papa. 
Tennessee responded just 13 seconds after Samuelsen’s goal when Tennessee forward Michael Cosentino evened the score with 19:05 left in the period. 
The third goal of the night also came from the Volunteers in the shape of a quick backhander by forward Andrew King.
By this point, tension was high on both sides. This tension became evident with 13:49 left in the period when Tennessee centerman Connor Frazer received a penalty for elbowing, giving the Tigers their first power play of the night.
With this power play, Clemson left-winger Cade Heinold scored to even the game at 2-2 with a quick shot from the circle, assisted by defenseman Brian Blomquist. 
A minute and a half after Heinold’s goal, the Tigers went on the power play for the second time after Matthew Megazzini took a two-minute penalty for boarding. 
However, this time Clemson failed to score on the power play. Instead, Tennessee took the lead on a shorthanded goal from right-winger Nicholas Carline. 
Graydon Schweizer then took a two-minute penalty for boarding and allowed the Volunteers to feed off their power play.
Unfortunately for Clemson, Andrew King scored his second goal of the night for Tennessee on this power play, increasing the lead to 4-2. 
With 7:04 remaining in the period, Clemson centerman Troy Gouveia received a hooking penalty, sending the Ice Vols back to the power play. 
This time, despite some great scoring opportunities, Tennessee’s power play unit was unsuccessful. 
With just under three minutes remaining in the period, Tennessee defenseman Myles Jackson was sent to the sin bin for two minutes for high-sticking, giving the Tigers another chance on the power play. 
On this man advantage, Heinold found the back of the net with a top-shelf shot, cutting the Volunteers’ lead to 4-3. Heinold’s goal was assisted by right-winger Herbert Kopf. 
Boosted by Heinold’s goal, the Tigers scored again fifteen seconds later on a backhander by left-winger Liam Clark, assisted by defenseman Charles DuBose, tying the score at 4-4.
Despite losing the lead, Tennessee persisted. Much like Heinold, Cosentino scored his second goal of the night with 2:18 remaining. 
With only 1:06 to go, both teams were visibly frustrated. After a couple of minor hits and chirps back-and-forth, a fight broke out, resulting in penalties for each team.
The first period had nine goals and nine penalties between the teams. 
Entering the second, the Tigers were determined to take the lead. 
With 18:18 remaining, left-winger Sully Kopf scored on an odd-man rush, evening the score at 5-5, assisted by centerman Troy Gouveia. 
Clemson used the momentum from this goal to continue its assault; only 30 seconds later, Sully Kopf got his second point of the night with a backhand assist on Schweizer’s go-ahead goal for the Tigers.
Soon after scoring his second point, Kopf received a penalty for hooking, giving Tennessee an opportunity to even the score.
During their power play, Frazer received a two-minute penalty for interference, resulting in a 4-on-4 for the remaining 23 seconds of Tennessee’s man advantage. 
After those 23 seconds expired, Clemson gained the man advantage. However, Ice Vols defenseman Ubin Weeks scored Tennessee’s second shorthanded goal of the night, once again evening the score. 
But Clemson was not finished scoring in the middle period, as 56 seconds after Weeks’ goal, Samuelsen found a loose puck in front of the net and scored his second goal of the night. 
By the end of the second period, the Tigers had a 7-6 lead.
The final period began slower but did not lack action. 
The first goal did not come until the 6:25 mark of the period when the Ice Vols brought the score to 7-7 with a shot from forward Andrew Merino. 
With 11:51 remaining, Tennessee took the lead with a goal from right-winger Ethan Privman. Less than a minute later, Carline scored his second goal of the game for the Volunteers, increasing their lead to 9-7. 
The tension from the first two periods carried into the third as well. In the final period alone, Tennessee had six penalties, and Clemson had three. 
Despite having a series of overlapping power plays within the last seven minutes of play, the Tigers were unable to score again until the 19:30 mark, when centerman Nicholas Chesare netted the eighth and final goal of the game for Clemson. 
Chesare’s goal brought the final score to 9-8 in Tennessee’s favor.
Two days later, on Sunday, Oct. 16, both teams cleaned up their defense and allowed fewer goals, but Clemson couldn’t do enough to come away with a bounce-back victory.  
Following the two losses, the Tigers will be back in action on Friday when they take on Kennesaw State at home.