This Friday and Saturday, the Clemson ice hockey team will play its final regular season series against the Tampa Spartans in Tampa, Florida.
Tampa may be Clemson’s most formidable opponent yet, as the Spartans are currently ranked No. 3 and hold a perfect 21-0-0 record.
This matchup won’t be the first top-ranked team Clemson has played, as the Tigers have fallen to No.1 South Carolina and No. 2 Georgia twice apiece this season.
Clemson has an overall record of 9-9-0 and is 4-2-0 in the spring semester. Its two losses, a 7-1 defeat against South Carolina and a 6-1 defeat against Coastal Carolina, came within the Tigers’ last three games.
Although it’s coming off a 5-4 overtime win against Coastal Carolina, Clemson must be on top of its game for the matchup and knows it cannot coast to victory on momentum alone.
“There are a lot of things I think we could improve on, but one of the main things is our mentality,” said captain Jack Owen-Turner following Clemson’s initial loss to Coastal Carolina last Friday. “We need to always do our best to stay positive and level-headed.”
It will be essential for the Tigers to keep their wits about them and keep the Spartans off the power play. Clemson took nine penalties in its loss to South Carolina on Jan. 28 and seven in its loss to Coastal Carolina last Friday. In 21 games, Tampa has 23 power-play goals.
The Tigers are fighting to surpass the .500 mark and claim a playoff spot, both of which head coach John Chesare believes they’re capable of with some improvements.
“We need to do a better job of limiting turnovers both at our offensive and defensive blue lines,” Chesare said following Clemson’s game against Georgia in December. “We need to get more confident with possessing the puck and getting our (defense) involved in our offensive strategy.”
Clemson’s comeback performance against Coastal Carolina last Saturday showcased the team’s resilience, as the Tigers proved that one loss does not guarantee another. Ultimately, there is a belief that the team is beyond capable of playing good hockey.
“The boys have become a very close-knit group and are very supportive of each other,” Chesare said. “We now have lines that are starting to gel. Our top line is generating goals and quality opportunities, and we have a strong (penalty kill). We also have confidence between the pipes with either goalie in net.”
“These young men have worked hard and are committed to being successful,” Chesare said. “Once we start gaining some momentum, the rest will fall into place.”
Puck drop for Clemson’s final series is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST on Friday and 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.
