The Clemson ice hockey team will fight for its first win over the South Carolina Gamecocks since 2016 this Saturday, Jan. 28.
Dating back to the 2014-2015 season, the Tigers have defeated the Gamecocks just five times in 25 meetings. The last time Clemson beat South Carolina in regulation was Nov. 19, 2016, by a score of 2-0, according to the American Collegiate Hockey Association. Since then, the Tigers’ only win against the Gamecocks was a 5-4 shootout win on March 2, 2019.
In the teams’ only matchup of the 2022-2023 season, the Gamecocks (18-2-0) defeated the Tigers (8-7-0) 5-4 in a hard-fought contest.
“In the last matchup, we didn’t play a full 60 minutes,” assistant captain Ben Brucker said. “I think that’s the biggest factor going into the upcoming game. Not letting up and falling into their style of hockey toward the end of the game will go a long way for us. It’s important not to get too high or too low and play until the final whistle.”
Ahead of their second of three annual rivalry matchups, the Tigers are internally motivated and believe they have the pieces necessary to shut down the Gamecocks.
“It’s a do-or-die to win the Palmetto Cup,” assistant captain Thomas Samuelsen said. “It has been a long time since the Cup has been back in Clemson, and we want to be the guys to do it. As always, having bragging rights over South Carolina is a big motivator as well. Sandpaper finish.”
Despite losing to South Carolina in November, Clemson believes it has made significant improvement in playing as a more cohesive unit recently.
“With any new team, there are always some learning pains and bumps in the road,” captain Jack Owen-Turner said. “We had a lot of new players on the team this season, which takes time to really start to play the way we want. Over the past few games, we have started to see some really positive signs and indications that the hard work is paying off.”
Clemson’s 4-3 win over Georgia Tech last weekend forged a winning record overall and extended its undefeated record in the spring semester. Coming off three consecutive wins, the Tigers have plenty of momentum heading into Saturday.
Still, the Gamecocks pose a significant challenge. They are also undefeated in the spring semester, including an assertive 16-2 win over Duke in their last game.
So, momentum may not be the deciding factor in this matchup. It might be unity. And Owen-Turner believes Clemson has it.
“It doesn’t matter how many skilled players a team has; if you aren’t going to play as a team, then your potential will never be fully realized.”
