The Texas A&M hockey team suffered a tough 4-2 loss versus Metro State University Denver on Saturday, Oct. 14.
For the second game in a row, junior forward Robby Sours started out hot, scoring within the first minute off of an assist from fellow junior forward Marshall Rushing.
“Coach always talks about coming out hard, so we’ll come out real fast,” Sours said. “Our line has really fast skaters and we try to get the puck in deep; try to get some chances before they’re ready to go.”
The Aggies were given a power play after an 11th minute stick interference by the Roadrunners led to a minor penalty. Though the Maroon and White managed a shot on goal, they were unable to capitalize on the advantage.
A fight broke out in the 13th minute, one of many instances where things got chippy during the game.
Senior goalkeeper Jake Sirkis was excellent in the first period as he saved five shots. After surviving a penalty kill, the Aggies went to the break with a 1-0 lead.
Metro State managed to equalize in the 25th minute after a scrum near the goal led to a score by senior forward Braedon Greenwood. In the 31st minute, Sours managed a spectacular pass to sophomore forward Mason Burdett who was unable to capitalize, shooting the puck just above the goal.
The arena erupted in the 33rd minute after a pass by senior forward Gavin Mccallister led to a goal by junior forward Ethan Chen. As the second period winded down, another fight occurred in the last minute that was broken up by the referees.
At the 43 minute mark, a massive skirmish occurred that led to a major penalty on the Roadrunners and a minor penalty on the Aggies. With the 5v5 on, Sirkis managed to narrowly stop a shot to maintain A&M’s 2-1 lead.
The crowd got into the game once again when Mccallister trucked two Metro State players at once in the 50th minute, but sloppy play from the back led to the Roadrunners intercepting the puck and executing on a 1v1 opportunity which leveled the game 2-2.
Inability to maintain possession in the backcourt led to the Roadrunners getting another golden opportunity that they wouldn’t waste. A shot by Metro State barely missed Sirkis’ outstretched hand and went into the goal, giving them a 3-2 lead.
In need of a score, the Aggies pulled the goalie in order to have another attacker, but this led to the Roadrunners scoring again on an empty net.
As the final alarm sounded, the Maroon and White lost with a final score of 4-2.
The Aggies next match will be a rivalry game against the University of Texas at Spirit Ice Arena on Friday, Oct. 20.
“The UT game is huge, obviously we don’t like those guys down the road,” Sours said. “I’ve only got two more [games] left since I’m a senior now and every one means a lot, especially at home in front of our fans.”