The North Carolina men’s ice hockey team (18-5-1) beat the N.C. State Ice Pack (16-13), 3-2, in overtime at PNC Arena after a delay in last Friday’s game.
The Tar Heel hockey team relied heavily on goaltender Lucas Brown early in the first period, as the Ice Pack was able to populate the UNC zone. The Tar Heels struggled to transition through the neutral zone and shied away from being aggressive toward the loose puck.
The Ice Pack struck first on a power play after Tar Heel senior captain Henry Foster was charged with a minor penalty on an elbowing call. With two minutes left in the first period, N.C. State found the back of the net again off the stick of first-year Nick Shook. During the physical first period, UNC was outshot by the Ice Pack 12-7 as they headed into the first intermission.
Things got chippy as Tar Heel Cuan Doig and Jackson Cowen of N.C. State both received minor penalties for roughing, leaving both teams down a skater.
To add insult to injury, another minor penalty was added to N.C. State, leaving them with four skaters. Head coach Adam Duada opted to pull Brown to give the Tar Heels an extra skater. The penalties kept accumulating, with sophomore Patrick O’Shaughnessy receiving one for tripping, giving N.C. State another power play opportunity. The Tar Heel defense, led by Foster, was able to fend off the potential Ice Pack surge, killing the penalty.
PNC Arena is shown before the game against N.C. State on Monday, February 5, 2024.
O’Shaughnessy, with 16 minutes left in the game, sparked the Tar Heel offense, scoring from the top of the circle, bringing UNC within a goal of the Ice Pack.
However, the Tar Heels kept shooting themselves in the foot, drawing their fourth penalty of the game and putting Brown to work. The Tar Heel momentum kept building as, out of transition, O’Shaughnessy wrangled the puck, flew down the boards, and flung a wrist shot into the back of the net, equalizing the game.
Due to an on-ice injury, the game was suspended and resumed on Monday, February 5, at PNC Arena before the Tar Heels’ next regularly scheduled matchup with the Ice Pack.
At the end of regulation, the Tar Heels and Ice Pack were tied at twos and entered a five-minute four-on-four – including a goalkeeper – sudden-death overtime period.
Zajic flew up the boards with two minutes left in overtime and dumped the puck off to first-year Daniel Kauber. After a failed wrist shot that ricocheted off the Ice Pack goalkeeper, the puck popped out right to Zajic, who buried one in the back of the net for the game-winner.
