Two games. Two identical scores. Two comebacks, and two completely different endings.
The UF ice hockey club split its series with defending Division I champion University of Tampa, rallying back for a regulation win Friday before falling in a shootout Saturday.
In both matchups, the Spartans jumped to a 2–0 lead, only to see it erased. Both games finished 7-6 — Friday on a decisive goal in the final minute and Saturday with a last-second equalizer from Zach Zelmanski that forced overtime.
Friday’s opener set the tone for the weekend, with 13 different players from both teams finding the back of the net. The Spartans controlled the game early, jumping out to a two-goal lead, but Florida answered quickly. Goals from forwards Michael McCoy and Kegan Lampinen erased the deficit and tied the game at 2-2 going into the first intermission.
After that, the Gators never allowed the deficit to grow beyond a single goal, matching the Spartans’ pace, even when trailing. Florida’s rookie class was a key factor, with freshmen Jack Fortescue and Mike Calabrese notching a pair of goals in the second period to keep the Gators within striking distance.
Entering the final frame down 5-4, Florida snapped a four-game power-play drought when junior Michael Katz buried the equalizer, ending an 0-for-14 stretch with the man advantage. Tampa briefly regained the lead on a goal from defenseman Braeden Guiterman, but UF responded once again as blueliner Noah Horwitz tied the game at 6-6.
With overtime looming, it was yet another Gators rookie who emerged. Forward Brian Pine delivered the dagger with 40 seconds remaining to give Florida its first lead of the night — and the game-winner.
Saturday’s game followed the same script early, but with a different twist.
Tampa once again opened with two unanswered goals, this time dictating play with a slower, more controlled offense that limited Florida’s transition opportunities— a contrast to the run-and-gun style that benefited the Gators on Friday.
The Spartans continued to coast throughout the game, extending their lead to 4-0 midway through the second period — with captain Danny Griffin scoring twice during the stretch — before taking a 5-1 advantage into the third. Florida’s lone goal of the period came from winger Nicholas Ho.
Then, the floodgates opened.
McCoy and Jackson Choi led the surge, cutting the deficit to 5-3 and shifting the momentum squarely onto the Gators’ bench.
With less than two minutes remaining, Florida pulled its goaltender and entered the power play with an extra attacker, giving them an additional forward. The move paid off immediately.
Horwitz buried a shot with 1:27 remaining to make it a one-goal game, and just thirty seconds later, sophomore Liam Lecauchois hammered home the equalizer to tie it 5-5.
Though Tampa briefly reclaimed the lead following a breakaway by forward Ben Cleary, the Gators still controlled the rhythm of the game. With only 4.5 seconds on the clock, defenseman Zelmanski crashed the crease and pushed a loose puck across the goal line, sending the game into overtime.
In the extra frame, Florida controlled much of the possession, while goaltender Zach Shield made key stops — including a breakaway save — to preserve the tie.
Neither side broke through, and after a brief review by officials, the game moved to a shootout. Cleary scored on Tampa’s second attempt, while Florida failed to convert on either of its chances, sealing a 7-6 win for the Spartans.
Although the loss ended the comeback bid, the performance reflected a shift in Florida’s overall play. A team that had previously struggled to recover from early deficits instead showed sustained structure across both games.
Florida will look to build on that momentum when it returns to the ice on Nov. 7 to begin a three-game series against FAU at the Boca Ice Complex in Boca Raton. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
Contact Daniela Ortiz at dortiz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @danielaortizUF.
Daniela is a junior sports journalism student and the enterprise/hockey beat reporter for Fall 2025. When not writing an article, you can catch her drawing or playing with her roommates' cats.
