While most Gators fans will be focused on the football field this weekend, the Tennessee-Florida rivalry played out on a different surface Friday night: the ice.
There, the UF hockey club (8-5-1) delivered. The Gators beat the Tennessee Ice Vols 6-4 in just their second home game of the season, thanks to a power play that finally came alive.
A unit that had struggled for weeks suddenly became the deciding factor, scoring four times on eight chances. Those goals made the difference, since the teams were evenly matched at five-on-five.
The win marks a turnaround from last season, where Florida was swept by the Ice Vols in the regular season.
Tennessee (7-9) opened the scoring when Dylan Updike sent a low shot through goaltender Zach Shield. Florida answered quickly, though, as forward Kegan Lampinen carried the puck into the zone on his own and wrapped it around the net to tie the game.
The back-and-forth continued, and the Vols regained a 2-1 lead before the first intermission on a goal from Jake Premo. But once the second period began, the momentum shifted toward Florida. With junior defenseman Noah Horwitz out, freshman Cormac Terry stepped into a bigger role on the right side and scored his first goal of the season on the power play to make it 2-2.
Continued pressure in the offensive zone then gave Michael McCoy a chance to finish and put the Gators ahead 3-2.
Tennessee’s discipline issues only grew more pronounced as the night went on. The Vols entered the matchup already ranked second in the ACHA Southeastern Conference in penalty minutes, piling up 190 on the season, and constant trips to the box gave Florida more chances than usual. On UF’s third power play, a clean pass from Mike Calabrese set up Brian Pine for a shot that stretched the lead to 4-2.
A point shot from defenseman Finn DeStefano brought Tennessee back within one, but the period still favored the Gators. UF goaltender Zach Shield stayed calm in goal, giving Florida time to settle in and keep using its power play to its advantage.
The final frame only heightened the physical edge that had been building all night. Tennessee threw big hits, and Florida pushed back, with defenseman Zach Zelmanski delivering several strong checks.
Both teams created chances, but a bad line change and a turnover in front of Shield let Mitchell Spranklin set up Connor Frazer on a 2-on-1 to tie the game 4-4.
However, Tennessee’s penalties proved costly once again. After yet another two-minute minor, Florida scored on its seventh power play when Michael Katz knocked in a loose puck.
Another penalty moments later — drawing loud protests from the Vols bench — sent the Gators back on the man advantage. Freshman forward Sully Swiersz scored to make it 6-4, becoming the third rookie to tally a goal after Pine and Terry and continuing the trend of first-year players making an impact.
The game wrapped up four-on-four after matching minors, and even with Tennessee pulling its goalie in the final minute, Florida held on for the win.
The Gators and Vols continue their rivalry weekend on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at the Community First Igloo in Jacksonville.
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.
