Indiana club hockey swept the University of Kentucky on Oct. 27 and 28 in a home-away series, taking a 6-4 win on Friday and a 6-3 win on Saturday.
Due to Bloomington Parks and Recreation scheduling Halloween-related activities at Frank Southern Ice Arena on Oct. 27, limiting available ice time, the Hoosiers were forced to play an 11:45 p.m. game.
Friday’s match began with Wildcat sophomore defenseman Kyle Burke scoring off a faceoff in the Hoosiers’ defensive zone less than six minutes into the game. Indiana sophomore winger Luke Slaven retaliated four minutes later with a breakaway goal.
Junior forward Ithan DeLorenzo scored on a power play before the Kentucky senior winger Gabriel Di’Amico and graduate student winger Gary Eastlack both scored.
Eastlack, born in 1998, has played for University of Kentucky for six years. The American College Hockey Association allows players up to five years of eligibility but strikes the 2020-21 season from consideration due to COVID-19.
Kentucky has three graduate students on their roster including Eastlack. The remaining two are defenseman Tim Burke and center Cameron Chabot, born in 2000 and 1999, respectively.
Indiana ended the first 20 minutes down with a score of 3-2. In the second frame, senior defenseman Matthew McKay scored the Hoosiers’ third goal, evening the score. Freshman forward Ryan Berke slotted the puck in the side netting with five minutes left in the period.
Berke’s goal earned impressed reactions from the audience and broadcasters at the rink.
“Ryan Berke puts Indiana right out front once again,” Indiana Hockey Broadcast Network anchor Andrew Gus said. “It’s 4-3. Mercy!”
“That was disgusting,” Garrett Drake, Gus’ broadcasting partner, said in praise. “Berke carried the puck all the way up the ice.”
Indiana junior forward Will Gerami and Slaven both scored in the third period, securing the Oct. 27 win.
On Oct. 28, the clubs faced off at Perry Park in Indianapolis. Kentucky led Indiana 3-0 just 15 minutes into the first period with goals from senior center Brett Quin, junior winger Daniel Quartapella and Chabot.
Indiana junior forward Andrew Chambers and Gerami scored twice in the last five minutes of the period, bringing the score to 3-2, the same as the end of Oct. 27’s first period.
During the second period, the Kentucky club began to post information about the state of Indiana on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Did you know it’s illegal to catch a fish with your bear hands in the state of Indiana?” the club posted.
“Bare* #UKeducation,” the Indiana club hockey account posted in response.
Bare* #UKeducation https://t.co/NTfdIAz9Cx
— Hockey at Indiana University (@Hockey_IU) October 28, 2023
It is illegal per Indiana Code to catch a fish with one's hands alone in Indiana.
The exchange continued when Kentucky complained of clock management during the game. “Learn how to work a clock. #IUeducation,” the Wildcats’ X account posted.
“We didn’t start the clock multiple times to try and give you guys extra time to catch up!” the Hoosiers replied.
We didn’t start the clock multiple times to try and give you guys extra time to catch up! https://t.co/H6s2rLsJzd
— Hockey at Indiana University (@Hockey_IU) October 28, 2023
Despite the social media battle, Indiana freshman winger Ben Rosenberg, junior forward Aiden Simoneau, McKay and Gerami managed to score in the second period. The third period was scoreless, ending the game 6-3.
The Hoosiers maintained their historic record this weekend, improving to 13-2. Indiana will play its first standalone game of the season against Trine University on Nov. 3 at Frank Southern Ice Arena.
Follow reporter Molly Gregory (@mollygregory22) for updates throughout the Indiana club hockey season.
