The Russ Report: Ole Miss vs Mizzou Hockey Series Recap

By Russ Eddins

Journalism Student

The first big test of the year for the Ice Rebs did not go well. They dropped both games to Missouri at home. The Rebs went toe-to-toe with them in the first two periods of game one and played well in the third period of game two, but other than that, it did not look pretty. 

Despite the bad results, there is a bright side for Ole Miss hockey fans. 

Summary

Missouri got on the board seven minutes into the first. Robbie Spadetti, a veteran player for the Rebs who was just activated off the practice squad, tied the game up less than two minutes later. 

Missouri scored again in the first and took their lead into the first intermission. 

They added a third goal in the second. In the third, Ole Miss penalties and good play from the Tigers resulted in five goals for the visiting team.

The final score was 8-1 Tigers. 

Game two had a similar result, but the Rebs fought back in the last period. After the first period, the score was 4-1 Tigers. James Rogers got his first goal for the Ice Rebs.

 The Tigers added three in the second. 

Ole Miss ended the series on a high note. They scored four goals in the third; they also allowed three goals. The final score was 10-5. 

Notable Players

Andrew Knapp(Missouri) had three goals and four assists for eight points. 

Nick Spolec(Missouri)  had one goal and five assists for six points. 

Jack Hazelton(Missouri)  had three goals and two assists for five points. 

Mike O’Malley(Ole Miss) had two goals for two points.

Richard Price(Ole Miss) had one goal and one assist for two points. 

The Bright Side

This series had no playoff implications for the Ice Rebs. Missouri is an out-of-conference opponent, so this series did not matter; that being said, it is always nice to win. 

Missouri is an outstanding hockey team. They are one of the best teams in the ACHA. 

The Rebs did score five goals against them in the second game. That shows that our offense is really good. Missouri’s goalie did a great job of limiting the Rebs to only one goal in game one. 

What’s Next?

The Rebs play Clemson at home on October 13th and 14th. 

Clemson is a divisional opponent, so this series will have playoff implications. 

As of today(10/4/23), College Hockey South has Clemson ranked number five on their power rankings(CHS D2). Ole Miss is number eight.