Anna Hansen
Junior forward Matt Miller and junior forward Chris Solomon high-five as they celebrate their goal against the Tar Heels. The Icepack defeated the UNC Tar Heels 10-3 in its first hockey match of the season at Wake Competition Center on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021.
NC State women’s hockey and Icepack both took home conference championships in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Feb. 18-20. The Icepack sat atop the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League for the fourth consecutive season, while the women secured their first-ever WACCHL title.
The women (6-3-0) exacted its revenge on the Georgetown Hoyas (4-1-0) that beat the Pack 6-3 earlier in the season, walloping the Hoyas 5-2 in the semifinal round. Senior forward Emily Petersen spearheaded NC State’s second offensive onslaught in the championship game against the West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1-0). Petersen scored a hat trick in a 6-4 win over WVU, closing out her college hockey career with a WACCHL title.
After taking care of business against the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks (7-3-1) in the quarterfinal, the Icepack (10-1-2) showcased a “never quit” attitude in its semifinal showdown with the Demon Deacons (8-4-0). Down 3-0 with just 1:44 to go in regulation, NC State rattled off a trio of goals to force overtime. Junior forward Matt Miller sent the Pack to the championship game with the game-winner in overtime.
After surviving the Demon Deacons, the Icepack finished the job against the Tar Heels (9-4-0), winning 3-0. This latest installment in the rivalry between the Icepack and the Heels went down to the wire with neither team scoring in the first two periods, but freshmen forwards Emery Oliver and Zack Robinson, and junior defenseman/forward Chris Solomon each netted a goal to seal the deal over the rival Tar Heels.