The AAU D1 College Hockey National Championship took place in Jacksonville, FL, from March 5th through the 9th. 

Going into the tournament, the University of Georgia Ice Dawgs were the number one-seeded team. They were set to play against Sacred Heart University, Binghamton University and Niagara University in pool play. 

Game 1:

The first team Georgia played in the tournament was 16th-seeded Sacred Heart. 

From the opening puck drop, both teams played with an exciting energy. 

While neither team was able to score in the first period, six penalties were awarded between the two teams. 

Just 20 seconds into the second period, assistant captain Evan Parente (3) scored Georgia’s first goal of the game, putting the Dawgs up 1-0. The goal was assisted by junior Declan Conway (29) and senior Lleyton Poole (10). 

Conway scored only a minute later with a goal of his own, making the score 2-0. 

Five minutes later, Conway struck again, netting his second goal of the period off an assist from senior Ryan Bailey (13), to push Georgia’s lead to 3-0.

Freshman Brandon Ng (5) extended Georgia’s lead to 4-0 before heading into the final period

The third period remained largely uneventful until the closing minutes when both teams exchanged penalties. 

Georgia capped off its dominant performance with a late goal from freshman Zach Noll (12), assisted by junior Bill Martin (7) and Bailey, sealing the 5-0 victory.

Junior goaltender Isaac Haugen (40) was flawless in net, earning his first career playoff shutout while bringing the Ice Dawgs to an emphatic opening-round win.

“Going into the game I knew the importance of playoff hockey and the understanding that every game and every goal matters, so I tried to take my focus to a new level. I think that was a key to success, but I have to give the credit to the team and the defensemen who hustled all night to make my job a lot easier,” said Haugen. 

He continued, “We knew as a team that goals against was the primary tiebreaker so we knew we had to execute when we got out there, and I was really proud of the way the guys did that. I was pretty thrilled to have that first Georgia hockey playoff experience come in the form of a shutout, and I’m excited to build on it for next season.”

Game 2: 

Less than 24 hours after their opening victory, the Ice Dawgs returned to the ice for their second game of the tournament, facing off against 9th-seeded Binghamton

This game was played at a higher intensity than the previous night. 

The Ice Dawgs struck first in the opening period, as senior defenseman Luke Burnett (16) found the back of the net to give Georgia a 1-0 lead. His goal was assisted by sophomore Evan Moore (18). 

Binghamton, however, responded late in the first, scoring a goal of their own to tie the game at 1-1. 

Halfway through the second period, junior Alex Laracy (38) scored to make it 2-1 Georgia. 

Following this goal, Parente scored his second of the weekend with an assist from his linemates, Conway and Bailey, pushing the Ice Dawgs ahead 3-1. 

“I was super excited, all of these games we play at nationals are intense, you get everyone’s best, so getting some breathing room is something I’ll never complain about,” Parente said. 

Binghamton fought hard in the third period to score another goal, cutting Georgia’s lead to 3-2. 

The Ice Dawgs were able to hold them off and seal their second victory of the tournament.

Senior goalie Ryan Testino (31) delivered an outstanding performance, stopping 31 of 33 shots on goal to earn his 12th win of the season. 

With the victory, Georgia improved to 2-0 in pool play. 

Game 3:

After winning their first two games of pool play, the Ice Dawgs had to beat 8th-seeded Niagara, who was also undefeated, to advance to the semi-final game. 

With this being an elimination game, both teams brought a relentless effort through a high-stakes matchup, delivering a tense, defensive showdown.

Despite the intensity, the scoreboard remained untouched through the first two periods, 0-0. 

Georgia found themselves shorthanded early, taking a penalty in the opening frame and another midway through the second. 

However, their penalty kill unit stood strong, keeping Niagara off the board. 

Binghamton took back-to-back penalties in the second, giving the Dawgs a great scoring chance as they had a  5 on 3 opportunity. Georgia was unable to capitalize, leaving the game deadlocked heading into the third period.

With 2:53 left in regulation, junior Dylan Punzenberger (15) buried the go-ahead goal off a pass from freshman Zach Noll (12), giving Georgia a crucial 1-0 lead. 

Niagara had one final opportunity when Georgia took a penalty with 1:39 to play. 

They pulled their goalie to have a 6 on 4 advantage to try to tie the game, keeping their season alive. 

The Ice Dawgs’ defense and goaltending were able to kill off this penalty, securing Georgia’s third and final win of pool play, sending them to play in the semifinal game the next day. 

Testino played lights out, earning his first shutout of the weekend by stopping all 33 shots from Niagara.  

“It felt good to secure the win and advance out of pool play. The guys did a great job keeping the shots outside and letting me see the puck as well,” Testino said. 

With the win, Georgia completes pool play with a perfect 3-0 record, punching their ticket to the semifinal round as they continue their pursuit of a national championship.