Sheffield Hallam regained their historic dominance in the highest-scoring Varsity ice hockey ever, taking victory in 2024’s opening event.
As the respective teams left the ice after warming up, the atmosphere was electric. Chants rang across the arena as students arrived in their hordes.
The lights suddenly went out and phone torches lit up to welcome the teams back onto the ice, ready for an exhilarating match.
With an emotional ice hockey montage playing on the screens, you wouldn’t be blamed for getting goosebumps as the excitement just continued to rise.
The teams emerged to a raucous crowd, followed by each university’s numerous club captains and sports officers.
First period
There may have only been one Varsity point on offer, but the tension was palpable as players were slammed into the plexiglass from the opening minutes.
Hallam took the first goal in a clumsy goalmouth scramble, with Joel Marsh scoring unassisted just a few minutes into the game.
Uni of tried their best to retaliate as they took several great shots, but they were well-defended by the maroon side.
Similarly, the goaltender in black and gold did well to block some excellent attempts, although it seemed inevitable that Hallam would score again.
Uni of got into the swing of things, equalising 12 minutes into the first period thanks to the efforts of number 92 Sam Parkin, assisted by Joseph Faulkner.
However, just as the announcer called out Parkin’s achievement, Hallam took back the lead through Ryan Fraley, assisted by crowd favourite James White.
Their side rapidly rediscovered their rhythm, and their efforts were rewarded by yet another goal, this time scored by Oliver Keeling.
Uni of fought back as Parkin made an attempt on goal, but instead of the puck going in, it was Hallam’s number 7, Lewis Miles who fell into the back of the net.
With eight minutes to go, Hallam’s Nathan Bennett was handed a two-minute penalty for tripping.
Despite being a man down, Hallam scored once again at the hands of number 9, Fraley.
It was easy to lose count of the number of shots the black and gold team took; it finally paid off as Parkin scored for a second time, assisted by Will Szollosy and Ishbel Wright.
This was speedily followed by a goal by Hallam’s James White, with a beautifully crafted assist at the hands of Fraley and Daniel Haid.
The first period ended 5-2 to Hallam.
Second period
The opening minutes of the second period were uneventful, with both teams having unsuccessful attempts on goal.
That all changed three minutes in, when Uni of brought the deficit down to just two goals. Szollosy, who had played a crucial role in his side for most of the match, scored unassisted.
Uni of were flying as they rapidly followed this up with yet another goal, scored by number 66 Raud Niculae.
A critical error from Uni of’s goalie Callum Stevenson resulted in Hallam increasing their lead through Punn Phasukk, who slipped the puck into the corner of the net.
With half the period gone, the maroon side scored yet again, this time by Nathan Bennett, who had clearly bounced back from his earlier stint in the sin bin.
The second penalty of the night was dealt to Hallam’s Nathan Otley. Uni of fought to take advantage of their opponents being a man down but struggled to find the back of the net.
In the final five minutes, the maroon side were all over Uni of, repeatedly finding space and taking some impressive shots. Despite their best efforts, the score remained unchanged, mainly due to the fantastic work by Stevenson.
At the end of the second period, Hallam led 7-4.
Third period
With three goals to claw back, the black and gold team got off to a solid start, getting extremely close to scoring on two occasions.
Three minutes in, Adam Brooke-Smith’s precise shot flew past Hallam goaltender Nick Winters, taking the scoreline to 7-5.
Both teams continued to create chances through the third period, fuelled by the shouts of the crowd.
It looked like a stalemate until, with just under six minutes to go, Uni of brought down their deficit to just one goal as Parkin scored his third of the night.
Despite Uni of taking a time-out to concentrate their efforts, it was Hallam who took the victory, winning 7-6 after an hour of incredible action.
Varsity continues with American football, long-distance athletics, and cycling time trials on 22 March.
All Image Credits: Alex Edgley