Game Recap: Hokies Fend Off Late Surging Tar Heels in Overtime

VINTON, V.A. - With a new month of games slated on the horizon for Virginia Tech, the Hokies welcomed North Carolina to the Lot for the first of a two-game series this weekend. In what has been a recurring theme this season, Tech once again found a way Friday night in a critical 4-3 overtime defeat of the Tar Heels.

The Hokies (3-1-1) began the final stretch of their four-game homestand Friday Night with poise as they welcomed another familiar M1 opponent in the Tar Heels to the Lot. Before the game kicked off, Tech honored program alumni and former captain Nick Messuro as he was inducted into the ACCHL Hall of Fame with a pregame ceremony and puck drop.

North Carolina got the scoring started in the first period with a goal from Daniel Kauber that stretched past a diving Ian Kee, starting in his second straight game for the Hokies. Tech would respond six minutes later after a Florian Zajic interference penalty provided a power play goal to JH Lages, knotting the score even 1-1. It would not take long for the Hokies to take the lead, 13 seconds to be exact, as Kameron Khazai netted his third goal of the season to give Tech a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

The second period consisted of a back-and-forth tilt between the offenses, with the lone tally of the period coming from Lages, his second of the game. Lages finished with two goals and an assist, collecting a streak of three consecutive games with at least a point scored.

Needing to play with urgency, the final 20 minutes were dominated by the Tar Heels. North Carolina's offense pressured Tech's defense, generating 15 shots compared to the Hokies' three. A Issa Mansour goal early in the period inched the Tar Heels closer as a power play goal in the eleventh minute of the period brought the game back into a tie. Both goaltenders, Ian Kee and Lucas Brown, did enough to draw the contest into 3-on-3 overtime, putting the Hokies in a familiar territory once again this season. However, an Ethan Garlock steal led to the game-winning breakaway goal as Tech narrowly defeated the Tar Heels 4-3 on Friday.

With the Hokies' win, they are now 1-1 in extra time, with their one loss coming at Liberty in a shootout opening weekend. Moreover, Garlock's three-point performance on Friday night continues his great 2025-26 campaign as he leads the team with five goals in five games played.

The Hokies and Tar Heels will meet once again Saturday night for the weekend series finale at the Lot. Fans can tune in live and watch on the Virginia Tech Hockey Network starting at 6:30 pm.