On Friday night, the Virginia Tech Hokies (12-11-1, 6-5) celebrated Senior Night in style with a 7-5 win over the Duke Blue Devils. The victory marked the final home game for seven of Tech’s players in what was an emotional evening for many at the Lancerlot Arena.
Before the game, the Hokies held a pregame ceremony to commemorate seven seniors – Daniel Gelman, Camden Glass, Griffin Mudge, Neale Mercer, Steven Roccia, Finn Rowley, and captain Rocco Salvato – who are set to graduate from the university in the spring. Each player was spotlighted and given flowers as a “thank you” from the program for their hard work and effort during their tenure as a Hokie.
“This year’s seniors are a unique group that went through a lot,” spoke Head Coach Joey Mullen. “I have a lot of respect for all of them to endure and show up every night. They will hold a special place with me for everything they have done for this program.”
All seven seniors played in the final game of the regular season against the Blue Devils, aiming revenge for last season’s crushing finale when the Hokies lost to High Point 2-1. Moreover, with the team’s top line scratched, Tech looked to show off its impressive lineup depth that had been bragged about by Coach Mullen all season long.
In front of a packed Lancerlot Arena crowd, the Blue Devils struck first as seven minutes into the game Lewis Lapham unleashed a wrist shot from the near point. A second goal would be added shortly after from Duke’s leading scorer Alan Qiao, who flipped the puck over Tech’s Shane Cook to increase the lead by two. The Hokies would storm back as the captain, Rocco Salvato energized the crowd with a toe-dragging score to net his 7th goal of the season. Senior Griffin Mudge would later even the score 2-2 with a sharpshooting missile from the slot.
After scoring two goals in the first, the Hokies would continue to heat the score sheet, scoring three more that were unanswered in the second. Freshman Evan Dutil would continue his spectacular rookie campaign with two goals, one of them hitting off the top crossbar, his 8th and 9th on the season. Salvato would tally his second of the game as well which came off a wrap-around pass from Dutil. After 40 minutes of play, the Hokies entered the final period of the regular season up 5-2 on the Blue Devils.
The third got off to a rocky start for the Hokies, as the Blue Devils would score twice in the period’s opening two minutes. Tech would retaliate in viral fashion as senior Griffin Mudge scored his second goal of the game on a shot that he spun and fell at the same time. Ethan Camin would continue the scoring party, notching his 1st goal of the season to have the score 7-4. Duke would add one more late in the period, but it would not be enough to overcome the Hokies, as they would pull out the 7-5 victory at home.
Out of the seven goals scored by the Hokies in Friday night’s win, four of them came from seniors Griffin Mudge and Rocco Salvato. Evan Dutil also had a multi-goal night as both of his scores came in the second period.
The big takeaway from this game for Virginia Tech was the depth of the lineup, and the productiveness shown in all three phases. Head Coach Joey Mullen throughout the season has characterized this team as one of the deepest he has ever coached, and Friday’s performance showed that even without the team’s top line -- which has accounted for over one-third of the team’s goals – they can still get the job done.
Final Regular Season Notes:
- Finish the regular season with a 12-11-1 record (8-4 at home)
- Are 4-10-1 when the opponent scores first (opp. has scored first in the last two games won)
- Are 11-4 when outshooting opponents
- Are undefeated after leading after two periods
- 21 players recorded at least one multi-point game
- 11 players recorded at least one multi-goal game
Scoring Leaders:
- Goals: Kam Khazai (20)
- Assists: Gavin Peduzzi (32)
- Points: Gavin Peduzzi (45)
- Wins: Ian Kee (10)
The game against Duke marked the Hokies’ final regular season game before the ACCHL Playoff Tournament, which begins on February 9, 2024. Tech will find out their seed and opponent after the conclusion of the ACCHL regular-season finale between North Carolina and NC State.
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