From MTSU Sidelines
By Geo Finnemore
Middle Tennessee State University hockey (1-2-0) got its first victory of the 2026-27 season over West Virginia University (1-1-0), 6-0 on Saturday night at the Ford Ice Center in Antioch, Tennessee.
MTSU produced its best offensive performance of the season, with three players scoring their first points of the season. Freshman goaltender Drew Stratton posted a shutout in his first collegiate career start in net for the Blue Raiders.
Middle Tennessee claimed control of the puck early and just 1:13 into the game, team captain Tommy Chunchukov put a rebound past junior WVU goaltender Hayden Derk to put the Blue Raiders ahead 1-0.
MTSU continued to control the puck throughout the first period outshooting the Mountaineers 16-4. Senior forward Jackson Crawford fired a wrist shot past Derk to extend the lead to 3-0, with five minutes remaining in the first period.
“We just had more energy,” MTSU assistant coach Tom Murphy said. “We’ve been harping that our energy in the locker room and the bench converts to the ice. It seems like when we have an energy of positivity, tenacity and relentlessness these guys show out.”
With 15:31 to play in the second period and the Blue Raiders on the power play, MTSU sophomore defenseman Cole Matthews gathered the puck behind the net and skated the length of the ice.
The Castleton University transfer flew the puck past Derk’s high glove-side for his first goal in a Blue Raider uniform and put MTSU ahead 4-0.
“He’s the anchor to our defense but he also has such an offensive upside,” MTSU head coach JJ Murray said. “He can skate with the puck, his shot is unbelievable. He can really take over a game when he wants to and I think that’s what we saw today.”
Matthews scored his second goal of the night at the 15:59 mark of the third period, beating Derk again on his glove side off a feed from junior defenseman Jacob Schenk to jump out 6-0.
WVU out-shot MTSU 26-22 over the final two periods but failed to net a goal on Stratton in his first career start. Stratton posted 30 saves on the evening.
“The boys played really in front of me,” Stratton said. “I can give all the credit to them for that one.”
Middle Tennessee continues its regular season hosting McKendree University on September 25-26, at 8:45 p.m. CDT at the Ford Ice Center in Antioch.
(Originally published at https://mtsusidelines.com/2026/09/13/mtsu-hockey-bounces-back-with-dominate-win-over-west-virginia/)
