From MTSU Sidelines
By Ephraim Rodenbach
No. 1 MTSU club hockey (14-2) swept Kennesaw State (3-13) to extend the Blue Raiders’ winning streak to sixteen consecutive victories.
MTSU graduate student forward Matthew Siciliano scored four goals in his final game as a Blue Raider, bringing his season total to 26. Middle Tennessee outscored the Owls 26-4 over the weekend series, including multiple hat tricks and a shutout.
“I wasn’t looking to get four, I was just in the right spot,” Siciliano said. “I felt like I could see a little bit more than normal.”
Game one
The series opener started fast for MTSU as Tommy Chunchukov tipped home the go-ahead score. Off the ensuing faceoff, Siciliano slotted a pass to Chunchukov, who buried his own rebound to extend the Blue Raider advantage to 2-0 early in the period.
The remaining minutes of the first period saw four Middle Tennessee goals, including two from defenseman Yuli Lima. At the end of the first period, MTSU glided to a 6-0 advantage after 20 minutes. The second period began with consistent offensive pressure on Owl goaltender Nikoli Dunne, who made key saves to hold off the red-hot Blue Raider offense.
MTSU broke through the stalemate as Siciliano fired a wrist shot from the faceoff dot that found the back of the net to keep the Blue Raiders on top 7-0. The Middle Tennessee offense kept buzzing in the offensive zone, springing forward Linden Palmer for a chance on the breakaway. The MTSU captain delivered a deke past Dunne to push the MTSU advantage to 8-0 midway through the period.
A second goal by both MTSU forward Donovan Yesnach and Lima, followed by a goal with Kieran Ogle, boosted the MTSU advantage to 11-0 at the end of two periods.
Siciliano and Yesnach added late goals to cap a 13-0 victory for Middle Tennessee, backed by a 20-save shutout performance from MTSY goaltender Ayden Kopec. Yesnach and Lima each completed hat tricks in the Blue Raiders’ first victory of the weekend.
Game two
MTSU broke the ice with a Siciliano deflection in front of Kennesaw goaltender Alex Wehbe to give the Blue Raiders a 1-0 lead early in the first period. Making his first career start for Middle Tennessee, goaltender Ethan Poage, held steady, turning away multiple scoring opportunities from the Owls. A missed Palmer penalty shot kept the Blue Raiders up by one at the end of the first.
The second frame saw a faster pace of play, leading to scoring opportunities on both ends of the ice. Chunchukov fought through two defenders and muscled home a rebound off the pad of Wehbe to put the Blue Raiders on top 2-0 mid-way through the second. Kieran Ogle continued his scoring streak, slotting the puck past the extended pad of Wehbe to give MTSU a three-goal clearance on the Owls.
The Owls kicked off a flurry of goals as forward Rhys Legault scored from the slot to get KSU on the board. The following minutes saw four scores on the scoreboard, with two from each team. Midway through the period, the stat sheet stood at 5-2 with the Blue Raiders maintaining a slim lead. Another Kennesaw goal cut the MTSU lead to 5-3 late in the second period.
Siciliano swung momentum back in the favor of Middle Tennessee with a top-shelf snipe to return the MTSU lead to three goals. A second goal from MTSU forward Keenan Rosas set the score at 7-3 at the end of the second.
The final frame of play saw the Blue Raiders’ offense continue the momentum from the second period, as Siciliano notched two goals, securing a hat-trick. Middle Tennessee tacked on four more goals late in the period, despite a late tally from the Owls, MTSU captured a 13-4 victory.
“I’m excited for the spring semester, and to see what we can do, come playoffs and nationals,” MTSU head coach JJ Murray said.”
MTSU will return to the Ford Ice Center after the winter break on Jan. 17-18 to take on the Liberty University Flames (9-1).
(Originally published at https://mtsusidelines.com/2025/11/24/sicilianos-four-goal-sendoff-caps-mtsu-club-hockeys-16th-straight-victory/)
