Ole Miss will welcome Clemson to the Mid-South Ice House for a two-game series. Both teams are in the D2 North of College Hockey South, so this series will have major playoff implications. A sweep over Clemson would slingshot Ole Miss several places up in the standings. That said, earning a split would also be good moving forward.
Head Coach Josh Herbert said this series, “Either means we are playing catch-up through the rest of this first half, or it means (we are) taking the expected steps forward as a young team.”
So far, the Ice Rebels are 1-1 in divisional play this season. Clemson, on the other hand, has played only one divisional matchup, which resulted in a 5-2 victory over Georgia Tech.
Clemson sits at first in CHS D2 with an overall record of 5-1. Ole Miss places below the Tigers with its 3-3 record.
After dropping its first game of the season to Georgia 3-1, Clemson has won five straight games, building momentum for this upcoming matchup.
Ole Miss is coming off of back-to-back losses from a top ACHA team, the Missouri Tigers.
According to Herbert, Clemson is a very disciplined team. They pressure well and often. For the Rebels to beat Clemson, they need to stick to their game plan.
Defensive Coach James Erwrin says the passing has to get better to beat Clemson. He also thinks the team is still trying to gel together.
Clemson players to watch for
Herbert Kopf is a right winger for the Clemson Tigers, wearing No. 24. In six games, he has a team high of five goals, seven assists and 12 points, also a team high.
Cade Heinold is a left winger for the Tigers who wears No. 9. He has three goals, eight assists, which leads the team, and 11 points in six games.
Rounding up the notable players for Clemson is defenseman Thomas Samuelsen who sports No. 13. He has four goals, six assists and 10 points in six games.
Ole Miss players to watch for
Left winger Mike O’Malley, wearing No. 10, leads the Rebs in goals with nine and points with 12.
Right winger Jake Keller, No. 19, leads the team in assists with seven.
Doyle Coughlin is a Rebel winger who has yet to get going this season, but this upcoming series could be a breakout weekend for him.
Rich Mugler, the most experienced of the goalies on the team, could make his season debut this weekend coming off the injured reserve, which would provide a much-needed boost for the team.
Game Information
Both games will take place at the Mid-South Ice House in Olive Branch, Miss. That is roughly an hour drive north of Oxford. The start time for game one is 9:30 p.m. on Friday, and for game two, it is 4:15 p.m. on Saturday.
Both games will be live-streamed, with commentators, on Blackdog Hockey.
