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The Georgia Tech hockey club defeated Georgia 3-2 on Jan. 26 at the Bulldogs' home rink in Duluth, Ga., to complete a three-game sweep of the series for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
The victory should boost the Jackets in the final rankings, issued Feb. 3. The team needs to finish in the top 10 to qualify for the Southern regionals Feb. 15 and 16 at the Ice Forum in Duluth.
Whitney Yiu, a junior from St. Albans, Vt., scored the Jan. 26 game winner late in the third period. Freshman goalie Maxx "Ice" Lucas of Binghamton, N.Y., held Georgia to a 1.36 goals against average over the three-game series, including a 5-0 shutout of the then-undefeated Bulldogs Nov. 16.
Tech's hockey team was ranked No. 3 last year and played in the District III National Championship in Fort Wayne, Ind., but began this year with eight freshmen as starters.
The sweep of Georgia was a high point during a tough year that was made more difficult due to injuries.
Five-year veteran Christin Gattung broke his wrist during practice. That was followed by a rash of injuries that depleted the inexperienced squad throughout the first semester and continued into the second. The Jackets currently have five players injured and out for the season, including backup goaltender Natalie Sanders, the only female on the team.
Head coach Greg Stathis, in his 17th year at the helm of Tech's hockey team, has helped shape Southern hockey, founding the first South regional conference and bringing Tech into the American Collegiate Hockey Association in 1999.
"In the club's 35-year history, they have brought nothing but honor to the Georgia Tech athletic tradition, playing with class and sportsmanship and always promoting the sport in a positive light," said Paul Gattung, assistant coach and business manager.
"Last season only six teams from the South were legitimate contenders for nationals," Gattung said. "This year at least 15 teams are fighting for four qualifying positions. Last season, Kennesaw State became the first team from the South region to win the national championship."
The team also works to honor Tyler Brown, a former student body president and an Army lieutenant killed in Iraq. "The club hosted the third annual Veterans Day game to benefit the Lieutenant Tyler Brown Scholarship Fund and raised $450 in donations," Gattung said.
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