In their first season competing at the Division II level, your Ice Hogs qualified for the Central Regional Tournament and competed for a chance to qualify for the National Tournament. The Hogs entered the tournament with momentum as the team had gone undefeated in their contests during the spring semester and entered fresh off a dominating performance at the MACHA Tournament, handling Illinois, Iowa, and tournament favorite Maryville easily.
Their first match up saw them square off with #9 Michigan State. The hogs continued their dominance jumping out to an early lead in the first period and never looked back on their way to a 6-1 victory. Senior goaltender Grady Reis continued his stellar play keeping MSU out of the back of the net early, allowing the Hogs to gain momentum. Physical play and penalties dominated the storyline, and Arkansas’ special teams stayed scorching hot in this one to keep Arkansas squarely ahead throughout.
The second round match up saw Arkanas draw a tough opponent in #4 seeded St. Thomas. The veteran team was no stranger to the stage, playing in their 4th regional tournament in a row. Arkansas found itself in penalty trouble early, and never got their feet moving in the first period. They trailed 2-0 after 20 minutes. After another slow start in the 2nd, they began to find their momentum but again trailed at the end of the frame 5-2.
However, full of belief and perseverance, the Razorbacks would not quit. They controlled the pace of play and put St. Thomas on their heels in the 3rd period. They 3 times brought the game to within 1 goal, including 3 goals in the last 4 minutes of the game, and 2 with the goalie pulled in the final 2 minutes. The comeback would fall short with a St. Thomas empty net goal with less than a second to play and their season would end with an 8-6 defeat.
This marked the end of the Razorbacks season as they were eliminated from the tournament. Overall, this was a very successful season for the Hogs as they continued their winning trajectory from Division III by finishing with a winning record, winning their conference tournament, and qualifying for ACHA postseason play in their first season of competition at Division II.
