End of a Season: VMI hockey

This past weekend, the Virginia Military Institute's Keydet Hockey took on the Old Dominion University Monarchs at the Lancerlot Sports Complex ice rink for their final two games of the 2023-2024 season. These two games would decide the trajectory of the team as they aimed for the Atlantic Coast Conference Hockey League (ACCHL) Southern D3 conference. These games took place on Friday, February 16th and Saturday, February 17th. Both teams fought fiercely. The first game ended in a tie, each team having scored four points and launching the game into overtime. Unfortunately for the Keydets, they were unable to score; however, their defense remained strong and they held the Monarchs until the final buzzer. Cadets Jacob Sandquist '24 and Honest Shin '27 both scored two points for VMI, highlighting the discipline and fight displayed by the team all season. Despite the tenacious nature of the first game, Saturday did not yield as positive a result. The Keydets took a hard fought loss to ODU with a final score of 1-4. Team captain Patrick Cavanaugh '24 reflected on the team's latest bout by saying: "Unfortunately the games didn't really go the way we wanted them to. Despite being short on personnel, we played well and it was a pleasure to be their captain this year." Despite a disappointing conclusion to the Keydet's hockey season, they look forward to the opportunities of next year which will bring in new talent and a new drive for victory. As the team itself looks forward to the introduction of Cadet Matt Hunter '26 as the team captain and both Cadets Honest Shin and Michael O'Byrne '26 as assistant captains, the Keydet fans maintain excitement for the next season of VMI hockey.