AFTAC Hockey Team chomps Florida Gators in OT

  • Published
  • By Susan A. Romano
  • AFTAC Public Affairs
ROCKLEDGE, Fla. --  In a thrilling overtime victory, the Air Force Technical Applications Center’s hockey club defeated the University of Florida, 8-7 in a late-night game at the Space Coast Iceplex March 7.
 
Led by team captain Bill Hungate, a senior scientist at the treaty monitoring center, 13 AFTACers made up the roster that went head-to-head against college-aged talent who were fresh off their competition at nationals.
 
More than 200 fans packed the stands, and while AFTAC was the home team, by all accounts the Gator fans outnumbered AFTAC’s.  But from the opening faceoff until the final whistle, each team’s rooting squad put their full enthusiasm on display.
 
Prior to the first puck drop, AFTAC’s choral group “Atomic Blue” set the tone with their a cappella version of the National Anthem, a consistent tradition at all home games since the team was first formed in 2014.
 
The game saw end-to-end action throughout the three periods of play, and despite the lopsided score of 4-1 early in the second period in the Florida’s favor, AFTAC did not lose hope.
 
“The Gators proved they showed up ready to play,” Hungate said.  “I expected them to be fast, but when we were down 2-0 in the first few minutes of the game, I knew we had to step it up.”
 
The teams traded a few more goals in the third, and with less than a minute remaining on the clock, assistant coach Ronald Grove received a pass from Hungate and skated in on a breakaway to tie the game at 7.  Then it was on to a 3-on-3, 5-minute overtime match-up. 
 
At the 1:35 mark of overtime, strength and conditioning coach Wes Rutledge shot the puck past UF’s goalie as AFTAC fans erupted in cheers.
 
The path to the Gators coming to Rockledge was a bit of a challenge for Hungate and his teammates.
 
“I have been trying to get this game scheduled for nearly 10 years now,” he said.  “During that time, I’d been in contact with no less than three different team captains. When it came time to schedule the game, the old captain would graduate, and I’d have to start the planning all over again.”
 
Aaron Trudel, one of the founding members of the hockey club, was anxious to mix it up with the Division III university at home after going on the road and defeating the University of Miami in Coral Gables and the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC. 
 
“One way we got the Gators interested in playing us was to challenge them to do something the Miami Hurricanes couldn’t,” he joked.
 
The game was a homecoming of sorts for Trudel, who had recently returned from military assignments in South Korea, Germany, and Washington, D.C., and now a member of civil service works as a Program Management Specialist with the System Development Directorate.
 
“It was awesome to finally be back on the ice with these guys for a game like this,” Trudel said.  “We’ve got to hand it to Bill – he never gave up on getting this game scheduled, and he never doubted we would win!”
 
As is customary at the conclusion of a hockey game, the two teams lined up at center ice for the customary handshake after the final buzzer sounded.
 
AFTAC defenseman Paul Bertrand said, “There’s nothing like the sportsmanship and respect hockey players have for each other.  I was skating through a few nagging injuries, but I was still excited to go toe-to-toe with a team of this caliber.  It was a hard-fought match, and we all really appreciate the Gators for making the trip down here to play us.”
 
Hungate gave a shout out to UF’s team captain, Shane Rosenthal, and the rest of his teammates for their professionalism and on-ice ethics.
 
“We play a variation of ‘no contact,’ meaning no hard checking or dropping of the gloves,” Hungate said, “and the Gators respected the rules.  Everyone who laced up the skates tonight played hard and demonstrated why hockey is, in my opinion, the greatest sport on earth.  I’m proud of every one of my guys, and we hope the University of Florida will make this an annual event with us.”
 
Rosenthal added, “This game was everything we expected, and more.  AFTAC worked hard and they definitely earned the win.  I’d love to see our two teams on the ice during the National Hockey League’s Winter Classic outdoor games in Tampa or Miami next season!”