 GREENSBORO, N.C. – NC State fell to North Carolina 3-2 on Saturday in the second game of their rivalry series, splitting the weekend 1-1.
BOX SCORE | SKATER STATS | HIGHLIGHTS The Icepack couldn’t find their footing early, as UNC scored twice in the opening period to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. In the second period, a series of penalties gave the Icepack a 5-on-3 advantage. Reece Johnson capitalized just 10 seconds into the power play, scoring off assists from Zach Herman and Andrew Throndson. UNC was held scoreless in the frame, and the Icepack entered the third period down 2-1. NC State carried the momentum into the third. Joey Gouveia tied the game on the power play goal assisted by Daniel Prazma and Johnson. But UNC reclaimed the lead with 2:10 remaining, securing a 3-2 win in a physical matchup. The Icepack is off next weekend before traveling to Alabama for its first series against the Frozen Tide. NC State and UNC will meet again in November for the annual GovCup.
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 RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State beat North Carolina 4-1 in Friday night to open its home-and-home rivalry series and take momentum into Saturday’s matchup at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro.
BOX SCORE | SKATER STATS | HIGHLIGHTS Jack Ammons put the Icepack on the board just 1:21 into the game with an unassisted goal off a steal. The opening period set a scrappy, fast-paced tone that carried through the night. Erik Dahlin extended the lead late in the second period on assists from Ammons and Holden Koufman. UNC quickly answered to cut the deficit to 2-1 entering the third. The final period featured physical play and several scuffles. Daniel Prazma added NC State’s third goal off assists from Joey Gouveia and Zach Herman, and Reece Johnson sealed the win with an empty-netter. Goaltender Ethan Roberts praised his teammates after the game. “I’m glad they had my back,” Roberts said. “They went out there, scored a couple and got the W.” Looking to Saturday, he said the key to a series sweep is “to play a full 60.” Head coach Tim Healy noted the atmosphere, with tickets sold out in advance for the first time in program history. “Tonight was really the kind of fulfillment of a vision that a lot of us have been working on for a long time,” Healy said. “That was a red house tonight. That was 90% red. NC State fans always show out. You know, tonight like this, that really makes you proud to be a part of it.” NC State travels to Greensboro on Saturday for the second game of the series at First Horizon Coliseum. The Icepack’s game will precede the ECHL Greensboro Gargoyles matchup. Tickers for the game can be purchased here, and it will be streamed on ESPN+.  RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State faces rival UNC in a home-and-home series.
The Icepack hosts the first game Friday night at Invisalign Arena. The series shifts to Greensboro on Saturday for the Tar Heels' home game at First Horizon Coliseum, home to the newest ECHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, the Greensboro Gargoyles. The rivalry between the Icepack and Tar Heels is long-established, with multiple meetings each season. This weekend marks the first two of three games for the 2025-26 season. Sophomore defenseman Tait Sawden said the UNC matchup brings a unique intensity. “It was really high energy, and it was a different type of atmosphere that's tough to match in other games,” Sawden said. “The atmosphere is different. They step up their game, and we step up our game as well.” NC State expects a strong crowd for Friday’s home game before heading on the road Saturday. “Our home games against UNC are so fun as it is,” Sawden said. “Greensboro will definitely be a different atmosphere – potentially playing in front of more people in a different stadium.” Sawden said the Icepack’s focus will be on “sticking to what we do well: playing good five-on-five, locking down on defense, and chipping away, scoring greasy goals.” Puck drop Friday is set for 8 p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+. Saturday’s game at the First Horizon Coliseum starts at 2 p.m. and will also be streamed on ESPN+. A ticket for Saturday’s game also includes admission to the Greensboro Gargoyles’ matchup against the Reading Royals, which follows the Icepack-Tar Heels game.  With UNC and NC State squaring off at three different venues over the next month, plus our outdoor game vs. Alabama, here is what you need to know to ensure you can see the Icepack live. Friday 10/24 at Invisalign Arena. This is a normal Icepack home game. Doors open at 6:30, game time at 8 p.m. First 1,000 attendees receive an Icepack Rally Towel, courtesy of Wake Competition Center. Tickets purchased here. Saturday 10/25 at First Horizon Center in Greensboro. Doors open at 1 p.m., puck drop at 2 p.m. This game, produced in conjugation with the Greensboro Gargoyles allows attendees to watch this game and the ECHL game that evening. To attend this game, tickets must be purchased through a special ticketing link, found here. Saturday vs. 11/15 vs. Alabama at Truist Field. The Pack takes on Alabama as part of the Charlotte Knights 704 Faceoff. Details can be found here. Sunday 11/23, Governor's Cup at Lenovo Center. Puck drop at 5 p.m. We once again will do complimentary tickets for youth hockey programs through coaches and program directors. NC State students will be able to secure a complimentary tickets at our two November homes games on 11/14 and 11/21. Season ticket holders will receive their tickets directly via email from Ticket Master a week before the game. General public purchase is through Ticket Master through this link.  RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State State University is just 25 miles from the University of North Carolina, connected via the Tobacco Road, I-40. The rivalry between the long-standing public institutions, both giants of North Carolina’s higher education, is deep-rooted and multifaceted, stemming from differences in identity and culture, as well as the schools’ close proximity. NC State and UNC are both members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and are situated within the Research Triangle of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Since the founding of the ACC in 1953, the schools have faced each other in football every year.
The intensity of the football rivalry has fueled tension across the universities. Feelings and attitudes established on the football field carry over into the broader campus culture, reinforcing a sense of "us against them." The contrast between the narrative cultures feeds the divide – “elitist bluebloods” versus the “hard-working engineers and agriculture-focused individuals”. This rivalry is particularly visible in Raleigh, where students, alumni, neighbors and families are invested. Some children grow up in “divided households,” and with family members loyal to opposing schools. License plates indicate which university drivers support. Flags hang outside, with NC State on one side and UNC on the other. Bumper stickers and buttons show support, including images of fish representing each university eating each other. Invisalign Arena, home of the North Carolina State Icepack, is 27 miles from Orange County Sportsplex, home of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Both hockey teams were founded in the 1970s, and their proximity keeps them part of the same conversation. The Icepack and the Tar Heels are members of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), and until this season, both competed at the Men’s Division 2 level. As part of the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League, the teams face each other in conference play, including the annual GovCup at the Lenovo Center. They also stage showcases such as Frozen Finley in 2023 and the annual GovCup at the Lenovo Center. Since 2019, NC State and UNC have met multiple times each season. The Icepack dominated the early matchups, but the Tar Heels have made the competition more balanced in recent years. Overall, NC State holds a 32-13-2 record against UNC since 2008 and will look to continue stacking wins. Four years and seven games into the rivalry face-offs, UNC won its first game against NC State. Since then, the Tar Heels have recorded at least one win per season, creating a more equal competition than at the start. In 2023, the rivalry reached a new stage at Carter-Finley Stadium. As part of the NHL Stadium Series, the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals played inside NC State’s football stadium. With help from Shane Willis and the Hurricanes organization, the club hockey teams took advantage of the ice and played in front of an estimated 26,000 fans. NC State won 7-3. During the 2024-25 season, UNC beat NC State in overtime during a conference game. NC State responded with a 4-1 win at the Governor’s Cup in February. With both the Icepack and the Tar Heels making the jump to Division 1 in the ACHA this season, Friday night’s game will be their first meeting at the new level. A true “battle of the town,” NC State and UNC always deliver a spectacle that fans should be eager to see. |
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