Governor’s Cup: By the Year

RALEIGH, N.C. – What began as a one-off competition at PNC Arena between the two local rivals has grown into an annual event that draws the largest crowd of each team’s season. The Governor’s Cup, rebranded from the original Backyard Brawl, has delivered eight years of physical play and the excitement of competing on big-league ice. NC State leads the all-time series 6-2 and will look to keep the Cup in Raleigh in the annual matchup on Nov. 23. 
​
2016-17

• Date: Feb. 2, 2017
• Result: NC State win, 3-1
• Viewing link: Highlights

The first Backyard Brawl was held at PNC Arena in 2017 and drew 6,100 fans, the largest crowd for a college hockey game in North Carolina at the time. UNC scored first in the opening period, but NC State tied it in the second. A close chance for another UNC goal in the third period bounced off the crossbar. Sam Banasiewicz scored twice, including the game-winner, as NC State held on to win the inaugural matchup. 

2017-18

• Date: Nov. 20, 2017
• Result: NC State win, 5-3
• Viewing link: Highlights

The second Backyard Brawl kept the Governor’s Cup in Raleigh with a 5-3 win. The victory also secured NC State a spot in the ACCHL tournament. The matchup was the chippiest in the rivalry – a distinction it still holds today – and was heavy on penalties. Goalie Joey Hall had “GTHC” written on his stick for motivation. 

NC State scored first in the opening period before UNC answered on the power play and added another to take the lead. Co-captain Luis Gimenez tied the game in the second. The Icepack later pulled ahead 4-2, a run that included a short-handed goal. UNC added one more in the third, but a late hit on Hall led to a fired-up finish. 

2018-19

• Date: Jan. 23, 2019
• Result: NC State win, 5-0
• Viewing link: Highlights

The Icepack finished the semester undefeated at 18-0 and recognized their seniors – including current NC State assistant coach Eric Mura – before the game. Hall recorded a shutout. NC State scored first, Banasiewicz added a second goal off a face-off feed and Alex Robinson made it 3-0. The Icepack added two more in the third period to seal the win. 

2019-20

• GovCup: 
  • Nov. 25, 2019 
  • NC State win, 8-6 
  • Viewer link: Highlights

NC State dominated the first period, scoring five unanswered goals before UNC recorded its first goal. The Icepack quickly responded to the lone UNC goal, sending the game into the first intermission with a 6-1 lead. UNC attempted to mount a comeback in the third period but was unable to close the gap. Zack Robinson added a late power-play goal to secure the 8-6 win 

• 
  
  • Jan. 20, 2020
    
  • NC State win, 9-3 
  • Viewer link: Highlights

UNC scored first in the Carolina Classic, but NC State answered quickly and pulled ahead 4-1 in the opening period. The Icepack added five more goals across the second and third periods to finish with nine. Current Icepack equipment manager Jess Tart was in the net and held UNC to three goals. 

This season marked the first and only time that the Icepack played in both the annual Governor’s Cup and the branded Backyard Brawl as separate events. 

2021-22

• Date: Nov. 29, 2021
• Result: NC State win, 8-4
• Viewing link: Highlights

This season brought the official rebranding of the Backyard Brawl into the Governor’s Cup. The Icepack scored first on the power play and added another goal in the second period. UNC scored off a turnover and added a quick second-period goal, but NC State kept control and closed out the game with a strong third period, including back-to-back goals from Zack Robinson. 

2022-23

• Date: Nov. 21, 2022
• Result: NC State loss, 4-2
• Viewing link: Highlights

UNC took control of the game at the start, scoring once in the first period and twice in the second period. NC State answered in the third with goals from Alex Robinson and captain Zach Herman, but the Icepack never pulled even and trailed throughout. Later that season, NC State defeated UNC 7-3 at the Frozen Finley at Carter-Finley Stadium. 

2023-24

• Date: Nov. 20, 2023
• Result: NC State loss, 5-3
• Viewing link: Highlights

The Tar Heels opened the scoring, but current alternate Joey Gouveia tied the game later in the first period. UNC regained the lead in the second, though Nick Librizzi responded quickly off assists from Holden Koufman and Nick Shook. Shook re-tied the game in the third, but UNC scored back-to-back, one of those an empty-netter, to finish 5-3. 

2024-25

• Date: Feb. 2, 2025
• Result: NC State win, 4-1
• Viewing link: Highlights

Koufman opened the scoring for NC State, and Herman recorded a second goal. UNC halved the Icepack’s lead in the second period, but Daniel Prazma and Erik Dahlin sealed the win with empty-net goals in the final two minutes. Goalie Isaac Tawyer made several saves to earn his 1-1 GovCup record and help bring the Cup back to Raleigh after a two-year stint in Chapel Hill.

From its beginnings as a single-game rivalry, the series has grown into the highly anticipated Governor’s Cup, highlighting the dynamic and passionate rivalry between NC State and UNC.