CLARKSVILLE, TN – The Clarksville Kings began their third season Wednesday night at Ford Ice Center Antioch, continuing the development of a young hockey program that has already come a long way since its inaugural season.
Clarksville fell 10-3 to the Rutherford County Rampage in the opener, but the final score didn’t reflect a game that remained competitive through two periods.
After making significant strides during their second season, the Kings enter Year 3 with considerable roster turnover and several younger players stepping into larger roles.
The game opened at a quick, physical pace. Rutherford used its size advantage to create traffic and crash the Clarksville net, while the Kings countered with speed and looked to generate offense off the rush. Despite giving up size, Clarksville didn’t shy away from contact.
Rutherford built a 3-0 first-period lead before No. 87 Naythan Richer scored with just 28 seconds remaining to make it 3-1. Richer scored again in the second to pull Clarksville within one at 3-2. The Kings later had an apparent tying goal waved off for a hand pass and generated several quality chances during a 5-on-3 power play but couldn’t find the equalizer.
Goaltender No. 31 Riley Barnes helped keep Clarksville close despite sustained Rutherford pressure, making several critical saves, including a breakaway stop late in the second. The Kings entered the second intermission trailing just 3-2.
Rutherford broke the game open with seven goals in the third. Rampage captain No. 47 Harold Segars was a standout, using his speed and skill to drive much of Rutherford’s attack. Segars finished with two goals and an assist, including a shorthanded, game winning goal.
Clarksville’s third goal came from No. 26 Emme Skurka on the power play, with Richer picking up the assist. Richer finished with two goals and an assist, factoring into all three Kings goals. Rutherford finished with a 41-21 advantage in shots.
Despite the result, Clarksville Head Coach Josh Tobin was encouraged by what he saw from his team.
“For the first game of the season, I’m extremely proud of the adversity these kids have went through, and you can definitely tell that they put in the work over the summer,” Tobin said. “I think that was just the beginning.”
For a program entering only its third season, the opener represented another starting point. After taking a significant step forward last year, the challenge now is turning a young and changing roster into the next stage of the Kings’ development.
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