Aggie Hockey dominates Beehive Classic
The Utah State hockey team continued its dominant streak this season with a strong showing at the Beehive Classic this weekend. USU defeated No. 2 Colorado State as part of the undefeated weekend.
Utah State 3, Colorado State 2
With the score tied 2-2 and three minutes left in the game, Aggie forward Joel Basson carried a pass from Stu Hepburn and skated it up the ice. The sophomore was guarded, but when the Colorado State defense broke down, he had an open shot.
“I was really excited about it,” Basson said. “The past couple games before this I’ve been getting a lot of chances, so it felt good to finally put on in the net.”
The third-period goal lifted the Aggies over the Rams 3-2 in the Aggies’ lowest-scoring game since facing Michigan State last season.
The Rams are ranked No. 2 in the Western Region. With the win against the strong program, the Aggies pick up valuable ground in their race for the national championship.
The Aggies led 2-0 early on, with goals from Brian Gibbons and Tyler Mistelbacher late in the first period and early in the second. Gibbons used his stellar stick skills and skated through traffic to pick up a goal with three minutes left in the first.
Mistelbacher notched a goal a little more three minutes into the second when he got a feed out front from Gibbons and one-timed it into the goal.
“When we started to get there deep, our forwards were getting to it faster,” Utah State head coach Jon Eccles said. “We were able to set up a little better and control their end.”
CSU cut the Aggies’ lead to one, with a wrap-around goal against USU goalie Allesandro Mullane, with eight minutes left to play. The Rams then tied it up midway through the third when Mullane couldn’t slide across to make the save.
“They came to play,” Eccles said. “It was a great game up and down the ice.”
Late in the game the Aggies took the lead again with Basson’s goal.
Utah State 10, Texas A&M 1
Aggie forward Cooper Limb notched a hat-trick in the first period and picked up a fourth goal in the second to lead the Aggies on a 10-1 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday night.
“My linemates got me good passes,” Limb said. “I was just able to bury it.”
The Utah State blue line, with forwards Limb, Matt Hamilton and Stu Hepburn ended a slump — the line has struggled offensively in recent games — with the four goals. Hamilton ended the game with four assists, while Hepburn added a goal and an assist.
Limb added his first goal when he found the net after a battle in front of the goal. The freshman added his second goal of the night, six minutes into the game, when a well-timed pass from Hamilton set him up for the score.
Eight seconds later, Texas A&M answered when Chris Turner took the faceoff and skated it down for the goal against USU goalkeeper Russell McKay.
The Aggies scored four more times in the first, including the third goal of the period from Limb with 47 seconds left in the first.
Utah State got four goals in the second, but the team’s final 40 minutes of play were characterized more by chippy play than by scoring.
The Aggies incurred eight penalties in the final two periods and lost top-scoring center Brian Gibbons to a disqualification for fighting early in the second period.
“We lost a few guys to suspensions,” Limb said. “I don’t think that will hurt us.”
Utah State 8, Oregon 1
To pick up their fourth win in four nights, the Aggies defeated Oregon 8-1 Sunday night in Ogden. Utah State picked up four goals in the third period to end the Beehive Showcase undefeated.
The Aggies were without their second-leading point getter Gibbons, who sat because of a disqualification earned against Texas A&M on Saturday. Coming off a chippy matchup the night before, the Aggies served four penalties in the game, which was a contrast from penalty struggles in recent games.
Utah State center Billy Gouthro and forward Mistelbacher each picked up two goals in the Aggie win.
“Billy and Mistel really stood out tonight,” Eccles said.
The Aggie players forced the Oregon goaltender to take on 44 shots on the night, most of which came in the first two periods.
But the Ags got off to a slow start only getting one goal in the first period.
“We had some great opportunities, and we just didn’t put the puck in the net,” Eccles said.
USU put away three goals in the second period and topped that performance with a four-goal third period.
– meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu