Season on the line for hockey team
It all comes down to this weekend.
The Utah State hockey club, which currently ranks No. 4 in the region, will play two games against the Provo IceCats, who currently rank No. 5. with the winner going to nationals.
The teams will play at the Peaks Ice Arena in Provo Friday at 8:15 p.m. and at the Eccles Ice Center Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
These two games will be the last ones to count toward the final rankings which are set to be released on Feb. 18. Only the top four teams in each region go to nationals.
“I think we’re ready,” goalie Chris Webber said. “Our guys know that it’s do or die. All of the guys know that this weekend is our season.”
Aggie Chad Johnson said he expects very high intensity games.
“I know it’s going to be very physical, very fast paced games,” he said. “It will be very exciting.”
USU stands a scant three votes in front of BYU in the rankings. Webber said a split this weekend would probably give USU the nationals bid.
The Aggies and IceCats have met five times this season, with USU winning four times. In Provo, the Aggies won 7-5 and lost 3-1, but at home they won 3-2, 12-4 and 10-3.
“[Friday] is BYU’s only chance,” he said “If we beat them in Provo, they’re done. We don’t lose to them in Logan, especially with our crowd.”
Johnson said he doesn’t want to take anything for granted.
“You never want to be too sure of yourself,” he said. “If you can put them away in front of their home crowd, it makes it a lot easier in Logan.”
Aggie Roberto Leo said USU is trying not to get ahead of itself.
“It’s good to have confidence, but you don’t want to be overconfident,” he said. “You have to go in thinking your going to win though.”
Johnson said at this point in the season, the rival teams have nothing to hide.
“We pretty much know how the other team is going to play,” he said. “We know that BYU brings out its best game in front of its home crowd.”
Leo said he thinks the only reason the game will be any closer in Provo is because of the crowd.
“The only reason it will be tougher is because of the home crowd,” he said. “It’ll be fun.”
Leo said the goal this weekend is to make it to nationals, not just beat BYU.
“It doesn’t matter who it is, it’s for nationals,” he said. “And we want to go to nationals.”
Johnson said USU has really been working on its passing in practice.
“We’re really working on our puck movement,” he said. “We want to get the [BYU] goalie to move laterally. We know if we get him moving, we can score a lot of goals on him.”
The teams have brawled twice this season in North Logan and Webber said if USU is winning Saturday, there is a good chance it might happen again.
“I can definitely see it happening,” he said. “We know how they play when they start getting flustered.”
Johnson said the Aggies’ depth should help them win this weekend.
“We’re much deeper than BYU,” he said. “Especially after we shook up the lines. We’re putting goals away now.”
Johnson has been one of many Aggies that have switched lines or positions this semester. He moved from forward to defense two weeks ago.
“I enjoy it,” he said. “I can see what’s developing in front of me. I can make better plays that way. I’m not much of a goal scorer so defense is probably better for me.”
The game Saturday was moved to 5:30 p.m. so that it would not conflict with the USU men’s basketball game against nationally-ranked Pacific at 8:30 p.m.
Webber said if the games conflicted, then most would end up going to the basketball game instead.
“The time change is definitely helping,” he said. “It’s going to be weird to have our game done by 8:30.”
Webber said despite the high stakes and unusual start time, he is very confident that USU will hold off BYU.
“We’ll get a win,” he said. “I feel it. We’re definitely going to do it. Our guys want to go to nationals.”
-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu