Hockey club looking ahead to IceCats
After two weeks on the road, the Utah State hockey club is returning home for two games this weekend against Washington, but the Ags are much more concerned about who they play next week.
“It will be a warm-up for us,” Hashimoto said. “Next Friday it’s going to be our season on the line against BYU.”
The Huskies are expected to be playing shorthanded in Logan, as only eight players are expected to make the trip. Even at full strength, Washington is unranked in the West Region.
The Aggies are trying to gain some momentum heading into next weekend’s games against BYU.
“We’re going to play our game,” Aggie Robert Hashimoto said. “We’re going to show everyone that we’re not giving up.”
The games between the Aggies and IceCats next weekend will determine which team goes to nationals.
With next weekend looming, USU is trying its best to remain focused on the games at hand.
“We got drilled on that,” goalie Chris Webber said. “We’re taking it one game at a time. We’re going to play two solid games against Washington.”
“I don’t think we can overlook this weekend,” Aggie Roberto Leo said. “I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”
This weekend looks to be an unusual hiatus for USU from its rigorous schedule. Washington will be only the second team ranked lower than No. 11 the Aggies have played this season.
“I do think we play one of, if not the, toughest schedules in the West [region],” head coach Jerry Crossley said. “My theory is not to play games that you know you’re going to win, but to go see how you do against the best teams.”
USU struggled on the road the last couple weeks, losing a critical game on Jan. 22 to San Jose State 8-0, but rebounded by sweeping a pair of games against USC last weekend.
“I think it was a step in the right direction,” Crossley said. “I think the guys dominated.”
After the lopsided loss to SJSU, the Aggies regrouped by switching up their lines and moving players from forward to defense and vice versa.
The lines are expected to stay the same this weekend as they were against USC.
“It seems to be working at the moment,” Crossley said. “Hopefully we can get some more goals out of it. Last weekend is a good sign.”
The team is still waiting to hear about the status of team captain Nick Haase. He has been out with a knee injury the last three weeks and had an MRI taken last week and has not yet heard the results. He said he does not know if he will play this weekend.
Haase is one of many players that have been hurt this semester, but Webber said most of them are playing well again.
“A lot of our guys are getting healthier,” he said. “It would be great to have [Haase] back for BYU.”
Leo said he is not worried that injuries to the team will keep them back.
“I’m really not too concerned about it,” he said. “I think if we all play well, we’ll be just fine.”
Webber said it will be good to play at home again.
“It would be great to see all the fans there,” he said. “It’s kind of weird being away from home for so long.”
Both Friday’s and Saturday’s games start at 7:30 p.m.
-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu