Ags to face SJSU
After falling 4-1 to Metro State last weekend, the Utah State hockey club appears to be a huge underdog in Friday’s game against San Jose State.
But don’t say that to the Aggies.
“We’re excited to play,” Aggie Chad Johnson said. “The morale on the team is up this week. I have confidence that we’ll win.”
The puck will drop in Friday’s game at 8 p.m. at the Eccles Ice Center in North Logan. Saturday, USU will face UVSC. That game will also start at 8 p.m.
Last weekend, the Spartans played Colorado State twice at home, beating the Rams 10-1 in the first game and tying 1-1 in the second. CSU has beaten the Aggies twice this season by a combined score of 13-5.
On the season, SJSU has a record of eight wins, no losses and one tie while the Aggies are 5-8-1.
Johnson said USU is not intimidated.
“We’re going to treat them like the same old San Jose team,” he said. “We’re not going to give them any more respect.”
Aggie Roberto Leo said records do not matter.
“I don’t care what the scores are,” he said. “Any team can beat any other team on any day.”
Johnson said he is not expecting SJSU to play soft against USU.
“They still think this weekend might be tough games with us and Weber State,” he said, “but they could be looking past us.”
Leo said he hopes the Spartans won’t take the game as seriously as they should, but he doubts that will be the case.
“They’re undefeated,” he said. “Undefeated teams don’t look past teams.”
After starting the season by winning three of its first four games, USU has struggled, losing games to the Weber State Division-II team, BYU and Metro State.
Johnson said the biggest problem for the Aggies so far this season has been team chemistry.
“We have guys that still aren’t buying into [Head Coach Jerry Crossley’s] system,” he said. “I feel bad for him. He’s pretty frustrated.”
The team had a meeting on Monday in which they mostly watched film from the Metro State game, Johnson said.
“The coaches were saying we’ve got to stop getting on each other,” he said. “They also emphasized having fun. This team is not having fun this season.”
Leo said the Aggies have not played up to their potential yet this season.
“We’re a good team,” he said. “If we can come together, we’ll beat [the Spartans].”
The team is trying to attract as many fans as it can for the SJSU game Friday. Tickets will be “buy two, get one free” and the first 100 fans will get thundersticks.
“We’re trying to make the rink very, very loud,” team president Michelle Kartchner said.
Saturday’s game will be “Stuff the Bus” night. Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food, clothing, toys, unwrapped gifts and/or money donations for charity.
Johnson said this weekend will set the tone for the rest of the season.
“Hopefully, this will be a turning point,” he said. “This is the first time the team has been excited since we beat BYU.”
-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu