Hockey team pounds UVSC, loses to CSU
The Utah State hockey team had a rough Saturday as they were overpowered 6-2 by Colorado State.
The Aggies got off to a dream start scoring twice in the first period, the first coming only four minutes into the game.
With a man advantage, Mike Walker flicked the puck into the air and across the goalmouth. Ryan Osterheldt came racing in toward net to slap in the power-play goal.
It looked as though the puck actually went in off of Osterheldt’s chest.
“We’ll take them any way they can go in,” Utah State Head Coach Jerry Crossley said. “They’re kind of hustling goals – just trying to get in the right place and create an opportunity and you get some. We take those.”
USU goaltender Adam Lain was a stonewall during much of the first period as he saved a barrage of shots from the CSU offense. Lain collected 40 saves on the night, 18 of those during the first period. CSUs goalie, Bryan Minor, only had 14 saves the entire game.
“Adam kept us in it for quite a while there,” Crossley said. “He played a great game.”
With 12:29 to go in the first, Lain stifled a clear scoring chance for the Rams. Then seconds later, with the Rams on a breakaway, Lain made another glove save to keep the Rams off the board.
Play was halted with 7:52 remaining when a slap shot from CSUs Jim Welte took a deflection and shattered one of the lights at the Eccles Ice Center.
When play resumed, it took the Aggies only seconds to score their second of the night. The Aggies were pressuring the Rams high in their defensive zone. Mike Lewandowski gained control of the puck and centered it towards goal. The puck was deflected by the CSU goalie and Parker Richards was there to put it into the back of the net at the 7:19 mark.
Just before the close of the first period with USU shorthanded, Nick Buffington of CSU scored an unassisted goal with 1:40 left.
“Unfortunately, we had a little bit of a mental breakdown and we gave up that goal at the end of the period,” Crossley said. “Up to that point, I thought that the guys were going to do what we were asking them to do.”
The second period was disastrous for Utah State. The Rams were able to find the net three times to take the lead while the Aggies only mustered three shots on goal.
“In the second period we started to slip out of things,” Crossley said. “I think maybe trying to do too much and loosing our positioning and getting away from some team play.”
The Ags best scoring chance in the period came with just over 10 minutes remaining. William Winsa had a breakaway where he was alone with the CSU goalie that he was unable to beat.
Throughout the rest of the second and third periods, USU would have a hard time getting out of their own end, even being a man up during power plays. In one situation with 11:50 to go in the game, Utah State had a five-on-three advantage, with two Colorado State players in the penalty box. But the Ags were unable to capitalize on the power play.
The Rams would two more times in the third period to give the Aggies a 6-2 loss.
Overall, Crossley felt that Utah State started well, working as a team.
The problem came, he said, when the guys started falling out of position and playing more as individuals.
“We’re slipping back into trying to do individual stuff instead of working as a group,” Crossley said. “On top of that, we’re taking penalties when we’re on power plays and shooting ourselves in the foot again. We just got to quit doing that.”
Team Captain Robert Hashimoto is happy about the team’s results over the weekend.
“We’re in a huge slump,” Hashimoto said. “But, winning last night [against UVSC] and giving Colorado State a good game is a big boost.”
The Aggie forward is happy to see the young players performing well and can’t wait for the veterans to catch up.
“I’m just happy because some of the newer kids are starting to score goals, he said. “It seems like the veteran line is in a little bit of a slump right now.
“Once we start clicking, we’re going to be awesome.”
-stm@cc.usu.edu
Utah State 11, UVSC 1
The Aggie Hockey team pounced on UVSC early and skated off the ice with an 11-1 win to start their two-game weekend Friday night at the Eccles Ice Center.
William Winsa scored a hat trick for USU and Mike Walker and Ryan Osterheldt each scored twice.
“It feels great to finally get the monkey off my back,” Osterheldt said. “I haven’t scored since the alumni game.”
Utah State jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first period, including two goals scored 17 seconds apart.
Cory Wardell, who was carried off the ice last week against Eastern Washington, opened the rout with a goal 39 seconds into the Aggies’ first power play.
UVSC’s lone goal came from DJ Strader on a power play in the second period. Strader was later ejected from the game for spearing.
Utah State scored six goals in the final period alone, including one shorthanded goal.
“Hopefully that’s a more fun game for the guys,” Coach Jerry Crossley said.
Walker said, “It felt really good. I was in a slump for a little bit, but now I’m ready to play Aggie ho