Hockey continues looking for No. 1 ranking in West
If there was anything the Utah State University hockey team could have done to increase their chances of being ranked No. 1 in the West, they did it last weekend.
The hockey team traveled to California and started play against Cal-Berkley University on Thursday.
“The team started out flat, but with good reason because of the 14-hour bus ride,” defenseman Brandon Lang said.
The Aggies prevailed in a 7-4 victory.
Friday night the Aggies played a bigger Palmer West team.
The Aggies took control of the game early with two big power plays in the first period. In the second, Palmer was able to tie the game until Aaron Burrell and Mike Lewandowski were able to slap in two more goals.
The onslaught of goals continued in the third by Colby Thurston and Greg Howard securing USU’s second victory 6-2.
Adam Lain had 30 saves in the game.
“We played our game,” Lang said.
Saturday the Aggies played the “best game [against] the best team [they] faced [San Jose State],” team captain Paul Amidon said.
Anderson opened the scoring with a power play goal in the first.
Burrell added his own power play goal in the second, and Thurston added a goal to a surprised San Jose team that had the power play advantage.
Utah State dominated in the second period knocking in four goals that San Jose answered with one at the end of the period.
In the third, San Jose was able to add two more goals and the Aggies also put in another.
Assistant captain Deryk Anderson had a hat trick on the night and pulled the team through to another win.
Other players with key goals were Greg Howard, Burrell and Lewandowski.
Jake Groseth, the goalie, had 33 saves on the night.
Amidon found the net for the final goal in the third period.
Because of his previous successful games, it was appearant to San Jose State they didn’t have a chance with Lain in the goalie spot.
Lain played a perfect shutout on the night as San Jose failed to place even one puck in the net through the entire game.
Lain had 26 saves in his first shutout of the season.
The Aggies are now 11-1-1 on the season.
Some voting coaches are unsure of whether or not Utah State deserves a No. 1 ranking, even with the best record in the West.
“Part of the unsureness is because we haven’t blown out the teams that we should blow out,” Anderson said.
The team feels they are definitely where they need to be at this point in the season though, he said.
Utah State will face San Jose State University on Saturday.