Aggies sweep UVSC, Cal
Two blowout victories paced the Utah State hockey team last weekend, beating UVSC 15-0 in Provo on Friday and beating Cal-Berkeley 8-3 in North Logan Saturday.
Eight different players scored in Saturday’s game, which was one of the highest-attended games in team history against an out-of-state opponent.
“This semester is awesome,” Aggie Todd Hansen said. “There’s a lot more team synergy. This half of the season will be a positive one.”
After taking a 2-1 lead just nine seconds after allowing the Bears to tie the game, the Aggies gave up back-to-back 5-on-3 goals to Cal, giving Berkeley a 3-2 advantage at the end of the first period.
“We just needed to restart the game,” Head Coach Jerry Crossley said. “We needed to change the way we were playing.”
In the first period, USU was called for 14 penalty minutes while Cal was only called for four.
“You’ve got to adjust when the game is being called like that,” Crossley said. “You’ve got to play through it.”
No Aggies finished with two goals. Scotty John, Josh Groves, Roberto Leo, Robert Hashimoto, Hansen, William Winsa, Brett Fryslie and Nels Hansen each scored once. Groves and Nate Pierce each had three assists.
Todd and Nels Hansen, who are brothers, joined the team at the start of this semester. Todd has scored four goals in the first four games of the second half.
“I’ve always been a defenseman,” Todd said. “It feels good to get back in the game and bury some pucks.”
Todd said he hasn’t played organized hockey for a year and a half and it’s a little overwhelming for him.
“There’s some things I need to pick up,” he said. “I’m getting it back.”
Crossley said Todd has been a big mid-season pick-up for the team.
“He came on and was ready to go,” he said. “We’re happy to have him. Look at the physical game he’s bringing.”
Utah State 15, Utah Valley State 0
USU scored early and often in its 15-0 shellacking of UVSC in Provo last Friday, its biggest win of the year by far.
Winsa had a hat trick and Leo, Hashimoto and John each added two more goals. Prior to this game, the Aggies’ biggest win came against the same Wolverine on Oct. 14 in North Logan – an 11-1 victory.
Friday’s game was the first shutout of goalie Greg Finatti’s USU career.
“I had a lot more shots than I expected,” he said. “We came ready to play and we didn’t let up.”
Finatti said that in games like this one, where the puck is at the far end of the ice for the majority of the game, it’s difficult for a goalie to keep focused.
“You don’t get a shot for five minutes,” he said. “You don’t want to give it up.”
The Aggies scored five goals in the first period. USU then scored two goals in the first 36 seconds of the second on its way to a seven-goal period.
Crossley said games like this are fun for the team.
“As a coach, you always worry,” he said. “The guys are back to having fun and it’s showing up on the ice.”
Finatti said the team is getting along much better than it did last semester.
“The guys are smiling and having a good time,” he said. “We have a soft schedule this semester, so we should go out on a high note.”
The two wins improved USU’s record to 12-17-1. Despite the losing record, the Aggies have won three of their last four games. USU will not face a top-five opponent until Colorado comes to town on Feb. 4
The Aggies will skate again this Friday and Saturday against the Weber State Division-II squad. Friday’s game will be at the Eccles Ice Center in North Logan and Saturday’s game will be at the Ogden Ice Sheet.
-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu