Hockey team looking to maintain winning streak

For the first time this season, the Utah State hockey club is on a winning streak.

After sweeping the Weber State Division-II squad last weekend, the Aggies have now won four straight games and five-of-six this semester. During that span, they have outscored their opponents 46-11.

For that reason, head coach Jerry Crossley said he thinks USU will be respected by its opponents.

“I don’t think we’re much of a surprise anymore,” he said. “We need to keep improving and peak at regionals.”

This week, the Aggies will have home games against UVSC Friday and Colorado Saturday.

Saturday’s game is by far the bigger of the two games, Aggie William Winsa said.

“We’re going to crush UVSC Friday,” he said. “If we beat CU, we can beat any team in the West.”

USU has won all three meetings with UVSC this season by a combined score of 35-2.

Aggie Kyler McCarrel said that’s no reason to look past the Wolverines.

“We definitely don’t want to overlook them,” he said. “We’d get into trouble.”

USU lost to the Buffaloes 6-1 on Oct. 21 in Boulder, Colo. Winsa said a lot changed since that meeting.

“The team’s spirit is up tons,” he said. “We’re more complete now. We’re the new Aggies.”

Crossley said the team wasn’t in any shape to win against a team as good as CU last semester.

“We had a lot of difficulties at that point,” he said. “It was a different atmosphere.”

Crossley said the team is not looking at Saturday’s game as revenge.

“It’s not about getting back, it’s about playing good again,” he said. “We’re doing what we should have been doing last semester.”

Winsa said he will not guarantee a win Saturday, but he is confident the Aggies will be at the top of their game.

“We’re going out strong and we’ll see where it takes us,” he said. “We can’t do more than try our best.”

Crossley said the team will really feed off the home-ice advantage.

“It’s hard for people to understand how much it impacts our guys,” he said. “Even at professional games – the atmosphere just is not the same as here. There’s more excitement here and more energy.”

Crossley said two wins this weekend would give USU a favorable seed going into the regional tournament.

“If we were to win both games, I’d say we’d be in fifth place for sure,” he said. “Maybe even better than that. I’m not that concerned if we’re fourth, fifth or sixth.”

McCarrel said this weekend will say a lot about the team.

“This is probably this semester’s biggest weekend,” he said. “Last weekend was a big confidence builder.”

McCarrel is the third member of his family to play for USU. His two older brothers, Kevin and Craig, played for the team from 2001-03.

“Our whole family supports the team,” he said. “They helped people know me.”

McCarrel said his role on the team is to be a grinder.

“I just work as hard as I can and don’t get caught up in the emotion part of the game,” he said.

Both games this weekend will start at 8 p.m. at the Eccles Ice Center in North Logan.

-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu