USU hockey welcomes in-state rival Wildcats in home finale
When the Utah State hockey club takes the Eccles Ice Center floor the last time this season, finding additional motivation will not be a problem.
The Aggies will host Weber State University Friday at 7:30 p.m. in North Logan — the team’s final home game of the 2002-03 season.
The fact that USU is playing Weber State alone produces a simple reply from Aggie senior Paul Amidon, who along with defenseman Aaron Sutliff and forward Nick Thiros, will be competing in his final game with the Aggies.
“That’s all you need to know,” Amidon said. “The hatred for that team has built up [during my four years at USU].”
USU’s determination and spirit were lacking in last weekend’s home loss to Colorado and tie against Wyoming. USU Head Coach Jerry Crossley said the Aggies came out flat due to them being ousted from the American Collegiate Hockey Association Nationals for the second time in club history.
The Aggies, No. 4 in the final ACHA Division II West Region rankings, are one spot behind the Wildcats (No. 3), who have qualified for Nationals (Feb. 26 through March 1 at the University of Southern California).
And this is what peeves the Aggies, who are 2-1 against the Wildcats this season (two road wins, one home loss).
“It sucks,” Amidon said.
Weber State Head Coach Rob Larsen feels for USU, but said the Aggies’ 15-13-2 overall record this season is evidence as to why they didn’t make the post-season. The Wildcats are 22-8-2, and is 8-3 in its last 11 games.
“Our games have been close, but it’s not what you do with one team, its what you do against everybody,” he said. “[USU] is a team that deserves to go, but that’s the way it is.
“You just got to live with it.”
Just call it more wood for the fire USU hopes to build to end the season.
“If the guys can’t get up for the last game of the season, against the arch rivals, then I don’t have an answer,” Crossley said. “That’s a pride issue there. They’ve either got it or they don’t.
“I don’t think that’s something as a coach I can manufacture now,” he said.
If the last meeting between these two teams says anything, it’s that Friday night will have an energy-packed atmosphere.
USU went down to the Ogden Ice Sheet Jan. 18, its home arena until last January when the Ice Center was built, and played what USU coaches and players said was the most memorable game ever played between the two teams.
The Aggies fought off an early 3-0 deficit and eventually won 8-7, courtesy of a Robert Hashimoto goal 24 seconds into overtime.
USU, 6-4-1 since the Christmas Break, will travel to the Seven Peaks Ice Arena in Provo Saturday night to face BYU, the Aggies’ final game of the season.
–samhis@cc.usu.edu