Ag hockey looks for payback at home
Out of post-season play for the second time in the club’s nine seasons, the Utah State hockey team is looking for payback this weekend, and is playing for pride.
The Feb. 4 American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II West Region poll has the Aggies at No. 4. Normally the top four teams from the West make the trip to the ACHA Nationals (Feb. 26 through March 1 at Southern California), but since the University of Southern California (No. 6) is the host, it automatically gets a bid, bumping USU from contention.
USU (15-12-1) could have helped its cause on the road last weekend, but lost all three games to end its seven game winning streak.
The Aggies will grudgingly welcome two of those teams to the Eccles Ice Center this weekend.
The University of Colorado Buffalos, who gave USU its first shutout of the season last Friday, will come to North Logan on Friday, and the D-III Wyoming Cowboys Saturday. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.
In order to end the season on a winning streak, Aggie forward Robert Hashimoto said USU has to have a “whole team” effort. And now, even though the Aggies have no post-season to look forward to, he said finding motivation shouldn’t be difficult.
“If the boys really love hockey, they’ll play,” Hashimoto said.
Aggie forward Roberto Leo has already found that motivation.
“This weekend is all about revenge right here,” he said. “Even if we’re not going [to Nationals], this weekend is big. They cost us [a trip to] Nationals.”
USU’s road woes year season (5-8-1 record, 1-8 outside of Utah) have obviously been the toughest part of the season, and have had USU Head Coach Jerry Crossley scratching his head.
“I’ll be curious to see how we do here,” he said. “I know the guys are excited to get another crack [at Wyoming and Colorado].”
The Aggies last failed to qualify for Nationals during the 2000-2001 season.
Utes, Wildcats to have D-I
and D-II teams
The University of Utah and Weber State hockey clubs will have D-II teams to go along with the D-I teams they will have next season, Skatin’ Ute Head Coach Stan Weiss said Thursday.
He said he is currently interviewing coaching candidates for his second team, which he said will play a schedule of up to 25 games. He said he will be contacting USU’s coaching staff sometime this week about scheduling.
Weiss said the main reasons for coming up with an extra team is so he has “a quality back drop of players,” and to make sure everybody who wants to play is able to play.
Crossley said he would be willing to have both Ute and Wildcat teams on the Aggies’ schedule next season.
Weber State Head Coach Rob Larsen could not be reached for comment.
–samhis@cc.usu.edu