USU hockey drops home opener 4-3 to Providence
After a successful start to the preseason, which included a victory against BYU and a 2-2 record during the Icebreaker Tournament in North Dakota, the Utah State University Aggies hockey team returned to Logan to face the University of Providence Argonauts for its first home game of the 2019-20 season.
Despite kicking off conference play with a 10-0 loss to the University of Mary, the Aggies were determined to bounce back for the hometown fans. First-year head coach Todd Renae reflected on the exhibition matches and how the experiences will play into the regular season.
“We’re trying to grow together. I’m obviously a young coach as well, so that might play into it,” he said. “It sucks that the trip ended the way it did but at the same time you take away a lot of positives from everything.”
In the first period, the players came off the bench with a quick, back-and-forth pace that saw both teams play aggressively early on. USU’s physicality would pay off, as forward Shea Bryant put one past the Argos’ goaltender at the 15:39 mark to take an early 1-0 lead. After the goal, things got scrappy and each team traded penalties. When it was their turn to head to the “sin bin” the Aggies committed a penalty at 13:37 and Providence converted only five seconds into the power play to tie the game at one.
USU was not without its own chances with the extra man advantage, getting a 5-on-3 power play minutes following the Argos’ goal. However, strong defense by Providence and Aggie shots missing the net contributed to the visitors escaping the two-man disadvantage. From there, the Aggies took control of the flow of the game by not letting the Argos establish any significant offensive zone time. Aggie goalie Pritchard made key saves toward the end of the second, practically killing a late penalty single-handedly. His stellar play was dashed, though, when Providence scored the go-ahead goal with 13 seconds remaining.
The second period saw an aggressive forecheck by the Aggies, matched only by Providence’s speed and pressure whenever they got the puck in USU’s zone. Despite its efforts, the team was unable to take advantage of what offensive zone time it had and struggled to put passes together. This caused the Aggies to turn the puck over and Providence took advantage by stifling USU at every corner defensively. Then, an exchange of penalties by both teams opened the game up, leading to an Aggie goal scored by Sean Johnston, to tie the game at two.
At the start of the third, the Aggies had the task of killing a penalty that carried over from a double minor committed by Bryant at the end of the 2nd period. Once both teams were back at full-strength it appeared both teams were playing loose, perhaps too loose, with each turning the puck over and neither sustaining any offensive pressure. Then, at the 14:47 mark, Johnston netted his second goal of the game to put USU on top 3-2.
Unfortunately, the Aggies were not able to weather the barrage of shots Providence would put forth and gave up a goal at the 4:16 mark to tie the score at three a piece. Then, 90 seconds later, USU coughed up the puck during a sloppy neutral zone transition and Providence took advantage of the resulting breakaway to put them up 4-3 with just under three minutes left in the game. The goal proved to be the dagger in USU’s heart, however, with the team unable to regain enough momentum to tie the game up and send the game to overtime.
Despite the loss, Renae sang the team’s praises and remarked on the significance of his first game behind the USU bench as head coach.
“You can’t ask for a better hockey game, from both teams. It was a fantastic hockey game. [In] the crowd, everyone’s pumped up [and] guys that have never played in front of a crowd like that before were pumped up,” he said. “I felt like we kind of took the second period off a little bit, but then came right back in the third and dominated up until the last four minutes.”
The team is still a work in progress, and one area they want to focus on is being able to play with an advantage. “One of the things we’re trying to focus on a lot this year is never letting up. Once you get somebody down, you can’t let them have one sniff on offense,” Renae said.
Renae remarked on his first game back behind the Aggies home bench, as coach instead of player: “It was fantastic. I had goosebumps when the boys went out for warmups, just hearing that roar… it was deafening. It’s a very unique atmosphere, especially in the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association). There’s nothing to really describe it; it’s just amazing.”
The Aggies go on the road next week, facing off against BYU in Provo on Oct. 19. Looking ahead to the game, Renae wants the team to focus on playing a 60-minute game. “Playing a full 60, staying disciplined, that’s key. This team’s going to dominate, [they’re] just waiting for something to click. Something to click in their heads and this team is going to start rolling. I have a lot of confidence in these guys.”
Next week’s game will be streamed online on the team’s “Aggie Blue Ice” YouTube channel. Follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and keep reading The Utah Statesman for all your Aggie hockey news.