Back-to-back losses for the Aggies, ‘A low period’

We need to limit our odd man rushes,” said Utah State University’s Zach Pires during the second intermission of game two against the University of New Hampshire. “We keep going one up, and then they score immediately after. If we can get the next one and tighten up our defense, I think we can see this out.” The score was tied 3-3. 

The score was tied 3-3. The George S. Eccles Ice arena echoed with the slams against the boards. The tension between the two teams was palpable due to the level of physicality. Even a ref took a stick to the gut, causing a lengthy stoppage in the first period.  

The turning point which lost the game for USU came five minutes into the third period.   

The Aggies got caught in an odd man rush after a light pass intended for Dillon Hale from Sam Voss was intercepted deep in their opponent’s defensive zone. Because of hard press by the Aggies, Wildcat Owen Roberto was left alone wide open just shy of center ice. The forward received a simple pass and skated uninterrupted on his path to score the Wildcat’s fourth goal of the night. 

Chris Kajunski scored New Hampshire’s fifth goal 10 minutes later to officially seal the Aggies’ second loss of the weekend to the Wildcats, all while miming “The Scotsman” as he skated past Utah State’s bench. 

After the game, many of the Aggie players had a somber look mixed with anger and frustration on their faces as they made their way into the locker room. The coaches shut themselves in their office and did not come out until most of the players were gone. 

The Utah Statesman could not reach any of the coaches for a comment.  

“I thought they were rusty,” said fan Brett Veibell. “Anderson did an awesome job in goal, but the team wasn’t helping keep players and the puck away.” 

This observation was confirmed, as goaltender Titan Anderson was busy as soon as the puck was dropped. The junior saved 34 of 39 shots, which was more than double the amount of saves by Wildcat goaltender Connor Schultz.  

Additionally, many of the Aggie’s passes were put short of the intended player or on a path outside of the player’s movement. This disruption in the flow of offense gave the Wildcats time to anticipate Utah State and prepare their defense accordingly or steal the puck and move into the attack. 

By the time the final horn sounded, New Hampshire had taken care of business in Utah by beating the Aggies twice and the Weber State Wildcats once during their trip. They were still celebrating their success with loud cheers and even louder music from the visiting locker room when Utah State captain Ben Carlson came out of the home locker room.  

“Maybe we just didn’t have the lines,” Carlson said. “Maybe we need to be more disciplined outside of the rink as well.” 

Carlson did not provide details about what the discipline could be. But an explanation could be a lack of physical conditioning. For example, at the 3:12 mark in the second period, the Aggie defense broke down after they could not clear their lines. Roberto recovered his own rebounded shot off the stick of Hale. He then split two defenders with his speed and passed the puck across the mouth of goal to a wide-open Liam Martin, who ushered the puck into the net as an Aggie trailed him to get back on defense.  

The Aggie defense did not have a response to what was thrown at them, as the Wildcats scored an identical goal to the Martin goal in the third period.  

This slow defense was not a new development. During the Friday night matchup, New Hampshire scored three of their five goals in this exact fashion to unravel Utah State 5-3.  

​​​Despite the defensive issues, the Aggies put together a really promising second period. They seemed to solve their offensive issues by scoring three goals to take control of the match. This was a large adjustment from the scoreless first period which mostly consisted of both teams trading players in the penalty box.  

Ben Tschida was a major difference maker on the ice in the second period. He opened the floodgates as he skated through the Wildcat defense by himself to score the first goal for the Aggies.  

He was also very active on defense, providing many hits which excited the crowd and disrupted the offensive flow for the Wildcat momentarily. His effort was recognized by his veteran teammate.  

“He’s leading the team on and off the ice, and I love seeing his level of growth,” Carlson said. “He’s a workhorse, and he just brings the energy up anywhere he goes.”  

Carlson added he thinks the first year forward will one day be an official team leader with a letter on his sweater.  

The Aggies current record is 2-5 since they have returned to regular play after a month-long break in December. A disappointing run of play considering the Aggies had a strong 15-7 start to the season.  

Carlson is hopeful for his team’s abilities. “We will bounce back, this is just a low period for us,” Carlson said. “We need to work, and we need a win.” 

The team is aware of their current situation and is actively trying to figure out the solution. The Aggies are currently ranked third in their division, but due to the recent run of play fans should expect some fluctuation in the rankings.  

Utah State is back in action this weekend with a triple header starting on Thursday as they take on Denver at 7 p.m. at the George S Eccles Ice Arena. Or check out the live stream on the Utah State hockey YouTube channel.