Bashes, clashes, smashes in the rink
Bashes, clashes and smashes were the name of the game as rivals Utah State University and Weber State University met for the second time this season, this time in the home barn of the Aggies at the George S. Eccles Ice Center.
The two teams met back on Sept. 16 for the first game of USU’s campaign and it was the Wildcats who were the victors with a 3-2 win. Tonight, however, USU conquered 2-1.
The game began with back-and-forth action around center ice. Neither team could find possession of the puck for too long before the opposition’s defense was there to hit the oncoming offense.
USU’s Dillon Hale and Nolan Gifford had two looks on goal early on at the 17:50 and the 17:29 marks, both shots were defended by Wildcat goaltender Owen Yancey.
WSU’s Jacobi Clark had an early chance as he weaved between two Aggie defenders but couldn’t get behind USU goaltender Titan Anderson.
Big hits were exchanged at center ice by both squads.
“Both of these teams always show up. And they look to hit each other as often as possible,” broadcaster Ryan Lorenson said.
USU forward Caleb Sandborn had taken the puck just past center ice where Jones left his stick out and tripped Sandborn, earning him two minutes in the box. USU was unable to convert on the ensuing powerplay.
USU began pounding on the door at the 2:50 mark as defenseman Trace Farr found the stick of forward Zach Pires who had a breakaway chance against Yancey. Pires looked to put the shot to the left of Yancey but the Wildcat goaltender was up to the task.
WSU Kevin Norwood found himself in the penalty box after a roughing penalty was called. The Aggies would once again go on the powerplay.
With 10 seconds left to play in the first, Aggie forward Sam Voss was able to find the back of the net off of a pass through the crease from Hale. Voss was able to direct his shot past Yancey and open the scoreline just before time expired in the first period.
The second period kicked off with a flurry of WSU shots from Carson Abercrombie, Norwood and Jones — no one being able to find the back of the net.
A pass from Aggie defenseman Josh Girard was picked off by Clark, which led to a two-against-one opportunity for the Wildcats. Clark laid the pass off to Carter Merrit who ripped a shot in the top right corner of the net, leveling the scoreline at 1-1 with 6:41 left to play.
USU looked to respond quickly as captain Ben Carlson connected with Gifford. He had a clear look on the shot but could not get it past Yancey.
Farr would find himself in the box after an interference call was made on him for holding on to the Weber State forward for just a bit too long. The Wildcats would add many shots on goal, but the Aggie defense stayed strong, sacrificing bodies to keep the puck from out of the net.
With only .7 seconds left in the second period, Tate Jenson connected with an alone Sandborn who converted the breakaway goal, slotting past Yancey’s left pad to retake the lead for the Aggies. The scoreline was 2-1 going into the final intermission.
WSU came out of the locker room looking desperate for the equalizing goal. Weber won the faceoff and pressed the attack immediately, racking up three solid chances on goal, none would get past Anderson though.
The physicality remained as Aggie defenseman Brogan Young was caught guilty of a cross-check against WSU’s Cory Mater. The Wildcats’ Kevin Norwood would soon join Young in the penalty box after tripping Sandborn with his stick, earning him two minutes as well.
Weber State would remain relentless on the attack, but the Aggies matched the intensity on defense. USU was able to defend through the actions of Anderson and defenseman Brandon Woolcot. USU’s Jenson even sacrificed his body and took a shot to the back to keep the puck away from the net.
As soon as Young was let out of the box he went for his chance on goal. He broke away from his defender and put a shot on the net that was saved well by Yancey.
Weber State’s Mater would find himself in the penalty box after a trip on USU defenseman Nolan Mulneaux.
Weber State would continue to win the majority of the faceoff opportunities, but could not find the back of the net. Anderson was crucial in the dying moments of the game with some clutch goaltending. The final horn blew and the Aggies were the victors with the scoreline remaining 2-1.
“Just play simple hockey and get in deep,” Woolcott said when asked what the key was to sealing the win for USU. “We knew we could close it out and we wanted to finish the job.”
After the team’s losing streak since coming back from St. Louis, Carlson said the mentality going into the game was to capitalize.
“Weber always plays hard, but we were up for the challenge. Playing in front of a packed crowd really drives us and we are happy to get a wing for them,” Carlson said.
USU is back in action with a double-header next weekend as both Montana and Montana State come to Logan. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.