Club hockey ready to start journey toward national title
The Utah State University men’s club hockey team begins its quest today for its first ever Division II National Hockey Championship held at New York University.
Their first game will be played at 2 p.m. (MST) Wednesday against Stony Brook College. There are 16 teams competing in four different pools.
Utah State has been placed in Pool B where they will play games against each of the three other teams in their pool: Stony Brook, Oakland University and Miami University (Ohio). After completing the round-robin games, the four pool winners will compete to decide the national champion.
The Aggies will play one game each day starting Wednesday until Saturday. If they advance, they will play in the semi-final in the morning and the final Saturday night.
It has been nearly three weeks since the Aggies last played in a game, defeating Weber State University. Head Coach Jerry Crosley said he is not too worried about the time off and thought his team would be able to keep their focus.
Captain Paul Amidon said the team is proud to be able to represent the school as they travel to New York.
“I’d just like to thank the fans for all of their great support they’ve given us, and now we’re excited to head off to New York and represent our school,” Amidon said.
Life University, who is Pool C in this year’s tournament, has won 4 of the 5 last years, including last year.
Utah State, ranked second in the most recent Division II Western Region rankings, may have it’s best chance of winning the championship in this year’s tournament.
“It’s really great to be a part of it,” senior defenseman Ryan Keys said. “This is such a strong team and I really feel we have a strong chance in New York.”
Up-to-date information about the tournament can be found throughout the week at www.achahockey.org.