Gouthro’s hat trick punches ticket to nationals for USU
With a 6-0 win over Texas A&M Friday, followed up by a 9-6 victory over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Saturday, USU hockey sealed up a berth to the ACHA division two national tournament on Saturday. The tournament will be held in San Jose, Calif., March 15-19, 2011.
It was a long time coming. USU has, in years past, been a heavily favored seed moving into the regional tournament, but has been eliminated every year that any player on USU’s current roster has played for the Aggies.
“Awesome!” head coach Jon Eccles said of the wins, “Some might say that this was like getting a monkey off our back. But really it was more like getting a gorilla off our back.”
“Just joy,” USU alternate captain Billy Gouthro said of the regional title. “It’s my third year, and it’s our first trip to nationals. There are guys that have been here five years. We came together tonight and this weekend for them.”
USU captain Kent Arsenault, who is one of those five-year players, shed tears of joy moments after the final buzzer sounded in Saturday’s game.
“It’s a great feeling,” he said, “and that’s the way you go out as a senior for sure. It’s a dream right now, and I’m just going to live it for the weekend.”
Having earned a trip to nationals, the Aggies say they’re aiming to do some damage and hopefully win a championship.
“It’s nice to get to go,” Aggie goaltender Dan Cornelius said, “but if you don’t do well, there’s really no point in going there anyway. So, we’re going to go, and hopefully we can come back with a championship.”
Utah State came out hot to start the weekend and never cooled off against the Aggies of Texas A&M. From the beginning of the game until about the 14:00 mark in the first period, A&M had difficulty moving the puck out of their own zone, let alone putting together a solid offensive attack, and USU made sure to take advantage.
The Aggie defensemen excelled in this game at poking the puck away from the Texan forwards and disrupting passes, especially senior Jay McFadden. With just more than 15 minutes remaining in the second period, McFadden disrupted a play and caused a turnover at the A&M blue line.
“My linemates, Riley (Orr) and (Joel) Bass(on),” McFadden said, “we were on the forecheck. They put a pass across the middle, and I picked it off. It was there, so I took the opportunity and scored.”
The game was never in doubt after McFadden’s score, but the final nail in A&M’s coffin was a spectacular goal, highlighting USU’s speed, communication and reflex.
Tyler Mistelbacher looked on from the slot as Brendan MacDonald fought the puck away from two A&M defenders on the baseline. MacDonald passed to David Wyman, who one-timed a laser to the waiting Mistelbacher. A&M’s goalie never had a chance to react, and Mistelbacher one-timed the puck to the net, falling as he shot. The two passes and the shot were made in less than half a second.
Having cruised through round one, USU then looked to their next opponent: the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona.
If players make plays, then Dan Cornelius is most definitely a player.
With 12:25 remaining in the second period, USU was maintaining a 3-2 lead at great effort against the Lumberjacks. NAU’s Greg Park intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and was clearly on approach for a goal-scoring opportunity when USU’s Jeremy Martin flew in and side-swiped him to prevent a monumental momentum shifter. The officials awarded Park a penalty shot.
Cornelius managed to deflect the puck away. The puck ricocheted off his right leg pad, hit the post, and clinked harmlessly away.
“I knew we needed that one,” Cornelius said. “It was 3-2, and we couldn’t let them get back into it. I actually pulled my groin that play. I’m in quite a bit of pain, but it’s regionals. You can’t quit.”
USU ferociously reclaimed the momentum 50 seconds later when Matt Ferris’s long slapshot took a deflection from Tyler Mistelbacher’s stick and found the twine. It was USU’s fourth goal in the midst of a five-goal scoring run.
Despite surrendering a goal against NAU in the second, the Aggies widened their lead to five in the third period. With 7:30 remaining, USU notched its eight goal, turning what had preiously been a close game, into a blowout.
Billy Gouthro then scored an empty net goal, and hats littered the ice. It was Gouthro’s hat-trick goal and the one that put NAU down for good.
“I just wanted to focus on playing good and doing the little things right. My linemates came to play, and it went in the net for us tonight,” Gouthro said.
As the buzzer sounded, the USU bench cleared and the party began. The Aggies had finally earned their way to the ACHA National Tournament in San Jose, and they were obviously enjoying the experience.
“We’ve always been devastated at regionals,” Cornelius said, “and it’s finally nice to get to go.”
– la.hem@aggiemail.usu.edu