Hockey club prepares for season
Club hockey at Utah State University has been a successful venture ever since its establishment in October of 1994. Among its accomplishments are five consecutive trips to the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division II national championships from 1996 to 2000 and an astounding string of 19 consecutive wins during the 1999-2000 season.
Given that success, it is easy to understand why captain Paul Amidon and assistant captain Deryk Anderson were unhappy with the way the 2000-2001 season transpired – an 11-15-4 record and no national tournament bid.
However, both Amidon and Anderson are confident this year’s squad has put the disappointment of last year behind them and are ready to prove to the rest of the country – not to mention the state of Utah – the Aggies are a national power again.
“Just from the way practice has gone, everybody’s attitude has been great,” Anderson said. “We’re really starting to gel as a team. We will be a much-improved team.”
With 10 returning players who saw significant playing time and a handful of talented new recruits, Anderson said the Aggies have the talent and team chemistry to return to the club’s glory years, especially on the defensive side.
“I think our defensive core [of players is] as strong as we have ever had,” Anderson said.
At the end of the 2000-2001 campaign, former club player Nate Anderson traveled to Chicago to track down prospective recruits at the “Chicago Showcase.” The “Chicago Showcase” is a national tournament that features the top hig school-aged players in the country, Amidon said.
While at the tournament, Anderson was able to lure two of the Aggies’ top newcomers, goalie Adam Lain and forward Greg Howard, to USU.
“[Lain’s] definitely a good goalie and will be a great asset to our team,” Amidon said.
“Greg Howard is going to be a really good forward,” he said. “He’s a great goal scorer.”
First-year Jackson Lain (Adam’s brother) and defenseman Brandon Lang are expected to bolster the Aggies roster, Amidon said.
USU will also welcome the services of former Plymouth State University forward Dave Moore. Moore brings size and a huge physical presence to the Aggie lineup, Amidon said.
Those returning from last season’s squad are Amidon, Anderson, Rad Anderson, Kelly Froerer, Chad Johnson, Greg Sneed, Nate Pierce, Clint Stosich, Colby Thurston, Aaron Burrell and Aaron Sutliff.
The Aggies will find out just how good they are when they travel to the Weber County Ice Sheet to face off against main rival Weber State University on Friday at 8:20 p.m.
Like the Aggies, the Wildcats have also enjoyed national prominence. Last season was Weber State’s most successful, as the Wildcats advanced to the ACHA Division II national championship game, losing to four-time champion Life University.
“They have the majority of their team back,” Amidon said. “They’re going to be good, no doubt about it.
“I think it is really going to set the tone for the rest of the season,” he said.
In order to be successful against the Weber State University Wildcats, Anderson said the Aggies need to keep their composure. Weber State is a team that thrives on getting under other teams’ skin and capitalizing on resulting power-play opportunities, Anderson said.
“They are an exceptional power-play team,” he said. “Keeping our composure is a must.”