Hockey pounds tough competition
In their first time back out on the ice after getting destroyed 10-1 by San Jose State last Saturday, and their first time skating at the Peaks Ice Arena since an infuriating 3-1 loss to BYU there, the Aggies firmly put the past behind them by topping the Utah Valley State College Wolverines 10-3.
“Our whole focus for the game was that 10-1 loss to San Jose State,” USU goalkeeper Scottie Beard said. “We just pictured that UVSC was San Jose State and went out there and tried to kick their ass.”
Kent Arsenault, who described himself as being “on fire” against the Wolverines, scored four goals, top-shelfing all of them. He was quick to praise the job Beard did shutting UVSC down.
“Scottie Beard played nets and to tell you the truth he played excellent,” Arsenault said. “They didn’t have a whole lot of shots but the chances they did have he was there. He was alert and ready to go,” Arsenault said. “Congratulations to him for coming in and fulfilling the duties of second-string goaltender in showing up that night.”
UVSC jumped to an early 1-0 lead, but the Aggies made sure this was short-lived. USU took over the game and bore down on the hapless home team.
“We walked into that building and we knew that we lost to BYU the last time in there and we had to come out strong. They took a 1-0 lead but after that it was all us,” Arsenault said.
Beard noted the importance of not just beating UVSC, but of making a definitive statement against them.
“We just forgot all about what happened earlier. It was a big game because if we would’ve lost we would’ve been out of regionals. We had to not just beat them but destroy them,” he said.
UVSC students enlivened the game by launching water balloon attacks on the Aggies.
“I got hit with a water balloon. It was kind of funny. That’s Provo for you,” Beard said. The last time USU played BYU at Peaks the game was also disrupted and put on hold for a lengthy period while rink security stopped some BYU fans from pestering the Aggies in the box. Arsenault said the Provo fans were at it again Friday night.
“One of our players was in the penalty box and their fans behind the box threw a water balloon at him. We didn’t really think too much about it, we just laughed. It was only water but the guy ended up getting kicked out,” Arsenault said. “I took a penalty too and they were doing the same thing, just chirping at me the whole time. I just didn’t pay attention, I just laughed and pointed to the scoreboard.”
Beard said he did not believe UVSC can play with a team of USU’s caliber.
“They were all right but we just had more of the drive and the will. They’ve beaten teams like BYU and Weber so we know they can play. But when we play our game they can’t hang with us,” Beard said.
Denver 4, Utah State 8
Utah State played perhaps their most complete game of the season in avenging an early-season 9-3 loss to the Pioneers.
Greg “The Force” Finatti was sensational, putting up a wall in the goal that frustrated Denver’s skilled snipers. Denver clearly outshot the Aggies, 54-30, but Finatti was good for 50 saves, making brilliant plays with his glove, blocker, stick and pads.
USU converted 3-of-4 power play opportunities while holding Denver goalless on their seven power play chances.
Senior wing Roberto Leo, who scored a third-period power-play goal and had one assist, said, “It doesn’t matter who we play, we’ve got to get up. But you know it’s D[enver] U[niversity], and they’re coming to our barn. And they don’t win in our barn.”
Typically a finesse player, Leo helped set a relentless tone for USU, laying several huge hits on Pioneer skaters in a deviation from his normal style. Kent Arsenault was also delivering bodychecks to Denver players in a fashion normally reserved for players like Matt Geer, Brett Fryslie or Matt Legree.
“I don’t hit at all but sometimes the hits come in a game. Luckily they were coming for me. It made me look good,” Leo said.
USU jumped to a 1-0 lead when their speed line of Will Winsa, Robert Hashimoto and Michael Filander hit the ice and started causing Denver problems. Hashi was denied a breakaway opportunity when a Denver defender latched onto his stick, but Winsa swept in to take the puck and bury it behind Pioneer tender Alex Harbison.
“He took my stick away so I just kept going with it and Swede picked it up and shot it. I just took him out of the play and Swede had an open shot. Nothing special,” Hashi said.
Denver had a few players who appeared capable of scoring every time they handled the puck, most notably wings Adam Becker and Ben Wahler. Becker had a hat trick and an assist and the speedy Wahler scored Denver’s other goal and assisted two of Becker’s goals. With 14:56 to go Becker found a tiny hole in the wall and was able to slip a goal in, tying things up.
As they would at numerous junctures throughout the game, USU responded after Denver seemed to be taking the momentum. The speed line beat Harbison again, this time Hashi took a long-range pass from Winsa and one-timed it home. Winsa would lead USU with three assists, Hashi had two goals and two assists, and Filander had one assist. Jay McFadden and Brett Fryslie scored before the end of the period to make it 4-1.
“We beat this team last year so we knew we could score a lot on them. We’ve got enough goal-scorers on our team to where we should be getting this many goals against anybody,” Leo said. “Everything was clicking.”
In the second period Denver utilized the large tracts of open ice available during a four-on-four and Becker scored again with 13:56 remaining. At the 7:35 mark Becker completed his hat trick with a blur of a wrist shot, bringing the visitors to within one. The Pioneers then got a breakaway goal from Wahler to tie the score and make USU’s second-period swoon complete.
Again the Aggies refused to panic. This time it was Jordan Francom who answered the call, breaking the tie with two minutes to go when he ripped a slap shot from the point.
“They got it deep in the zone and I thought about changing because my guy went, but then no one was up there so I skated up and yelled at Swede,” Francom said. “It was one of the nicest passes I’ve ever had. I looked at the net before I got it and I just gunned it so I got a little lucky.”
Barely a minute later USU was on the power play and Francom was feeling it again. He took a quick wrist shot that was tumbling around in the net behind Harbison before the goalie had time to react.
Francom said luck had a lot to do with his goals, but with 19 goals on the season, all scored from long range, the assistant captain’s resume speaks for itself. He also had an assist against Denver.
“I feel like I’m just getting lucky mostly,” Francom said. “I think I jump up and play a little more offensively than some of the other guys; they stay home more. Which is actually good because if you had a whole defensive group that jumped up you would have no defense.”
“It was a good fight,” Leo said. “Everybody is tired as hell. Everybody put everything they’ve got out there tonight, so it’s a good thing it was the last game of the week.”
Francom said the Aggies can still play even better than they did Saturday night.
“We definitely had a good game. It was a big step forward from the way we have been playing. As far as our best, I don’t know, I think we can step it up a little more really,” Francom said. “Especially on home ice we should blow teams out of the water. It’s a challenge to play better and better every game.” Leo said the team is now beginning to play it’s best hockey of the season, rounding into form in time for regionals, which will be played in the Eccles Ice Arena Feb. 16 and 17.
“Coach thinks it’s different every year, but every year this is the same crap that happens. We come out strong at the beginning of the year and we’re smoking people. Midseason we slow down a little, b
ut come regionals time we know we have to get up there,” Leo said.
-graham@cc.usu.edu