Hockey thumps BYU
The Utah State hockey team opened up its 2011-12 season this weekend with a series sweep over Brigham Young University.
The Aggies beat the Cougars, 12-2, in Provo Friday night before returning home for a 17-3 victory Saturday.
USU opened the season strong with high, powerful offense and quick shots that overwhelmed the Cougars.
“It was our first game together, and I thought we really did well for the first two periods,” head coach Jon Eccles said. “But we fell into old habits in the third period and weren’t following the game plan.”
Russell MacKay got the start for the Aggies between the pipes. MacKay debuted well, allowing just two BYU goals and accounting for 34 saves, in his first start as an Aggie.
Seven different players scored for the Aggies. Freshman Brian Gibbons had four goals in his first game with Utah State. Brendan MacDonald and Matt Hamilton each recorded two goals, while Billy Gouthro, Ty Johns, Cooper Limb and Jeff Sanders each added one goal to the Aggies’ final score.
Utah State returned home Saturday night to a sell-out crowd of 2,050 fans. The Aggies didn’t disappoint, scoring seven points in the first period alone. Brendan MacDonald, Jeff Sanders and Tyler Mistelbacher each had hat-tricks on the night. The trio also had three assists each.
“We thank the fans, they were awesome,” Eccles said. “They were our motivation.”
Utah State’s first home game of the season gave fans their first opportunity to see the team in action, and the players were just as excited to take the ice.
“Everyone was really excited for the game,” MacDonald said. “For a lot of the boys, it was their first game in the building, so they were all really excited.”
The USU offense wasted no time, converting right off the opening face-off. USU forward Mistelbacher took a pass from Gibbons and put the puck past BYU goalie Jesse Welsh, just nine seconds into the game.
Utah State put another goal on the board, five minutes later, when MacDonald added to the Aggie lead. MacDonald broke free and took the puck one-on-one with the goalie for his first goal of the night.
Limb got his first career goal in an Aggie uniform at the 8:28 mark of the first period, and MacDonald tallied his second goal 30 seconds later.
The Cougars put pressure on Aggie goalie Cody Palmer, when the puck slipped between Palmer and the goal post. The puck came to a stop just inches from crossing the goal line, and the Utah State “D” stepped up to prevent the goal.
Hamilton added a beautiful goal, and Mistelbacher and Nate Cook lit up the scoreboard with quick goals within minutes of each other to round out the first-period onslaught.
BYU got its only goal of the period, when Logan native Tanner Gray went top shelf against Palmer to score for the Cougars.
The Aggies started out the second period scoring within the first minute and a half. USU freshman Sean Erwin added a shorthanded goal for his first career score, to give the Aggies an 8-1 lead.
Sanders skated into a grove, hitting three consecutive goals within six minutes, sending hats onto the ice. BYU added an unassisted goal off the stick of Mitch Facer, but USU’s Joel Basson answered 24 seconds later to give the Aggies a 12-2 lead heading into the third period.
The Aggies got off to another fast start in the third period, as MacDonald recorded his third goal in the hat-trick off of a Sanders assist, just a minute and a half into the period.
“We just wanted it more,” Sanders said.
Dee Fontaine got the puck past BYU goalie Taylor Barr for his first goal of the season. Erwin added his second goal of the game, and Mistelbacher completed the hat-trick with a goal, with 4:18 remaining in the game.
BYU and USU each added another goal before time ran out.
Cam Hymas scored for the Cougars, their third of the game, and USU’s David Reeve added the final goal of the night off of an assist from Jordan Kerr.
“I thought we played quite well, together as a team,” Eccles said.
The Aggies controlled the puck in their zone for much of the game. Palmer had 22 saves on the night for Utah State and allowed one goal per period.
“BYU works hard every game. It’s a rivalry, and it always has been,” MacDonald said. “Our skill level and work ethic really set us apart from them.”
The Aggies stay at home next weekend when they host the Weber State Wildcats Sept. 23, at the Eccles Ice Center. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
– meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu