IN-STATE RIVALS PROVIDE TUNE-UP GAMES FOR AGS
BYU 3, USU 3
The Aggies came out flat and let a chance to teach in-state rival BYU a lesson slip away, tying the Icecats 3-3. After losing the first period 1-0 to a Jason Griffeths goal, USU took two leads in the game but BYU tied it back up both times.
Aggie skaters were punching doors and cursing after the overtime period ended and BYU escaped Logan without losing. Defenseman Jordan Francom, who scored an unassisted goal and had an assist, called the result a “kick in the ass” and likened the tie with the lower-ranked Icecats to a loss.
“We figured it’s BYU and we can get away with doing it ourselves, not playing as a team as much. Everyone tried to make one too many moves and didn’t shoot quick enough. It’s our own fault,” Francom said.
After Francom and William Winsa scored a minute apart in the second period to give USU their first lead of the game, BYU got two scores sandwiched around a Kent Arsenault tip-in of a Paul Reinhardt slap-shot from the point to force overtime.
“We’d be going in their end and everyone was trying to do it themselves it seemed tonight,” Arsenault said. “Nobody wanted to work on the lines. Even our line, blue line, it was the worst game we’ve played all year. I’ll take all the blame for it, I played like s*** and my linemates didn’t play very good and as a unit we were terrible.”
Francom said he never truly believed his team would be unable to beat BYU. “Not one bit. Not at all. Not in the slightest. Not even close,” he said. “Even when they jumped up on us, there was not a question in my mind that we were going to lose or even tie. It’s just ridiculous. We’ve got to get it going.”
Making the tie even more difficult to stomach for USU was a huge opportunity to put the game away in the second period the team passed on. Shortly after Winsa’s goal, BYU’s Derek Battisti was called for roughing and head-butting, a combined seven-minute power play for USU and a game disqualification for Battisti which sent him to the locker room early. USU was unable to increase the lead during this long 5-on-4 opportunity.
Robert Hashimoto, who had an assist, said that from his view on the bench, “Jay McFadden and that guy were talking crap and I guess Jay McFadden just got into his head and that guy head-butted him.”
It was not the first time Battisti has been the cause of a commotion in a game against the Aggies. The last time the teams met in Logan, a 6-5 USU win, Josh Groves said Battisti slurred him with a racial epithet and a brawl nearly broke out in the tunnel after the game.
“He’s just a dirty player. We try not to worry about it too much because we’re trying to play hockey. We’re not trying to start fights with guys on their team,” Hashi said.
Arsenault took an apologetic tone and said he regretted the team didn’t put on a better show for the fans. “Thursday night we get all these fans out here from our school and get a 3-3 game against BYU, our biggest rival in Utah. It’s not very good. It’s not going to show a very good impression on the fans of our hockey team. Saturday night against Weber State I’d be surprised if people come and watch us with that effort,” Arsenault said.
The tie game allowed BYU to retain a narrow 11-10 edge in total goals over USU after three games, a fact which Francom said infuriates him.
“Every game is a different learning experience. We should have learned from the last time we lost to them before Christmas break. Some of the guys have got to find a way to get up and produce night in and night out. It’s got to happen,” Francom said.
USU plays BYU once more this season, on the first of March in Provo’s Peaks Ice Arena.
USU 8, Weber D2 3
The team bounced back well from Thursday’s disappointment against BYU, dominating Weber State’s division 2 team on the Ice Sheet in Ogden.
USU actually hadn’t beaten the D2 Wildcats yet in two tries, falling to them 6-5 in the third game of the year and tying 3-3 before Christmas break, so Robert Hashimoto said it was a good chance for USU to make a statement against their in-state rivals.
“We hadn’t beat them all season. We had to show everyone that there’s a reason that Weber D2 isn’t going to regionals and we are so we were pretty ticked off,” Hashi said.
Rookies Kent Arsenault and Jay McFadden both had two goals apiece to lead the Aggies, while Hashi, Roberto Leo and Josh Groves also scored and Ryan Hammonds got his first goal of the year.
Hammonds’ linemate Justin Lupton, who had a great pass to assist Hashi’s breakaway goal in a four-on-four situation, said that he, Hammonds and Terry Camp, who play for USU’s fourth line, don’t consider themselves rivals. Hammonds is the first of this group to score a goal this year. Hammonds scored off the rebound of a Camp shot.
“We try to grind it out together,” Lupton said. “When he went out and got that goal we all said good work. He was pretty excited. We’re the fourth line. We just try to fill in whenever necessary and help us win. It’s not about trying to put up points, we’re just trying to help out.”
Jonathon Beck started for Weber State in-goal and faced a blitz of 58 shots on goal by the Aggies, a dramatic upturn from the mere 29 SOG USU managed against BYU’s Dustin Van Dyke the night before. Scottie Beard started in nets for USU and faced only 25 shots.
Arsenault said USU wasn’t going to settle for anything less than a victory against Weber D2. “In my mind they don’t have a shot at us but we let up on them earlier this season,” Arsenault said. “The games we played earlier in the year, we knew should have gone differently.”
USU 6, Weber D2 3
In the final tune-up before hosting the ACHA Division 2 regional tournament on Friday and Saturday, USU was again clearly in-control at the Eccles Ice Arena against Weber State. After a scoreless first ten minutes, the Wildcats’ Mike Wirkus put one in, but the Weber lead was short-lived. Kent Arsenault scored twice and William Winsa scored once before the first period ended.
“We played them the night before and annihilated them so we were all confident. Even though they got the first goal we weren’t panicing and we weren’t scared,” Robert Hashimoto said.
It was a night for records to fall in the Eccles Ice Arena. Arsenault’s two goals and two assists allowed him to beat USU’s single-season points record with 88. The lanky Canadian needs one more goal to break Nate Anderson’s long-standing single-season goals record and one more hat trick to beat the single-season hat trick record. Meanwhile, Jordan Francom put in a rebound with less than a minute to go in the third period to beat USU’s single-season record for goals scored by a defensemen.
Francom said he didn’t realize he was on a record-setting pace until recently. “I didn’t really know until the past couple of games. Coach didn’t tell me until a couple of game ago. Once I knew I wanted to break it,” Francom said.
Francom has scored the majority of his goals from long range this year. His preferred weapon is a twisted wrist shot that has taken goalies by surprise all year long.
“I started using a new stick this season and I’ve been getting a quicker release which has helped a ton. I can get the shot off quicker and the goalie doesn’t have time to set up. It seems to be working,” Francom said.
While he said team goals are the most important, Arsenault acknowledged the satisfaction he gets from breaking individual records.
“This late in the season it’s all about the team and the national championship that I think we deserve. [Breaking records] is something I wanted to aim for. I looked at these stats at the start of the year and in midseason and I figured I was on a good steady pace to reach the record,” Arsenault said.
Hashi, who assisted three goals Saturday night, said it is difficult for the team to get up for a contest against a team like Weber, which has no impact on the rankings or the regional tournament nex
t week.
“We’ve been working too hard to lose to these guys. We were going to come out strong and play with intensity. It’s so hard to play against Weber State. They’re just…I don’t know. They just suck,” Hashi said.
Wirkus actually completed a hat trick late in the second period to bring Weber State to within one goal of Utah State, but the Aggies owned the third period with Francom’s goal and a score by Michael Filander and shut the threat down.
Besides chasing history at USU, Arsenault is tied for third place in goals in ACHA Division 2 with CS Long Beach’s Brian Horwitz with 47 apiece, trailing Jason Walker of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Gold (51) and Kevin Mayoux of Texas Tech (53).
“Right now I’m in contention for the national scoring championship so that’s another goal that gives me more drive to play hard in these games late in the season,” Arsenault said. “[Scoring goals] is what they brought me here to do. Before I started playing at Utah State, Greg Finatti, one of my best friends here, told the coaches I would put up points so I had to back up what he said.”
Now the focus is on Friday night’s 8:00 p.m. matchup against the University of Southern California (19-10-1). Arsenault said he is hoping to see a packed house at the “Ec” for USU’s most important game to date.
“Friday night we play USC and we haven’t seen them this year but we’ve heard a lot about them. It’s a huge challenge and we’ve got to come out and open the floodgates. A big key to our success this week is the fanbase. I hope to see a lot of students in the stands making a lot of noise,” Arsenault said.