“Skate With the Aggies” a calm before the storm

Friday’s game against BYU was a battle for the Utah State hockey club.

But two hours earlier, the team was found joking around and mingling with its growing entourage of fans.

It was “Skate With the Aggies” night at the Eccles Ice Center. The team was auctioning off everything from old jerseys to dates with the Aggies, as well as giving the fans an opportunity to take a few laps around the ice next to their favorite hockey players.

Aggie William Winsa said he is surprised at how popular the players are.

“I’m like a celebrity,” he said. “Everyone wants my autograph.”

Winsa said he was happy to reach out to the community.

“It means a lot to them, especially to the younger ones,” he said. “There’s so many people here. There’s a lot more than last year.”

But Winsa said the feel-good event was not the first thing on the mind of the players.

“Even though we’re having fun, we can’t forget about the game,” he said. “The game is keeping us focused.”

Aggie Robert Hashimoto said even though he enjoyed the skate-around, his mind was far from it.

“I’m not even thinking about this right now,” he said at the event. “This is fun, but I’ve been thinking about the game all day.”

Winsa, who grew up in Sweden, said hockey players aren’t nearly as popular in his home country.

“I’m not used to it,” he said. “I never had to worry back home. People care a lot more about the athletes and the team here.”

After the event, fans packed into the EIC in record numbers to watch USU beat BYU 3-2 in overtime.

Winsa said the players were feeling good about the game as soon as they saw all the fans on the ice.

“It’s a good start on a good night,” he said.

-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu