Utah State hockey goes on weekend scoring spree
Two cupcakes preceded a hefty main course over the weekend for the Utah State hockey club.
After plastering Idaho 10-3 Thursday and Oregon 16-2 Friday, USU welcomed a worthy opponent Saturday night in the Division I Arizona State Sun Devils.
A standing-room-only crowd witnessed a standout performance at goalie for USU’s Dustin Van Dyke
— 35 saves on 37 shots — which paved the way for a monumental 3-2 victory.
“Their goaltender played well,” said ASU Head Coach Murray Kasek. “You take a look at it, we out shot [USU] 37 to 15, so something had to be in their favor. Our guys tried hard, but a lot of times what happens is you don’t finish the play. That was our problem.”
USU center Robert Hoshimoto put in what turned out to be a game-winning wrister off a Colby Thurston behind-the-net centering pass at the 10:26 mark of the third period.
“It feels real good knowing we beat a D-I team,” Hoshimoto said. “[It’s a] happy Thanksgiving, you know what I mean?”
The Aggies (8-8-1) and Sun Devils last met Nov. 1 in Tempe, a game USU trailed 6-0 through two periods but fought back to make the outcome a respectable 6-5.
A different story was written Saturday night.
The Aggies put numbers on the board nearly 15 minutes into the first period.
Left wing Aaron Burrell slid the puck under the outstretched grasp of the ASU goalie.
Burrell tallied a team-high nine goals over the weekend, slamming home five against Oregon, tying a career high he had as a freshman.
ASU battled back to take the lead with two unanswered slapshot goals, the second coming on a power play with 15:30 remaining in the second period.
USU center/defenseman Paul Amidon wristed in the equalizer on a three-on-three situation at the 2:24 mark of the second.
Both teams defended the power play very well throughout the game, each allowing one goal.
On their first power play opportunity of the third period, the Sun Devils had a three-on-one breakaway advantage stopped short as a USU defender sacrificed his body, diving to stop the puck from getting anywhere near the goal.
The Aggies now go on a week-long hiatus from practice and two weeks until their next game (a Dec. 6 home game against Weber State).
Because of a rough first half of its schedule, USU’s vacation couldn’t possibly come at a better time.
“We’ve been waiting for this week off,” said USU assistant coach Ty Newberry. “It’s the first time in my career that I’m pumped to have a week off at Thanksgiving.”
Ags awaiting Thiros’ comeback to starting line
USU center Nick Thiros, one of the Aggies’ most threatening scorers and setup men, said Saturday night he will return to the lineup for the Dec. 6 home contest.
He has missed the past three weeks due to a broken right index finger suffered Nov. 1 at ASU.
–samhis@cc.usu.edu