Utah State Hockey wins 20-0 Friday for sixth victory over BYU
The Utah State hockey team went undefeated over the weekend, beating both Brigham Young University 20-0 and Weber State 9-5.
USU 20, BYU 0
USU wasted no time, when BYU came to town Friday night, dispatching the Cougars 20-0.
USU forward Billy Gouthro scored early on in the first period and forwards Garry Higgs and Tyler Firth followed with goals of their own. The Aggies got three more goals before the period ended, including the first of two from Cache Valley native David Reeve.
The Aggies led 7-0 after the first period.
Utah State forward Matt Hamilton scored two goals in the second, and Brian Gibbons got his second of the night on the way to an 11-0 lead after two periods of play.
“It was a bit lopsided score, but that’s for the fans,” USU forward Joel Basson said. “That’s what they pay for.”
The Aggies scored 9 more in the third. Matt Hamilton scored his hat-trick goal, and USU captain Brendan MacDonald scored two goals in the final 20 minutes.
Utah State goaltender Allesandto Mullane picked up his first shutout of the season.
“He did well,” Utah State head coach Jon Eccles said of the San Jose State transfer goalie. “He only faced 15 shots, but that’s tough to keep focused.”
USU 9, Weber State 5
Utah State hit the road, traveling to Ogden, to face Weber State University on Saturday night, but the Aggies struggled for the first two periods.
“The guys have a tough time getting up when they think they will be playing 10 or 11 guys,” Eccles said. “It pushed us. We just didn’t have the intensity I wish we could have had.”
The Aggies came out slow, struggling to find offensive openings. Gibbons put the Aggies on the board first with a goal, but Weber State answered with a goal from Curtis Snowball.
Utah State was knocking on WSU’s doorstep, taking hard shots that sailed just wide of the net.
“Last few games, we’ve been coming out slow,” Basson said. “I’m not sure there’s a real reason for it. We have some good chances, (but) we just can’t put the puck in the net.”
The Aggies looked to be back on track when USU defenseman Sean Erwin beat the Weber State goalie on his glove side. Then, 30 seconds later, the wildcats scored, as Mullane let the puck slip between the post and his leg pad, tying the game up.
A goalie interference penalty put the Aggies on the power play and gave them a 3-2 lead when Jeremy Martin scored.
Aggies opened up a lead with two more goals, but Weber State got right back in it with
two more goals to close out the period. The Aggies led 5-4 after 40 minutes of play.
“We let them in the game there at the start and let them get back in it a couple times,” Basson said. “I think, once we settled down and got a couple goals ahead, we pulled it out.”
Basson said the Aggies came out of the locker room after the second intermission looking like a new team.
“That third period was so much better,” Eccles said. “We had so much more intensity and heart in going for every puck.”
Utah State battled hard, and it paid off when utility player Jeff Sanders got a goal early on, and the Aggie defense allowed one Weber State goal in the third.
Basson created a lot of opportunities for Utah State down low, battling in the corners all night.
“Bass always gives 100 percent,” Eccles said. “He’s just so intense all the time.”
The Aggies are back at home for their final game of the regular season against the University of Utah on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Eccles Ice Center.
– meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu