Golden opportunity for CSUS Hockey Club

Ripe, rippin, and raring to go, the Sac State Ice Hockey Club is on the verge of opening what will be a season where every game is worth paying attention to.

They join the Pacific Coast Hockey Association next season as full members, but are considered as of now to be simply an exhibition team.

That's the ticket for them, according to club president Mark Yuill.

"This will be a golden opportunity for us because the league is going to pay attention to our level of play, how well we do against the current league teams right now, becuase it will decide whether we will be allowed to enter the league next season or the season after next," Yuill says.

Mike Schlottmann, backup to Danny Haefliger at goalie, concurs with Yuill.

"We're out to prove that we can be competitive against the best teams," says Schlottmann.

"We've been skating our butts off in practice, and that intensity and pride is going to show in the games. We're not (messing) around in practice, unlike other teams we've seen practice," he says.

The team has many strong points at various positions, including an excellent defensive core, three powerful goalies, and two good forwards, according to Yuill. "Chris Murphy, Tim Lawson, Jeff Timpone, Yuill, and Pat Sanger are some of our best players, just to name a few," Yuill says.

"I think we'll have a really competitive team. We have alot of good guys on the team."

He says that the team will win many games because of their ability to hit the boards hard.

"What games we don't win with skill, we'll win with heart," he says.

Two other teams that join the league next season as well, USC and UCLA, provide a good reason for fans to pay close attention to this up-and-coming powerhouse.

The team is excited about being able to join such a high-caliber league, but more than that, they are hopeful that enough fans will come out and see for themselves what the team can do.

"If they come out to the games, they won't be disappointed in the least," Yuill says.

"They'll be surprised at the level of talent the Sac State Ice Hockey Club possesses.

Looking at the upcoming games, the Hornets play their season opener this Saturday night at 9:30 against San Jose State at Skatetown Ice Rink, located at 1009 Orlando Ave. in Roseville. The next game is a big matchup against UC Davis on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Skatetown.

The power that Sac State's cross-Causeway rival has held over them over the past decade or so is certainly not lost on president Yuill.

"Davis has beaten us in almost every sport almost every year since I-don't-know-when,"he said sternly.

"Playing Davis, we're going to bring some pride back to Sac State."