Club Cuts: Ice Hockey Update

Some teams just have another team’s number. No matter the circumstances, how evenly matched the two teams are or where the game is played, they manage to pull out the victory.

On Saturday the UC San Diego Tritons proved it has the Hornet’s number, defeating the Sac State Ice Hockey Club 5-3 for the second straight game. In a game that featured two evenly matched teams, the Tritons managed to skate away from Roseville with a close season sweep of Sac State.

“You could have tossed a quarter to decide both games,” said team captain Josh Roberts. “Both teams are so evenly matched.”

After losing 4-3 in San Diego last weekend the Hornets looked for redemption on their home ice, Skatetown Ice Arena in Roseville.

The game featured hard hitting and tough defense, with San Diego winning the shots on goal battle 34-32.

As the first period wound down scoreless, Eric Borman put the Tritons ahead 1-0 with a fierce slap shot in the corner. Tritons defenseman Keith Davis gave the Tritons a 2-0 lead with his open slap shot with 9:58 left in the second.

Defenseman Guillaume Thivierbe took over the scoring for the Hornets in the second period. With 8:40 left in the second period he sacrificed his body when he forced the puck in while slamming into the goal. Thivierbe then tied the score 2-2 with a breakaway goal with 6:28 left in the second period.

But the Tritons would answer back with 5:26 left in the second when Chris Davis slapped the puck in on his own breakaway, giving UC San Diego the lead for good 3-2.

While the Hornets went into intermission down only a goal, the team looked flat starting the third period.

“We came out really strong, but towards the end of the second period we seemed to get tired,” Roberts said.

With just 2:02 gone by in the third period left wing Larry Chan scored to give the Tritons the 4-2 lead. Sac State would answer back on the power play with Scot Folena’s slap shot, but it would be the last goal the Hornets would score.

With time running down UC San Diego put the game away with Chris Davis’ second goal of the game, a put back that sealed the Hornet’s loss 5-3.

“Overall we played a great game,” Roberts said. “We have nothing to hang our heads about, it was such a close game.”

While the Hornet’s fell to 2-2 on the season, the team still has championship hopes.

“We could easily have been 4-0, but instead we’re 2-2,” Roberts said. “Now we just have to take it one game at a time.”

Next up for the Sac State Ice Hockey Club is a Nov. 13 contest against the Cal State Fullerton Titans at Skate Town in Roseville.

While attendance at recent home games has been decent, it could be better. Many people are reluctant to come to a hockey game, as it remains a foreign sport to them.

“Even people who aren’t fans should see at least one game,” Roberts said. “The rules aren’t that complicated and you’ll see a great game. You get two and a half hours of entertainment for five bucks.”

While Cal State Fullerton should not be overlooked Roberts feels the Hornets can score a victory over the struggling Titans.

“Absolutely we can win,” Roberts said. “From what I’ve seen they haven’t been playing well and we should win.”

Saturday’s game should be enjoyable for Hornet fans, as long as Cal State Fullerton doesn’t have Sac State’s number.