WSU beats rival Utah State 4-2
Another physical matchup leaves Wildcats bruised, but victorious
Jon McBride
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: Sports
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WSU forward Anton Volkov left the game early with a separated shoulder. He'll join teammates Dane Ludolph and Dave Lorenzon who are sidelined with a broken hand and broken foot respectively. All three players were expected to be major offensive contributors this season, but will all be out of the lineup for two weeks or more.
Their absences created opportunities for other players to step up and fill those roles. The Wildcat players rose to the occasion, as they beat their arch rivals, Utah State University, 4-2.
"The guys showed a lot of heart," said WSU Head Coach Zak Treasure. "They really stepped up. They didn't want to lose, and hats off to those guys."
Treasure said the team effort was a great sign of progression.
"In years past, if this thing would have happened with all of these injuries, we would have rolled over and died," Treasure said. "But now guys are starting to step up and show a lot of heart."
The Wildcats were led in the scoring department by two returning players. WSU sophomore Chris Cotsillis had two goals in the game, including the game winner. WSU senior Nick Micek contributed on every Wildcat goal, scoring one and adding three assists.
The Wildcats first got on the board late in the first period when Scott Lamb scored on a low slapshot from the point off of a Micek pass. The goal came on a five-on-three powerplay, WSU's first of three special-team goals on the night.
The Wildcats went up 2-0 with 7:52 left in the second period when Cotsillis scored on a mid-air deflection off of a waist-high shot by Micek.
"I passed it to Micek," Cotsillis said. "He just threw it at the net and was lucky to get a piece of it," Cotsillis said.
Four minutes later, Cotsillis scored his second goal on a one-timer from the slot. The goal came on a five-on-four powerplay. Micek provided Cotsillis with the pass from behind the net and Cotsillis snapped the shot top shelf.
Early in the third period USU foiled WSU goalie Kyle Gover's shutout bid. Gover was playing the puck away from the crease. His clearing attempt deflected off of his defenseman and right in front of the WSU net, on the tape of a USU player with a wide open net.
The Wildcats answered a few minutes later when Micek scored a short-handed goal on a wrist shot that beat the USU goaltender on his short side. Colter Knapton picked up the assist.
Micek said he attributed his four-point game to stellar play by his linemates and just throwing the puck on net and crashing for rebounds.
USU scored the final goal of the game with 5:33 remaining. It was a wrist shot that beat Gover just under his glove. Gover was visibly unhappy about letting in the soft goal. Gover made a number of remarkable saves in the game on more difficult shots. He continues to be WSU's best player.
"He's amazing," Micek said. "He's the heart and soul of this team."
The game was filled with numerous penalties assessed to both teams - a common sight in a rivalry game such as this. WSU's Michael Spawton got things started when he dropped the gloves and fought with a USU player five minutes into the game. The referees allowed the players to exchange blows and both players were given game misconduct penalties.
"In this game, no matter what you say or what you do, there's going to be rough stuff out there," Treasure said. "You want to keep it where it's safe - no one's going to do anything to try and hurt another player. The guys are going to hit a lot harder. They're going to take a few extra steps into a hit. There might be a few fights, but those sort of things aren't going to hurt or injure a player."
It's all part of the rivalry that goes back as long as there's been collegiate hockey in Utah.
"There's a lot of history there," said USU captain Scotty John. "It's my fifth year - we've gone through all sorts of ups and downs. Sometimes they get the better of us and sometimes we get the better of them, but it's never easy taking a loss."
Treasure knows how to coach in the rivalry games between the teams because he has played in his fair share as a Wildcat player a few years ago.
"This rivalry is huge," Treasure said. "This goes back to before I first came here. Before I even came here, I remember hearing about the Utah State games. These guys now know what this is all about. They did not want to lose this game, no matter what. It doesn't matter who comes with the best team each year; no one wants to lose."
Even though the two teams play in different divisions, and the game didn't do much to influence rankings, it was still an important win for the Wildcats.
"This is a huge boost for the team - a confidence booster for us," Micek said. "The first time going to Utah State, that's a hard barn to play in, but then coming here, the fans were great for us."
The Wildcats will hope to see another packed house this weekend as they play two very important games against the University of Oklahoma. The Sooners were a powerhouse in the American Collegiate Hockey Association's Division I last season and will be WSU's first DI opponents this season. The puck will drop at 8:15 p.m. at the Weber County Ice Sheet both Friday and Saturday night.
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