Hockey Team falls 6-4 to Arizona Friday

Weber State University’s Hockey Team fell 6-4 against the University of Arizona Friday night. Team President Tim Brownell suffered a sprained knee late in the second period.
The score was goal-for-goal until the third period. At the beginning of the third period the score was tied 4-4, and with 14:41 minutes left in the game UA capitalized on a scoring opportunity when goalie Paul Pflueger unsuccessfully cleared the puck from behind the net. Striking UA player added pressure to the goalie, causing the unsuccessful clearing and intercepted the puck, which led to the scoring on a net guarded by only a WSU defender.
Head Coach Steve Soto said he felt the team played well but needed to capitalize when they were in front of the goal. He said he felt the team was passing too much when in front of the goal instead of taking shots.
UA took the lead, scoring with 11:13 minutes left to play in the first period, and WSU never managed to take the lead. WSU did not have an answer for the first goal until 7.6 seconds left in first period when center Chris Roberts scored an unassisted shot to tie the game 1-1.
“We tie then always get that penalty or goal against us that leads us to lose,” Roberts said. “I was happy with our effort, there was nothing else we could have done.”
After Roberts scored the tying goal, UA pulled ahead five minutes into the second period for the second time. However, five minutes later Tim Brownell came out of the penalty box just as Braxton Green started on a breakaway up the left side. Brownell exited the penalty box just in time to be ahead of all the defenders, which led to a wide-open pass from Green. Brownell then had a one-on-one with the goalie and scored to tie the game again at two.
Soon after, UA scored again and Brownell sprained his right knee and had to leave the game. After Brownell’s injury he watched the game from the sidelines.
“Watching it out there I saw that we were really tired in the third period,” Brownell said.
Before the third period began, the score continued to raise one right after another rotating between which team scored. Braxton Green scored with 2:27 left in the second period, which tied the game at 3-3. Green had a breakaway down the left side, one defender caught up to him but he maneuvered past him, then in a one-on-one situation with the goalie, he shot and scored in the lower right-hand corner.
UA scored 31 seconds later, then 17 seconds later forward Avery House scored WSU’s last goal which tied the score at four.
“I thought we played well today,” Green said. “Just unlucky bounces, I mean none of their goals were really legit goals.”
The only two goals scored in the third period were by UA, leaving the final score 6-4 in favor of University of Arizona. Brownell talked about the team getting tired in the third period because WSU does not have a big roster and as a result many of the players are spending more time on the ice.
“We played all three lines, which helps us out a lot because we don’t get as tired,” said forward Landen Jones. “One of our players got injured so it screws up our rotation.”