USU/BYU Preview
November 2, 2012
Salt Lake City, UT
USU/BYU Preview
It’s officially November (or MOvember here at Utah Hockey) and the Utah Utes are now 7-3 on the season. Compare that to last season’s 10-3 start after the month of October, and it’s fair to say that Utah is picking up right where they left off last year. After obliterating the UCLA Bruins last week in LA, the Utes head out on the road again as they take on in-state rivals Utah State and BYU.
Friday’s game up in Logan should be a dandy as the state’s top two teams meet for the first of three games this season. Utah has yet to beat the Aggies since the club reformed back in 2006, but have come dangerously close over the past two years. They’ll look for that first win against the unanimous top team in the West.
The Aggies are a perfect 8-0 this year with wins against top teams like Colorado State and Arizona State. While USU is still the top team in the west right now, there are some differences between this team and those in the past that may benefit the Utes on Friday.
The first observation is that the offense is not as potent as it has been in years past. Over the last three years at the end of October, the Aggies have outscored their opponents by an average of 6.37 goals a game. This year, that number is cut in half and stands at 3.25. Gone are the players that averaged eight points a game and led the nation in scoring. This year’s leading scorer is Brian Gibbons, who only averages 2 points a game and has 16 total points.
Now while the offense may not be there as much this year, the defense has stepped up big time. USU has only allowed eight goals in as many games this season. Starting goaltender Bryce Scherschel has a perfect 7-0 record and has the best GAA in the nation at 1.14. That means goals will be hard to come by, especially in front of the raucous crowd up in Logan (It’s their pink in the rink game so expect a full house).
This will be Utah’s toughest test to date, and with a win the Utes can make a case for the West’s elite with their first signature win of the season. Like I said it will be a low scoring affair and if the Utes want to see success they will have to capitalize on the opportunities that they get.
On Saturday, it will be a completely different story for the Utes as they head down to Provo for the first time this year to take on BYU. The Cougs are the exact opposite of the Aggies this year, with an 0-9 start this year. The first meeting in the Holy War was close for two periods as Utah got in penalty trouble, but the Utes pulled away for a 12-5 win over the team down south.
Ryan Hoeke leads the team in goals and points with four and six respectively, but the biggest concern has been the goaltending. Time has been split between the three tenders, but none of them have a GAA below 12 as well as save percentages below 80%.
Predictions
Friday’s game is going to be great as Utah still has the chip on their shoulder when it comes to the Aggies. It will definitely be a hostile environment but the game will come down to whether or not the Utes can score when the chances come. The Utes are riding on a high after last week and I think it’s time for the Utes to pull the upset.
Utah 3, Utah State 2
Regardless of what happens on Friday, Saturday’s contest will not be even close. It probably won’t be as bad as the 20-2 shellacking last week, but expect double digits.
Utah 14, BYU 3
Utah Game Notes
Thanks to last week’s wins over UCLA, several Utes are making waves on the national stage. Leading scorer Chase McDonald is tied for 4th in the nation in points with 30, as well at tied for 8th in goals with 15 and T-5th in assists with 15.
Luke Burgstahler is also tied for 9th in the nation with 14 assists on the year.
Utah’s 20-2 win over UCLA set the club record for most goals scored in a game. The previous record was 14 goals, which was achieved twice last year (vs Weber State, vs UC-Denver). The win also sets the club record for largest margin of victory in a game with 18 goals. The previous record was 14, set against UC Denver on November 5th, 2011.
Goaltenders Pete Gibb and Oliver Freij picked up their fourth and third wins of the season respectively last weekend. Gibb stopped 23 of 25 shots on Friday and Freij stopped all 25 shots Saturday for Utah’s first shutout of the season.