Still seeking first win of the season, Utah M2 falls to Utah State

October 30, 2021
Logan, Utah

Finding themselves in a hole too deep to climb out of after the first period of play, the University of Utah M2 Hockey team lost to the Utah State University Aggies, 11-4. The Utes arrived at the Eccles Ice Center in Logan in hopes of earning their first win of the season. After losing two games to the Aggies in early October, the Utes knew they needed to toughen up the defense, get the puck out of their zone, and create more scoring chances.

Bolstering the team was several players who did not play when the Utes lost to the Aggies back in early October. Sam Mudd, Porter Templin, Jack Cadieux, Evgeny Tretyak, and Cole Sheridan were dressed and ready for their first game action of the season.

Utah State came out shooting, showering Utah starting goalie Patrick O’Donnell with what eventually totaled 33 shots by the end of the first period. The strategy paid off, giving the Aggies five unanswered goals before Utah earned their first. With just 2:23 left in the period, Luke Ossola scored on a perfect centering pass from Nick Madej. Ossola later had two assists, boosting his season point total to five. The Aggies added another goal with mere seconds left, giving them a 6-1 lead as the teams headed into the locker rooms for the first intermission.

The Utes regrouped for the second period and made some defensive adjustments. Adam Rousselo replaced O’Donnell in net. In the opening seconds of the period, Madej pounced on an Aggie turnover and scored on a breakaway for the Utes’ second goal of the game. Meanwhile, the Utes defense held the Aggies to three goals in the second period and two goals in the third. And the penalty-killing squads kept the Aggies to one goal in eight chances. Rousselo ended up with 43 saves against 48 shots on goal over two periods of play.

Ultimately, the deficit from period one was too much to overcome. The Utes power play squads struggled to convert scoring opportunities, unable to produce in eight power-play chances. Unfortunately, the Utes lost one of their key forwards in the third period, Jack Cadieux, due to an injury.

Offensively, the Utes scored two goals in the second period and one in the third. In addition to his goal, Madej had two assists, giving him five points for the season. Zeke Endy scored his team-leading third goal of the season, and an assist in the third period bumped his point total to five. The Utes fourth goal came from Kai Conti, his second goal for the season for a total of four points.

Tonight was the first of a four-game all-Utah road trip for the M2 hockey team. Next, the Utes face the Utah Valley University Wolverines at the Peaks Ice Arena in Provo on Thursday, November 4th. Check the schedule for game time.