Utah Suffers First Loss

After winning their first 11 games to start the season, the Utah Skatin’ Utes were handed their first loss of the season, losing 5-3 to the Weber State Wildcats in Ogden Friday night.

In the third meeting between the two in-state rivals this year, the Utes opened up strong scoring twice in the first period to take a 2-0 lead. Nine minutes into the game, Ute defenseman Tyler Kugler was able to keep the puck in the offensive zone as the Wildcats thought the play was offside. As the Wildcats protested the call, the Utes went on a 3 on 2 rush towards the Weber net and Ben Seastrand scored to give the Utes their first goal of the night.

Five minutes later, the Utes found the net once again as Kurtis Kunz brought the puck towards the Weber net. Both Wildcat defensemen converged on Kunz which gave leading-points scorer Josh Dangel a wide open chance to score. Ian frank was able to make the first save but Dangel put in the second attempt, batting it out of the air to give Utah a 2-0 lead after the first period.

In the second, it was the Utes that turned the puck over and paid the price. SIx minutes into the period, Dean Wilson lost control of the puck at center ice and went straight to Phill Jennrich who had a straight path to Chris Komma. Jennrich was able to beat Komma through his legs and cut Utah’s lead to one.

After a Colton McDonald hooking penalty, the Wildcats wasted no time capitalizing on the man advantage as Kody Rodriguez was left alone on the back door of Utah’s net. The puck went through the skates of the defense straight to Rodriguez who found an empty net to tie the game at 2-2. It was the first power play goal for the Wildcats against the Utes, after going 0 for 18 before the score.

The score remained tied at 2 heading into the final period until the Wildcats scored early. As the Utes tried to break the puck out of their zone, Braxton Green cut off the Utah pass and fired a shot on Komma. Komma was able to make the first save but the puck went straight to Jeremiah Holmes who found another empty net to give Weber State a 3-2 lead.

The Utes furiously looked to even the score and with 7:42 left, they did just that. Off of an offensive draw on the power play, Seastrand walked in front of Frank’s net and somehow found the back of the net to tie the game at 3-3.

As the game winded down and it looked as it would head to overtime, the Wildcats found another loose puck in Utah’s zone and capitalized. Dax Hobbs brought the puck into the zone for WSU, but had it taken away by the Ute defense. But the puck went straight to Zach Endicott who scored the game-winning goal over the shoulder of Komma.

The Wildcats would add an empty net goal with six seconds left to ice the game and give Utah its first loss of the season.

Chris Komma played well for the Utes, stopping 36 of 40 shots in his first loss of the year including several breakaway attempts by Weber State. Ian Frank finished with 34 saves on 37 shots.

With the loss, the Utes now sit at 11-1 on the season and 2-1 against WSU this year. Weber State’s win improves their record to 8-6-2. The final matchup of the season between these two rivals will be on Saturday in Ogden.

But first the Utes must go to Logan on Friday as they take on the Utah State Aggies for their second matchup of the season. The Utes won the first matchup 3-1 in Salt Lake and have currently won two straight in Utah State’s barn.