Although autumn alters the weather and the foliage, Fall Break did not change the U hockey team’s winning ways.
The first game of Utah’s Fall Break schedule was Oct 10. against Mesa State in Vernal. When the Utes last played Mesa, they were unable to score on back-up goalie Casey Pinter, but Utah broke this trend while in Vernal, netting three goals against Pinter en route to a 6-4 victory.
On the other side of the ice, goalie Andy Hill made his first start of the season for the Utes. Hill had a solid performance, stopping 92 percent of Mesa’s shot attempts.
With the win, Utah sealed the season series against Mesa State, winning two of three contests.
Last weekend, the Utes traveled to California to take on Cal State Fullerton, where they split the two-game series. On Friday, the Utes defeated CSF by a score of 6-4. At one point, the Utes had scored four consecutive goals and led the game 6-2 in the third period.
“The whole team felt pretty good going into the game,” said Utah forward Andrew Reed.
The contest was highlighted by Reed’s three-goal performance. Although hat tricks are not an everyday occurrence, Reed’s success at CSF should not come as a great surprise. Of Reed’s 11 points this season, nine of them have come on the road. Reed’s hat trick is the second time in three weeks that a Ute forward has netted three or more goals in a game (Ian McKelvie scored four goals against Boise State on Oct. 3).
But the Utes’ five-game winning streak snapped Saturday, when they were defeated 4-3. CSF outscored Utah 2-1 in the first period, and this deficit proved to be the difference in the game. Utah scored the first goal in the third period, but CSF tallied two straight goals to seal the loss for the Utes.
Despite the end of the Utes’ winning streak, they are off to their best start in years. They hold a 5-2 record, which is tied for fifth in the West region of American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II.
But the Utes’ toughest opponent still lies ahead. They will face off against Utah State on Friday when they travel to Logan. The Aggies are tied for second in the region, posting a 6-2 record. During its eight games, USU has outscored opponents 65-29.
“Utah State’s a tough team,” Reed said. “They have really good skaters, good coaches, good everything. It’s going to be a good game.”
On Saturday, the Utes return to Salt Lake City to play Utah Valley University. Utah and UVU have had some dramatic games in the past, and the Utes expect this weekend to be no different. The game will be held at 8:30 p.m. at the Salt Lake City Sports Complex.