By Layton Shumway
Maybe it was the long drive. Maybe it was the tough opposing fans, or the unfamiliar ice. Whatever the reason, the Provo IceCats” first-period troubles aren”t getting any better.
Following a come-from-behind overtime victory over Weber State in Ogden on Friday, (Oct. 27, 2006) the IceCats fell just short Saturday night, losing to Utah State 6-5 in front of a raucous pro-Aggie crowd at the Eccles Ice Center in Logan.
The Provo team scored three goals in the third period to trim the Aggies” lead to one, and had numerous chances as the clock ran out, including a five-on-three power play to end the game. But the Utah State defense and penalty-killing unit held when it mattered most.
The last few minutes might not have mattered so much if the IceCats hadn”t come out so flat in the first period, as they have done in several games this year.
“We didn”t play 60 minutes of hockey,” IceCats coach Ed Gantt said.
“We played 40 minutes of hockey. We have to find something to get us going in the first period.”
The loss was especially painful considering the two overtime losses the IceCats suffered in Logan last season. The two teams always play close games, but the IceCats have yet to defeat the Aggies on their own ice.
“The atmosphere had a lot to do with it,” freshman forward Gage Rasmussen said. “It”s kind of hard to get used to the ice sometimes.
We want to play them at our house and show them what we”ve got.”
Both Rasmussen and Gantt commented on the evenness between the two teams, pointing to the tight score and the times when the IceCats looked like the better side.
“One goal,” Gantt said. “Every time, it”s a one-goal difference.”
That one-goal difference was partially due to a questionable second-period penalty shot awarded to Utah State when it appeared that an IceCat defender covered the puck with his body in the crease to prevent a goal. The rules state that a player other than the goaltender cannot use his hand to cover the puck. Officials conferred for a few moments before awarding the penalty shot, which Utah State forward Roberto Leo put away.
“A penalty shot is such a significant play that you”ve got to be sure,” Gantt said. “I don”t think that should have happened.”
But the IceCats made other mistakes that Utah State was able to capitalize on. A slow start in the first period and inconsistency in the second led to the final result, despite a balanced scoring effort from the team. The task now is to figure out how to play the start of the game with the same intensity as the end, so that such efforts like Friday”s late win and Saturday”s frantic finish won”t be necessary.
“If we play 60 minutes of hockey, we walk out of here with a good win — I have no doubt,” Gantt said.
The IceCats dropped to 4-1-0-1 on the season (four wins, one loss, no ties, one overtime loss). The team will play two straight games at San Jose State this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3-4, 2006.
