The NHL is still in a lockout, but there will be hockey going on Friday and Saturday at Seven Peaks Ice Arena.
The BYU hockey team will meet Montana Tech this weekend in a matchup they hope will give them some momentum going forward.
'I know all the guys are real, real hungry for a win,' team captain Mitch Facer said.
BYU Men's hockey players defend against a Montana Tech player during last year's game.
The Cougars opened the season last Saturday with a close loss to in-state rival Weber State and they will continue to stress team play. Coach Jeremy Weiss described the key to pulling out a victory as 'ice cold execution.'
'That means don't take matters into your own hands or rely on your own abilities,' Weiss said. 'Just be cold and calculated about executing the system.'
Team captains have been trying to get the whole team focused on being patient in their assignments as part of the coaches' emphasis on execution. The Cougars' third line demonstrated in their first game the impact patience has by holding the puck in the Weber State zone while on the ice. Weiss hopes the other lines will follow suit against Montana Tech and keep the pressure on their defense. Weiss and Facer hope by doing so they will be able to overcome their opponent.
'We want both of these games,' Facer said. 'We lost to them last year and we shouldn't have. We came out thinking we were going to win no problem and didn't work hard enough, and they ended up taking it from us.'
The Cougars also know the advantage of a large home crowd.
'Fan support is huge,' Weiss said. 'It's a lot more exciting to play in front of a huge crowd. I've been saying it all along the way, and even after the last game I am even more convinced that we are really close to having a great season.'
The opening faceoff will be at 8:15 p.m. Friday and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Price of admission is $5 for students and $7 for the general public.