Oregon’s club ice hockey team knew that if it lost its first game at the regional tournament, it couldn’t advance to nationals.
The Ducks did lose.
But by beating fourth-ranked Long Beach State the next day, Oregon completed another of its goals and ended its Pac-8 championship season on a high note.
“Really, we accomplished everything we wanted to,” said coordinator Jeff Gibb. “I would say that this was definitely a successful season.”
Saturday’s win also marks four consecutive 20-win seasons for the Ducks.
Playing in only its second regional tournament in history, Oregon, the 10th and lowest seed in the tournament, dropped its first-round game Friday to Colorado State 4-1 in a rematch of an early January tilt.
A second-period Cal Brackin goal was all the Ducks could muster offensively. Conversely, the Rams scored on three of their six power plays, taking advantage of Duck penalties.
“We were thinking we could catch an upset, maybe having them overlook us,” said head coach Scott McCallum. “But we just took too many penalties.”
Oregon had been in this position before. Last season, the Ducks lost both games at regionals.
“It was really a downer last year. You lose the first game, and if you lose the second it makes for kind of a tough bus ride home,” said McCallum, alluding to the players’ goal this year of winning at least one game at the second time around.
The Ducks, who ended the season ranked eighth in the western division, did win against Long Beach State after a strong second period. Assisted by Justin Lacasse and Joel Dunham, senior Eric Steinmann put the Ducks on the board before Cale Meyer answered with the first of his two goals on the day.
Oregon responded to an early goal by Long Beach in the third period with two more of its own by Tom Stocklin and Meyer.
McCallum felt Meyer’s diving, shorthanded goal was an appropriate finish for the season.
“A dramatic goal to a dramatic ending of a hard fought game for us,” said McCallum.
Men’s lacrosse
The Oregon club men’s lacrosse team has started its Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League title defense with a 3-0 record.
The Ducks have won the PNCLL four consecutive years.
Oregon has the benefit of 22 returning players this season. The team reached the national club championship last season before losing to BYU.
“We lost a lot of good players from last year, but (returning 22 players) makes it easy to reload,” said coordinator Jeff Brunelle.
The Ducks’ latest win was a 21-4 decision last weekend against Idaho at home.
Oregon scored nine goals in the first quarter and finished the win by adding four goals in each of the final three. Justin Blackmore, who leads all Division A scorers with 20 points overall (14 goals and 6 assists), tallied five goals and two assists to lead the team in points. Fellow attacker Chad Loescher was close behind with two goals and four assists. Eleven Ducks scored on the day.
Earlier, Oregon beat a young Washington State team 30-0.
The team’s next matchup is 6 p.m. on Friday at home against Chico State, a team the Ducks always looks forward to playing.
“It’ll be our first big challenge,” Brunelle said of the non-conference game. “It always seems when we play Chico it always gets heated.”
[email protected]
