The Oregon men’s hockey team improved its Pacific-8 Conference record to 9-0 but lost two out of three games on its road trip this past weekend. The Ducks dropped consecutive games against regional powerhouse Eastern Washington on Friday and Saturday, but followed with a victory at Washington State in their only conference matchup of the weekend.
Oregon began Friday’s contest with a strong first period, but was only able to score one goal, via Tyler McCarty, through the end of the second. The third period saw numerous Oregon penalties and defensive breakdowns, which led to a dominant 6-1 victory for Eastern Washington.
Despite the score, senior goalie Wren Arbuthnot played a solid game in the net, including a stop on a penalty shot.
The following night consisted of more of the same for the Ducks, allowing four goals defensively while Tony Haas’s scored Oregon’s only goal of the night.
“We played a much more disciplined game,” said senior team coordinator Jeff Gibb. “But again, penalties plagued the team.”
Eastern Washington, a traditionally strong program, was able to capitalize on the mistakes Oregon made throughout each contest. Both games were played in front of rowdy sold-out crowds of more than 1,000 people.
On Sunday, the Ducks matched up with one of the weaker teams in the Pac-8: Washington State. In last year’s league championship game, Oregon routed the Cougars by putting 16 goals on the scoreboard while holding WSU’s offense to just two goals. The Ducks looked to do more of the same this year and showed no signs of struggle on offense, scoring an easy 9-3 victory.
The win put Oregon at 9-0 and in first place in Pac-8 play this season. USC follows the Ducks in second place at 8-4.
“It was crucial for the team to end the weekend on the upside after the two tough losses to Eastern,” Gibb said.
With the recent departure of assistant captain Colton Clay, the team’s two new additions, senior defenseman Brian Duggan and transfer student Bryan Crawford, got some solid playing time this weekend. Clay has finished his classes and is now concentrating on admission into medical school. He is planning a transition into a coaching role for the team for the remainder of the season, helping out in practice and on the bench during games. In his place, Duggan will return to the team after spending a term in Washington, D.C., as an intern for Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith.
“Colton was very valuable to the team because of his leadership and ability to play any position,” Gibb said.
Duggan, who is known for his consistent play on defense, was able to adjust to the speed of the game after just one week of practice and is expected to see solid minutes throughout the season.
Crawford, who grew up playing hockey with current Oregon defenseman Justin Lacasse, suffered a torn hamstring in Saturday’s contest and will be sidelined for a couple weeks while the muscle heals.
Oregon has several non-conference matchups scheduled for the next couple of weeks and will be looking to earn a spot on the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Top-10 Western Regional Rankings. The Ducks will travel to Utah next weekend to face off against Utah Valley University, Utah State and Weber State.
Non-conference matchups improve regional ranking but do not matter in the Pac-8 standings.
“As we navigate through the season, we treat each Pac-8 game as a must-win,” Gibb concluded. “Winning the Pac-8 is always a team goal.”
Oregon’s next home contests will be on Jan. 23 and 24 at 7 p.m. against the University of Washington.
[email protected]