When asked if he would have done anything to make fatigue less of a factor at the end of the Ducks four-game road trip this weekend, head coach Eddie LeRoy had a simple answer:
“Not play four games in a row.”
The Ducks started off the trip with wins Thursday and Friday nights versus California. Oregon outplayed the Bears and easily swept the series, winning by scores of 11-1 and 13-2.
It was as the Ducks took the ice for the third game of the road trip, however, that fatigue began to set in. Thanks to a shutout performance from goalie Jack Barry — who had Friday night off — Oregon still skated to a 3-0 win in Palo Alto. It was just the second time on the season that the Ducks were held to under five goals, and their lowest offensive output in a winning effort.
The stress of a long road trip finally caught up to the Ducks Sunday afternoon, as Stanford rallied in the third period for a 6-5 win. LeRoy said the stresses of a four-game road trip stretch beyond simply playing four games in as many days.
“There is a lot that contributes to the fatigue factor. You’re not sleeping in your own bed, you’re not getting good sleep — typically four guys to a room to keep cost down,” LeRoy said. “Your food choices are very limited — it’s quite hard to find healthy food away from home on a student’s budget.”
With the marathon stretch behind them, the Ducks now turn their attention to their home opener this Friday at 10 p.m. at the Lane County Ice Center. The Ducks will face the USC Trojans — the same team that knocked Oregon out of the Pac-8 tournament last season, ending the Ducks’ quest for a third-straight title.
It will be USC’s first conference game since Oct. 16, but the Trojans have had a busy non-conference schedule with games against Loyola Marymount, Cal State Fullerton and San Diego State. Overall, the Trojans are on a four-game skid, but their five wins in Pac-8 play are good enough for second place in the conference.
“I expect to see a good team, USC has a good program, and they pretty consistently have good teams,” LeRoy said.
LeRoy said that while the Ducks and USC have a “healthy rivalry,” there is no bad blood between the two teams. The team is excited to finally play on home ice, but LeRoy won’t let that excitement become a distraction as the Ducks face a team that figures to be some of the stiffest competition they’ll see all season.
With revenge on the mind and high expectations for a home opener, there are plenty of potential distractions for the Ducks, but LeRoy feels that the team has enough experience and leadership to stay focused.
The Ducks’ late home opener has its own set of benefits. LeRoy said that if the team had to play at home against USC in their first game of the year, there would be a lot more pressure on the Ducks.
The Ducks first true season test came at the end of October when the team split a weekend series with Washington. Senior Justin LaCasse scored in overtime to give the Ducks a 5-4 win over the Huskies in the first game, but the Ducks scored a season-low two goals in their second game against Washington, losing by a 4-2 margin.
LeRoy said that the Ducks need to work on correcting the mistakes they made in the defeat, but added that the overtime win was a great result for the Ducks.
“We showed a lot of character and a lot of heart digging from behind and then went into overtime,” LeRoy said. “And that’s something that the Ducks’ teams have struggled with in the past.”
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