After a long winter break, the Oregon Ducks club hockey team is ready to get back on the ice. Sitting at 10-2 overall, the Ducks are in good shape, but there is still work to be done.
“We need to go hard in the first week of practice to get back in shape,” Cehula said.
Oregon left off with a pair of overwhelming wins against Cal by scores of 9-2 and 12-3. The team’s win on Dec. 4 featured two goals each from Jarett Cicirello, Zach Peters, and Tom Stocklin.
The wins leave Oregon comfortably atop the Pac-8 standings, but head coach Scott McCallum recognizes only the work ahead.
“We had a goal of going undefeated in the Pac-8, but even without this goal now we’re focused on what we need to do next,” McCallum said.
The lone loss was at the hands of the Washington Huskies, earning the Ducks a season split with their rivals. In that loss, the Ducks outshot Washington but still dropped a close decision. Oregon’s only other loss was a non-conference tussle with perennial powerhouse Idaho early in the schedule.
“Idaho is a strong program, ranked above us,” McCallum said. “I would have been okay with that game being our only loss of the season, but losing to our rival Huskies hurts.”
At 1-5 in Pac-8 play, the Cardinal appears to be an easy hurdle. Coupled with the advantage of home ice, Oregon appears a strong bet to sweep the Bay Area schools.
“Stanford is the perfect first game back for us,” McCallum said. “Even if guys skated over the break, our chemistry will still be off a bit.”
After play this Saturday, the Ducks face a daunting seven-game road trip. They open play at Arizona State on Jan. 15, which is their first matchup with the Sun Devils. Arizona State sits at 6-2, making them Oregon’s biggest challenge on paper. The Ducks then play Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz. on Jan. 16. The Ice Jacks are ranked No. 13 in Division III’s Pacific League by the American Collegiate Hockey Association.
The Ducks will use their lone conference loss as a motivator for the road stretch ahead. 
“We take every game seriously,” Cehula said. “We’re motivated to come off the break well.”
The lines will also change, as Cam Forni returns to the ice and adds depth to the roster. The lineup will give Oregon a solid shot to put the puck in the net as the inconsistency of playing on the road takes effect.
Nevertheless, the road stretch presents a tall mountain which the Ducks recognize is not an easy climb.
“We want to do as well as we can outside the Pac-8,” McCallum said. “But our road schedule makes this very difficult.”
Both captain and coach view the second half schedule with optimism. Contests late in the schedule include the Huskies and Eastern Washington on the road before the Pac-8 tournament begins in mid-February. Oregon will get its chance to get even with Washington before postseason play.
With just one loss in conference, Oregon appears poised for a third consecutive Pac-8 title. The puck drops at 7 p.m. in Eugene this Saturday in a chemistry-building contest against the Cardinal.
[email protected]