The Oregon club hockey team (5-1 overall) blanked Idaho 7-0 last Friday and staved off a late Vandals drive Saturday to secure a 4-3 victory and hand Idaho its first two losses of the season.
Four swift goals from Oregon late in the first period Friday all but froze the Vandals’ pursuit of perfection. Freshman goaltender Elliot Harvey was a wall, stopping 33 shots, and junior Eric Steinmann had a game-high two goals, and contributed two assists. Junior Brian Carr finished the contest with three assists.
“We knew these were important games and they could make a big difference for our regional standings at the end of the season,” sophomore captain and coordinator Jeff Gibb said.
Idaho scored first in the second period on Saturday, but Billy Forrest responded by ripping home a slapshot on a break-away goal. Tied 2-2 at the end of the second period, the Ducks scored consecutive goals to take a 4-2 lead before the Vandals managed a late score. Wren Arbuthnot’s 32 saves helped Oregon secure the 4-3 victory. Gibb added two assists and senior Mike Hideghety notched one goal and one assist.
Carr and junior Cam Forni also scored in Saturday’s win.
“I think every (losing) team plays better the second night,” Steinmann said. “They seemed ready to play.”
Oregon has now swept two opponents this season. The Ducks previously swept Washington State.
Steinmann leads the Ducks with a 13 goals including two four-goal performances this season. He said he tries to be the team’s consistent scorer, considering Oregon is split between 14 freshmen or sophomores and just nine juniors and seniors.
He’ll lead the Ducks this weekend against USC as Oregon tries to avenge its 2006 Pac-8 Championship loss against the Trojans. The teams meet Friday and Saturday at the Lane County Ice Arena at 7 p.m. each night.
“(It’s) such a huge weekend,” Steinmann said. “Pretty much it decides whether we go to regionals. We need to win this weekend to have any chance.”
USC is led by forward Michael Mariani. The Trojans enter the weekend following a 3-2 loss to UCLA last Saturday.