As if it could have ended any other way.
For the third straight season, Oregon and USC met in the final of the Pac-8 Conference tournament. The Trojans not only beat the Ducks in each of the previous two title game tilts, they won in overtime shootouts.
This time, though, Oregon made sure there were no dramatics. Led by six all-Pac-8 players, the Ducks won their second Pac-8 title in four years by winning 5-1. The tournament championship, held in Kent, Wash., was the bookend the team was looking for after winning this season’s Pac-8 regular season title earlier this month.
“I think we played our best game of the year,” said coordinator Jeff Gibb.
All-conference goalie Wren Arbuthnot agreed.
“We came out flying right from the drop of the puck,” said Arbuthnot. “As a team, it was our best play since the Christmas break.”
Like so many of their games this season, the Ducks took to the offensive and scored first. After a USC goal tied the game at 1-1 in the first period, Oregon put the game away, scoring four unanswered goals during the next two and a half periods.
Arbuthnot, who took the win, caught the celebration from the bottom of the celebratory pile.
“It was really unbelievable to watch that clock run out and see everyone piling over the boards,” said Arbuthnot, a junior. “For a bunch of guys it’s our first one, we’ve been waiting three years for this.”
The Ducks beat Southern California one day after routing host Washington State 16-2 in the first round, behind scoring from nine Duck players. Oregon scored six goals in the first period en route to the blowout win. Cam Forni led all Oregon players with three goals and four assists, with Sam Cehula, Colton Clay, Cale Meyer and Zack Hicks adding two goals apiece.
During other first round action, USC skated past Arizona State 9-2 to reach the finals. The Sun Devils had a 2-1 record over Oregon on the season, and finished second in the regular season standings.
After being the conference frontrunner most of the season, players were relieved to make good on their season goal – and beating rival USC didn’t hurt, either.
We hadn’t been playing well coming into the weekend and to come in and play two great games, everyone was relieved I think,” said tournament most valuable player Sam Cehula. “(Beating USC) made it all the better, especially beating them 5-1.”
The Ducks will have little time to celebrate. Oregon advances to the four-team Western Regional tournament in Oakland, Calif., this Friday and Saturday, opening against No. 3 Colorado State, which beat Oregon 5-2 in early January. Oregon is the only Pac-8 team at the West Regional tournament. Two national tournament berths are at stake at the double elimination tournament.
“When we came out of Colorado (in January), we got beat three times but we found out that those teams are beatable. I felt like (Colorado State) was the weakest team we saw in Colorado,” said Gibb.
Six Ducks were named to the all-Pac-8 Conference team on Friday. Cehula, who recorded three goals and assists during the tournament, was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Scott McCallum was honored as the coach of the year for the second time in his career.
Defenseman Gibb, goalie Wren Arbuthnot and forward Cam Forni were selected to the first team at their respective positions, while defenseman Zach Gaynor and forward Colton Clay were second and honorable mention selections, respectively.
[email protected]