Oregon club hockey (10-8) opened the new year with a home sweep against San Diego State University (2-14). Both teams were swept by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in their last series, with the defending national champions outscoring the Aztecs 20-0 on Dec. 5 and 6, and the Ducks 19-2 on Dec. 13 and 14.

Oregon’s weak remaining schedule will provide a strong opportunity for a late-season run while its nine freshmen establish themselves against low-tier ACHA Division I competition. The Ducks seized the opportunity in the opening series of their home stretch, propelled by six goals from freshmen to support returning leading scorers senior Jackson Henningsgard and sophomore Noah Easterson, who continue to provide an engine for Oregon’s inexperienced forward group.

The mix of upside in the freshman group and proven offensive ability from Henningsgard and Easterson gave the Ducks an early 2-0 lead in game one. Freshman leading scorer Inde Abresch opened the scoring with his eighth goal of the season off a Henningsgard assist from behind the net 6:48 into the period. Runner-up Jackson Ebbott extended the lead at 11:48 with his fifth when he found himself wide open in the right circle courtesy of a passing sequence by Henningsgard and Easterson. 

Freshman Bobby Anselmo cleaned up a rebound in the crease at 15:33 to give the Ducks a 3-0 lead at the first intermission.

“Our freshmen have been great, and they’re playing a lot,” Oregon head coach Jack Hyman said. “Anytime anyone scores it’s a great opportunity to build some confidence and the boys love seeing the younger guys score, so it was great.”

The score held through the second period, but sophomore Alex Ulyanov and Abresch scored in the third period while freshman goalie Thomas Cafarelli withstood long breaks between Aztecs shots to post a 32-save shutout.

Ulyanov and Anselmo both looked like breakout candidates down the lineup before the UNLV series, and they re-gained that momentum with goals in game one.

“Ulyanov’s a sophomore, and probably didn’t get as much playing time in last year as he would’ve liked, but he’s definitely stepped into his own here,” Hyman said. “Bobby — maybe not necessarily a goal scorer, although he’s potted a couple here, but he does every little thing right and works his butt off.”

Hyman rewarded Cafarelli’s shutout by giving him the start in game two, a move that established a starting goalie for the first time this season.

The breakout stories of Ulyanov and Anselmo crossed paths to open the scoring in game two. At 15:46 of the first period, Ulyanov fired a cross-ice pass from the right wing that deflected off Anselmo’s skate and in to give the Ducks an even earlier lead than game one.

Oregon sophomore Dylan Chapman quickly put the Aztecs in a 2-0 hole 6:50 into the period on an awkward deflection along the ice. After a brief discussion about whether the puck bounced out off the left post, the referees confirmed the 2-0 lead.

At risk of extending its losing streak to five games, San Diego State found an opportunity to change its fortunes at 13:19. Oregon defenseman Griffin Browne got tangled up with the Aztecs’ left wing on a defensive-zone faceoff, and placed him in a headlock. In clear view of the referee on the blueline, the unnecessary contact earned Browne a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for head contact.

The Ducks killed off the penalty, but not without several threatening sequences in front of Cafarelli, including an early whistle with the puck still loose that left the Aztecs visibly dejected.

Seconds into a power play with 55 seconds remaining in the first period, Henningsgard sent the water bottle on top of the Aztecs’ net flying through the air, detached from its lid with a wrist shot into the top right corner. San Diego State found itself in the same 3-0 first-intermission deficit as game one.

After a relatively quiet period from the Ducks’ freshman class, Ebbott won a puck battle high in the Aztecs’ zone, streaked down the left wing and scored on a wrap-around to put Oregon ahead 4-0. 

The Aztecs ended Cafarelli’s shutout streak at four periods when defenseman Braden Mayer’s wrist shot from the point sailed through a screen and over the freshman’s glove. Henningsgard responded 90 seconds later, taking his time with possession in the right circle and burying a shot inside the left post to push Oregon’s lead back to four goals.

Henningsgard completed his hat trick on a rebound late in the third period to cap off the 7-1 win and series sweep.

“It doesn’t matter who we play, we try to play the same game every time and we have certain goals that we want to hit and the only way to achieve those is by winning,” Hyman said.

Oregon is back in action with the annual Bend Classic series against the University of Alabama on Jan. 16 and 17.