The PAC 8 Ice Hockey Championships are coming to town, and all four contenders — Southern California, UCLA, Washington and Oregon — have ferocious appetites for the conference title.
“Each of the four teams has a realistic chance of winning the tournament,” said Oregon captain Tyler Shaffar.
This weekend, the Lane County Ice Arena hosts the tournament for the second time since it was first organized in 1996. The last time Eugene was home to the PAC 8 Championships was 1998.
Statistically, the undefeated Trojans have the best shot at the title this year. But the outcome in hockey is far from mathematically determined.
Focus, depth, dedication and home ice advantage factor into the equation.
“The guys are excited,” Shaffar said. “USC may have more depth, but we do have the talent to beat any of the teams out there.”
In the last three PAC 8 championships, the Trojans have knocked the Ducks out of contention for the title twice.
The Trojans enter Eugene with three of the nation’s top-25 scorers, including Eric Kahnert, who was last season’s leading scorer and is an All-American.
“But the real strength is the team’s depth, allowing USC to skate four lines versus three, even in tough situations,” Trojans head coach Mark Wilbur said. “These guys have worked so hard to get to where they are today. My concerns right now center around focus; making sure the team is not looking forward toward nationals, but is laser-sharp on the important job at hand — defending the PAC 8 Championship.”
The tournament kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Friday when UCLA takes on Washington.
The Ducks face off against the Trojans at 8 p.m. Friday. Oregon has a less-than-optimal record that reflects a season full of less-than-ideal outcomes, Shaffar said.
However, this season marks the fifth straight championship appearance for the Ducks.
The Huskies, ranked ninth in the ACHA DII West, are in the midst of their best season ever with a 12-3 record, including the inaugural I-5 Cup Athletic Award, which they earned with four straight wins over Oregon. Washington played in Eugene on Feb. 2 and 3.
“It would be great to have a Northwest championship game,” Shaffar said, adding that winning it would take away some of the pain from having lost the I-5 cup to the Dawgs.
The UCLA Bruins head into the tournament, their first-ever PAC 8 appearance, with a recent and upsetting win against USC Saturday. The Bruins hope to play USC in the championship game on Saturday.
“The UCLA squad is coming off of two strong weekends of play and may be climaxing at just the right time of the year,” UCLA head coach Patrick Masson said. “[This] squad has struggled as a young team, with only five players with more than two years’ experience on the team.”
Whatever happens, Oregon has the potential to put on one of the best PAC 8 tournaments, Shaffar said. “We probably have the best fan support in the PAC 8.”
The tournament will feature intermission entertainment between games, as well as concessions and autograph signing.
But the tournament’s biggest and most solemn activity will be the official retiring of Russ Atteridge’s jersey in the presence of his parents.
Atteridge died on Feb. 18, 2000, during a road trip to Los Angeles. In honor of their deceased teammate, the Ducks did not participate in the 2000 PAC 8 championships.
The first PAC 8 championships were held in Redwood City, Calif., in 1996. Since then, the tournament’s home has skipped around. Southern California hosted the 1997 tournament in Anaheim, Calif., and then the event came to Eugene in 1998. California hosted the 1999 games, and last year’s PAC 8’s were in El Segundo, Calif.
The top four teams in the ACHA DII west, Weber State (1), Colorado State (2), University of Utah (3) and USC (4), are invited to the national championships at Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., March 1-4. The Ducks are ranked 11th out of the 12 teams, ahead of UCLA.
Tickets are available at the door and cost $4 for a tournament pass (adults $12). A day pass that provides admittance to two games runs $3 for students (adults $8), and a game pass costs $2 for students (adults $5). Children under 12 are admitted free. For pre-game purchases or group ticket rates, call tournament director Patrick Woods at 683-6656.
More information is also available on the Duck hockey Web site, http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~hockey.