The Oregon club hockey team has solved its second-period woes.
Well, actually, the Ducks just postponed them until the third period.
Oregon (5-14, 4-6 Pacific-8) dropped a pair of games to the Palmer West Pride on Friday and Saturday, both of which were close until the third period. The second period had been the period of death for the Ducks over the past three games.
Second chance opportunities did in the Ducks on Saturday as they fell 8-2. The majority of the Pride’s goals came on putbacks right in front of the net.
Leading 1-0 in the first period, Palmer West, a chiropractic school in San Jose, Calif., extended its lead to 3-0 with second-chance goals from Jason Taylor and Adam Dekeyerel.
Duck assistant captain Cory Howard closed the gap to 3-1 in the eighth minute of the second period, when his putback hit the back of the net about a half second before center Nathan King crashed into and dislodged the goal.
After another Taylor goal put the Pride up 4-1, Duck forward Scott Tedrick’s power play goal during the 17th minute pulled the Ducks back within two. The goal was set up by the best passing sequence the Ducks had all game as assistant captain Michael Tornabene found Tedrick in front of the net.
Despite the strong second-period finish, the Ducks came out flat in the third period. Two Mike Czapla goals within the first three minutes were more than enough to bury the Ducks.
“When we’re getting beat, we don’t give ourselves the credit that we can come back,” Duck goalie Joe Fagliano said.
“We’re moving in a positive direction,” Howard said. “We’re playing 40 (minutes) instead of 20. Now we just need to add the extra 20.”
Despite the loss, Oregon head coach Garreth MacDonald felt the Ducks improved greatly from the previous night when they were smashed 13-1.
“It was a much better game,” MacDonald said. “We were a totally different team.”
Friday’s game was one the Ducks would like to forget. They were outscored 9-0 in the third period and were routinely out-hustled by the Pride, who only had 11 players. Tedrick’s goal in the 11th minute of the first period was the lone bright spot for the Ducks.
“I’ve been playing here three years,” Tornabene said. “That was far and away the worst I’ve ever seen the University of Oregon play.”
Defenseman Whit Ackerman was benched for the third period after collecting eight penalty minutes, six in the second period. He was whistled for 18 the game before.
“It was a coach’s decision,” Ackerman said. “He did what he thought was best for the team.”
Jon Roetman is a freelance writer for the Emerald.