The Weber State hockey team went 3-0 over the weekend, with wins over Utah Valley, the University of Colorado and the number six team in the west, Metro State University-Denver.
“We are super ecstatic,” head coach Alan Kapinos said after the UVU game. “We played in all three games well enough to win. To come out with three wins is exactly what we needed.”
The wins started out on Thursday as the ‘Cats took on the University of Colorado. The match got out to a hot start as both teams scored in the first 10 minutes. After falling down 3–1, Weber State scored four straight goals to win the game.
Three of the five goals came unassisted on breakaway scores from Jon Cosman, Joel Johnson and Zakary Tollett. All five goals on the night were scored by different players.
“I tried to keep the boys heads up,” goaltender Ryan Scheide said. “They pulled around and found a way to pull out a W, and it was a big one for us. One that we needed.”
Following the win versus Colorado, the team took the ice Friday night against the number six team in the west, Metro State University-Denver, (MSU-Denver). Cosman came up big with two goals and one assist.
“It was incredible, number six seed Metro. It was a massive win for us,” Cosman said. “We have been beating all the teams around us, but we really needed to beat teams that were far ahead of us and not be scared of those teams.”
In the win over MSU-Denver, WSU got their first win this season over a higher ranked opponent.
Weber showed no fear as they scored four goals in the second period to take the lead 4–3 into the final frame. The ‘Cats got another goal in the third and held Metro to one goal, and pulled out a close win 5–4.
The team closed the weekend with an in-state game verse Utah Valley University. This was the third match-up between the two teams this year. Weber has now beaten the Wolverines in all three games with a combined score of, 30–7.
“We are used to playing the in-state teams three to four times a season,” assistant coach Yosh Ryujin said. “We have a goal to have a winning record against every one of those teams, so every time we get a chance to play them, we look at it as moving towards that goal.”
The Wildcats will now prepare for the Wasatch Cup, which will be played here at the ice sheet Feb. 1-2. The cup is a battle between the four in-state hockey teams: WSU, UVU, BYU and Utah State.
“When we are playing the Wasatch Cup, it is bragging rights for the best team in the state and we are playing for something,” Ryujin said. “If we continue to play the way we have been playing the last two weekends, I like [our] chances.”
WSU will begin their Wasatch Cup run on Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. with the team to be determined.
