On Sept. 13 the Weber State University Hockey team fell to in-state rival Utah State University 4–1 in their first game of the season.
The Weber County Ice Sheet was filled to the brim with hockey fans, buzzing to see a great game out on the ice. Last season, the Wildcats had 4 wins and 1 loss against the Aggies in their journey to the national championships. The Aggies were out to get revenge, as they missed out on a trip to St. Louis last season.
The Aggies struck first in the game, with USU defenseman Owen Ramsay just getting the puck past Weber State goalie Owen Yancey. Later in the first period, the Wildcats tied it up with a goal from freshman defenseman Aiden Thede, in his first collegiate hockey game.
“It was amazing” Thede said after the game, “I was hungry for the puck, I went for it and I buried it. It was a great adrenaline rush.”
In the second period, the Aggies took back the lead with a goal from forward Sean Johnston. Both teams struggled to make any offense for the rest of the period, which included some great saves from both Yancey and Utah State goalie Titan Anderson.
The third period was paused as soon as it began as three frozen fish were thrown onto the ice. The tradition of throwing fish out started with the Detroit Red Wings when someone threw an octopus out onto the ice. Many other professional and collegiate teams have followed suit in this tradition including fellow NHL team the Nashville Predators, who throw a catfish, and the University of New Hampshire Wildcats who throw out a large fish.
After the fish were cleaned up from the ice, the third period was able to begin, but things got much worse for the Wildcats. The Aggies scored two goals in less than a minute, with the first coming from forward Griffin Perreault and the second coming from defenseman Nolan Mulneaux. The Wildcats could not get anything else going for the rest of the game and the horn sounded with the Aggies coming out on top 4–1.
“The guys had a lot of good effort tonight, but there was a lot of energy that was expended,” Yosh Ryujin, Weber State head coach, said. “Especially in the first two periods on just the dumb stuff, all the physical play after the whistles. That stuff takes its toll.”
One positive that Ryujin took from the game was the showing out from the fans.
“Having the fan support is such a huge part of this experience. For us to have all the people show up that did tonight, I wish we would have given them a little bit better of a show. But at the end of the day, we appreciate that beyond measure.”
The Wildcats look to bounce back next week as they travel down to Salt Lake City to face the University of Utah Utes on Sept. 20. The Wildcats will be back at the Ice Sheet on Sept. 27 to face the Utes once more.
