It once again came down to the final few minutes in the Ducks’ hard-fought 4-3 victory over USC on Saturday night.
The Oregon hockey team’s momentum seemed to have finally started to turn. Hot off of a much-needed win the previous night, the Ducks looked to rob another two points from the University of Southern California. USC, on the other hand, had only lost by one the night before and looked to get the win they had been in reach of.
The game can be summed up in one word: great. In their first game against USC, Oregon broke their no-scoring streak and broke their losing streak all while in front of the largest (and loudest) home crowd they’ve seen all season.
The first period looked hopeful.
Coming off of a rough weekend at the San Jose State showcase where the Ducks left 0-3, Ducks hockey was back on the road for their third game in the University of Utah series. Oregon wasn’t alone with their losses, however. The Utes were coming off of a three-game losing streak from both Utah State and Weber State.
Both teams came out strong, but the Utah offense proved to be a challenge. Only twenty seconds into the first period, Oregon goalie Danny Cockriel had to make the first save of the game. 17 seconds later, he had to make the second. 37 seconds after that came the third save by Cockriel.
When Justin Lacasse graduated in 2011, it seemed improbable that he ‘d ever be on the ice again as a Duck. He had moved to Washington for work and, while playing, never thought coaching was for him.
But things change.
The boys were chippy Saturday night.
Oregon was looking to win the fourth and final game of the Portland State series during their second home game in a row against the Vikings. Win they did. With a 5-1 score at the end, Oregon swept PSU for the second year in a row.
The win didn’t come too easily for the Ducks, however. With tensions still high from the night before and Portland having something to prove, the play was rough and tough.
Even after a week-long break, Oregon club hockey continues to dominate the ice.
Oregon played the Portland State Vikings on Friday night for their third game of a four-game series in which the Ducks took home a 7-1 win.
The first period had an explosive start. Both teams came out strong with fast and physical play. Within the first three minutes, Oregon goalie Danny Cockriel had already drawn a whistle and stopped play by covering the puck with his glove after a shot by PSU.
Just before Oregon played the Washington State Cougars in football, they faced off on the ice for Washington State’s second and last game in Eugene.
Oregon, who split their opening weekend at home 2-2, once again defeated the Cougars, but this time it was with a 16-2 score.
When the 2012-2013 club hockey season ended for the Ducks, they faced a new opponent: debt. Oregon hockey had accumulated around $17,000 worth of cost during their season which needed to be paid — and soon.
The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) did what hockey fans thought they wouldn’t be able to do—come to an agreement. After 510 regular-season games, including the Winter Classic and the NHL All-Star game, were cancelled due to labor disagreements, hope looked lost for the season. So, when hockey officially kicked off this Saturday with 15 games, fans rejoiced… for the most part.
For some people though, the lockout left a bitter taste in their mouth. They see the lockout as a battle between the rich and the richer, brought about solely by greed. They see the abbreviated season, 48 regular-season games per team, as an insult to fans and season ticket holders. They see this whole thing as something that had hurt and will continue hurt teams with smaller fan-bases as well as the sport of hockey in general.
All lockout-drama aside, Dan Effinger, defenseman for the Oregon Ducks hockey team, is excited to finally have the season back.
This past weekend, Ducks hockey took the University of Washington in Eugene for games three and four of the I-5 Cup.
The I-5 Cup is held annually between the two rival teams, with two games being played in Washington and two games being held at home. The winner took home both bragging rights and a trophy to call their own until the next year.
The series started in Washington, where both the Huskies and the Ducks came away with a win a piece.