Last Modified: 1998 March 2
Joe Schlobotnik / joe@amurgsval.org
Score By Periods Shots on Goal Pen - Min Power Play
Weber State 7 - 2 - 1 --10 23 - 13 - 11 -- 47 13 - 29 1 - 5
Utah State 0 - 1 - 0 -- 1 10 - 16 - 2 -- 28 11 - 22 0 - 7
This season, the Utah State Aggies and the Wildcats of Weber State University went undefeated against all competition except each other. Weber State took the league series between the two 2-1-1 to finish two points ahead in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Hockey Association standings. However, the Aggies had prevailed in a non-conference contest to tie the overall season series, and had won the last two games between the two teams. This seemed to point to USU as the likely victor when the archrivals met in the winners' bracket final of the RMCHA tournament, although Weber's convincing 19-1 victory over Provo and New Mexico's ability to frustrate the Aggies for two periods before succumbing 7-1 in the other first-round contest belied that assumption. Utah State was also without the services of Ian Tracy, who had a goal and three assists against UNM but is sitting the Friday games to nurse an injury.
The first minute of the game set the tone as Sparky Parks beat USU netminder Quincy Martin along the ice for the 1-0 lead, followed by a big save by Weber State's Samuel Jackson at the other end of the ice. Martin settled down, but Wildcat Levi Clegg, top-scoring defenseman in the RMCHA but starting this game at left wing, skated left to right in front of the Aggie goaltender and got him to do the splits, making room for the second WSU goal to go through his five-hole. When KC Norris made it 3-0 Weber in the ninth minute of the contest, the Utah State portion of the crowd, the first sizeable turnout of the tournament, began to grow quiet. Just shy of the thirteen minute mark, their fears were reinforced when Todd Nate took posession of the puck just inside the Utah State blue line, skated in 1-on-1 and beat Martin for the fourth goal. When Levi Clegg wend top shelf to make it 5-0 less than a minute later, Martin was pulled in favor of Mike Burgraff. Burgraff fared little better, letting in two of the three shots he faced to leave the Aggies down 7-0 at the intermission.
By the second period, tempers between the two sides had begun to flare, and 21 minutes of penalties were handed out. All of the scoring came as the result of two of those penalties. Weber's James Glendinnig reacted to Kelly Froerer's roughing of Jackson by cross-checking Froerer in the head and then pinning him to the ice. Froerer got two minutes for the incident, Glendinning five. Alan Babicky broke Jackson's shutout on the ensuing 4-on-4, but Kikel ran the lead back to seven goals before the announcement of Babicky's goal was complete. Utah State went on the power play once Froerer's penalty expired, but Brant Bond scored shorthanded to put the Wildcats up 9-1.
In the third period Utah State put Eric Atkinson in goal, and took out their frustration by playing the body while generating no offense. Jackson faced one shot in the first eight minutes, and Dan Skidmore made a single save in relief. Atkinson stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced, surrendering the final goal to Nate Mullins early in the period.
The shocking 10-1 victory propels Weber State into the championship game at 7:45 Saturday night Utah State plays an elimination game with New Mexico at 9pm tonight for the right to join them there.