USC Ice Hockey Blog

GAME ON! Saturday's game vs. ucla reinstated; Senior Night moved

2012-02-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

The suspension of the ucla hockey team has been lifted, ahead of their scheduled meeting with their club sports council at 5:30pm. As a result, Game 5 of the Crosstown Cup has been reinstated.

The game is still scheduled for Saturday, February 4 at 7:30pm at The Rinks - Anaheim ICE.

USC's Senior Night will likewise be moved back to Saturday's game.

Also note that the Victory Bell will be in attendance, and Kazan Taiko of USC will be drumming the Trojans into battle.

We thank all of our fans for their support and emails in support of ucla's appeal... we know it was awkward, but it was in the Spirit of the Rivalry.

And we'd like to take the ucla hockey team for their efforts in working towards resolving this situation.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. FIGHT ON!

Help USC reinstate Game 5 of the Crosstown Cup series; email in support of UCLA's appeal of their suspension

2012-02-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

UPDATE 4:36pm:

Game 5 has been reinstated... we WILL be playing ucla on Saturday at 7:30pm at Anaheim ICE, and Senior Night will be on Saturday as well. More details to come.

Click here for more details.

UPDATE:

UCLA's appeals hearing on their suspension is TODAY (Feb. 2) at 5:30pm. As you may have heard, our Feb. 4 game vs. UCLA was to be Game 5 of the Crosstown Cup series, currently tied at 2-2. It was also to be our Senior Night as the last home game of this season, before we head to playoffs in Seattle next week.

We're asking all USC fans to send an email in support of UCLA's appeal, so that we can decide this year's winner of the Crosstown Cup on the ice, and so that our graduating seniors get the proper sendoff.

Read about the situation from BruinsNation.com:

http://www.bruinsnation.com/2012/2/1/2765606/ucla-hockey-team-suspended-before-final-crosstown-cup-game-vs-usc

Email Contacts:

Club Sports Program Director Jason Zeck (the person who suspended them) - jzeck@recreation.ucla.edu
Club Sports Executive Council (who will conduct the appeals hearing) - csecouncil@gmail.com
Copy/Paste for your convenience: jzeck@recreation.ucla.edu, csecouncil@gmail.com

Here's a sample letter:

"I am writing in support of the UCLA men's ice hockey club's appeal of their suspension effective February 1-7, 2012. As a result of the suspension, Game 5 between USC & UCLA on February 4 to determine the winner of this year's Crosstown Cup has been canceled. Not only should the winner of the Crosstown Cup be decided in competition, the cancellation of this game will have consequences for UCLA's team as well as far-reaching and detrimental repercussions for USC's program.

This game has been anticipated all year, with family and friends coming in from out of town to send off our graduating seniors in the proper manner and play out the rivalry as it was meant to be. Because of UCLA's suspension, the USC hockey team will lose significant revenue from our biggest game of the year -- revenue that would have helped them cover their costs of traveling to the PAC 8 playoffs in Seattle next week. Instead, they are stuck with a large nonrefundable bill for ice time and referees, and will also lose a game that counts towards their rankings -- not to mention the blemish this cancellation would have on the rivalry itself.

In the spirit of our rivalry, I respectfully ask you to overturn UCLA's suspension.

Thank you for your consideration."

==================================================

PAC 8 playoff schedule announced

2012-01-31T17:45:00.000-08:00

The PAC 8 Hockey Conference has released the game and event schedule for the 2012 Championship Tournament in Seattle, WA on February 10-11.

The tournament is being hosted by the University of Washington at Olympicview Ice Arena, located at 22202 70th Avenue West in Mountlake Terrace, WA.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10

4:00pm: #2 Utah vs. #3 USC
7:15pm: #1 Washington vs. #4 ucla

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11

2:00pm: 3rd Place Consolation Game
5:15pm: Championship Game

Immediately after Championship, the PAC 8 Awards Banquet will be held at the Columbia Tower Club in Downtown Seattle.

To purchase tickets to the games and/or banquet online, visit:

http://pac8tournament.eventbrite.com/

Statement: Saturday's game vs. UCLA canceled

2012-01-31T16:26:00.000-08:00

To our fans, and all hockey fans,

It is with regret that we must announce the cancellation of our game on Saturday, February 4 against UCLA.

The cancellation is due to the fact that the UCLA hockey team has been placed on an administrative suspension by their university, and is effective from February 1 to February 7. During this team, their team is not allowed to practice or play; however, this includes an exception to allow UCLA to play LMU on Friday, February 3.

The UCLA team has decided to file an appeal, and we are assisting them as much as we can, however the likelihood of a successful result is slim.

We thought it was prudent to inform our fans and family immediately of the change in schedule.

We share in your severe disappointment in this outcome, as Saturday's game was not only to determine the winner of the Crosstown Cup, but was also going to be our send off for our graduating seniors. As well, the last USC/UCLA matchup is always one of our most popular games of the season, and UCLA's suspension will severely affect USC Hockey both tangibly and intangibly.

Senior Night will now be rescheduled for our Friday, February 3 game against Cal State Fullerton (Facebook event page).

USC will also win this season's Crosstown Cup by forfeit. As a competitive team, we obviously would much prefer to win the Cup on the ice.

We will make announcements if and when further details are available.

We thank you for your continued support as we look towards our game on Friday against CSUF and to PAC 8s next weekend.

Fight On!

Johnny Nguyen

General Manager of Hockey Operations

USC Ice Hockey

USC Hockey's CHOC Night & Teddy Bear Toss a Success

2012-01-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

Loss to Oregon doesn't dampen spirits

ANAHEIM, CA - On Saturday, January 28, the USC men's ice hockey team hosted its 2nd Annual CHOC Night, a charity hockey game that benefited the Children's Hospital of Orange County.

This was also the first year of the Teddy Bear Toss for the Trojans, and it was easily the highlight of the evening.

Fans were encouraged to bring new, unwrapped teddy bears or other stuffed animals, which were to be thrown onto the ice on the Trojans' first goal.

While a charity game, this was still a regular season matchup between USC and the visiting Oregon Ducks, and the Ducks showed no charity towards the Trojans, scoring the first two goals of the game including their first just 25 seconds into the 1st period.

However, this did not stop the roar of the crowd when USC scored their first goal at the 12:21 mark of the 1st period. Almost instantly, stuffed animals of all kinds, shapes and sizes came raining down from the stands (video).

The honor of scoring the "Teddy Bear Goal" went to Trojan forward Ryan Kucinski, his 9th goal of the season.

"It doesn't matter how long you have played," Kucinski said, "every time you score a goal, it's a thrill.

"The best part about the teddy bear goal was seeing so many teddy bears being tossed onto the ice, and knowing we have so many great fans who support us and support CHOC."

Teammate Adam Zacuto agreed, "It was an awesome sight to see those teddy bears raining down on the ice after our first goal. We are all glad to be all able to give back to a good cause."

Even the Oregon team was touched by the scene.

"It was a bummer given it meant that we'd been scored on," stated Ducks forward Matt Hanlon, "but it was impressive to see such support from the community for a such good cause. And who doesn't love watching teddy bears being thrown around?"

As the toss was happening, the USC Ice Girls were tasked with collecting the bears.

"It looked like a tidal wave of teddy bears falling onto the ice!" exclaimed Ice Girls co-captain Alexandria after the bears were gathered up.

"It was like every kid's dream," said Rachel, another member of the squad. "It was literally raining toys. I was so excited I got to be a part of an event that will make so many children happy."

Co-captain Daniele added to the sentiments.

"We were stunned to see so many bears land on the ice. When we went out to collect them we were overcome with joy, as all the teddies were going to children who really need them. Being a part of this event made me realize that we can’t forget about those who are struggling and all it takes is something small like a teddy bear to make a difference."

All told, the Trojans collected almost 200 stuffed animals on behalf of CHOC.

Along with the teddy bear toss, the night also included a silent auction, raffle, and hardest shot contest. The NHL's Anaheim Ducks contributed many of the items for auction, and The Rinks - Anaheim ICE provided the ice time at cost for the event.

As well, the police and fire departments from the City of Anaheim were on hand before the game to create a family-oriented, fun atmosphere.

Many other local businesses contributed to the event with raffle prizes and discount offerings.

While the Trojans ultimately fell to the visiting team 6-4, the night's event will surely remain a fond memory for all who were there.

Special thanks to all who contributed to a fantastic night!

And to all of the fans and supporters of CHOC and USC Ice Hockey!

It's official: USC is going to PAC 8s

2012-01-26T17:25:00.000-08:00

"We got in?"

That was the mantra among players, coaches, and fans alike when official word came from the PAC 8 Conference that USC did indeed qualify for the PAC 8 Tournament after their 2 wins last weekend against archrival UCLA. The players found out at practice the following Monday.

The PAC 8 Tournament is hosted again this year by Washington; the Huskies also hosted last season.

The typical excitement surrounding playoffs was replaced with some confusion because of the complicated ranking system the PAC 8 uses to determine conference standings, which includes a weighted point system which values victories over teams with higher winning percentages higher than wins against underperforming teams.

In fact, before playing the Bruins, on behalf of USC, I asked for clarification from PAC 8 Commissioner Roger Kulpa, who is an accountant by day, on how different results would have affected the final standings.

"I was wondering about that myself," quipped USC head coach Jeff Langille.

Based on the information provided by the league, most scenarios required USC to win at least one game against Oregon the following week to secure a spot in the playoffs. The information also seemed to indicate that UCLA was a lock for going to Seattle.

"Are you sure?" UCLA head coach Mark Francis asked me before Friday's game in Anaheim. It seems confusion is just a part of being a member of the PAC 8.

It was clear that Washington (being the host and receiving an automatic bid) and Utah (2nd place and well ahead of 3rd place UCLA) would be at the tourney. What was unclear was the effect that #5 Oregon would have should they win against their remaining opponents, 1st-place UW (which would given UO bonus points under the PAC 8 system) and 4th-place USC, who was trying to hold off UO in the standings, especially with the head-to-head match up.

USC decided to bring in some Zen and simplify things: win the last remaining games and there's no question about who's going and who's not.

So when the buzzer sounded last Saturday after the 2nd win against UCLA, half of the mission was complete, and the Trojans were celebrating because of the crosstown victory, with no thought given to PAC 8s at that point.

USC also got some help from Washington, who defeated Oregon twice on the weekend.

When the new standings came out, we thought it was a typo: the Trojans had skipped over the Bruins into the 3rd spot, pushing UCLA into 4th.

Queue the phone calls, emails, and texts being exchanged between all parties, along with the mad calculations and recalculations. After 2 days, the official confirmation came through.

There was indeed a mistake, and not only was the field of 4 teams finalized, we even know the matchups... (1) Washington vs. (4) UCLA, and (2) Utah vs. (3) USC. There was no possibility for Oregon to gain enough points to secure their berth, even with help from other teams.

And there you have it... the wild and wacky world of PAC 8 hockey.

- Johnny

Notes:

- While this week's game vs. Oregon will have no effect on PAC 8 standings, they still count for ACHA consideration.

- Game 5 of the Crosstown Cup series vs. UCLA does not count for PAC 8 standings; a league rule counts only a maximum of 4 games per opponent.

Press Release: USC Ice Hockey Hosts 2nd Annual Charity Game for CHOC Children's Hospital

2012-01-26T05:08:00.000-08:00

CHOC Night to include family-oriented activities & demonstrations before the game.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(click here for a .pdf version)

ANAHEIM, Calif., January 26, 2012 – The University of Southern California men’s ice hockey team, in partnership with the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League and The Rinks – Anaheim ICE, hosts their 2^nd Annual “CHOC Night & Teddy Bear Toss” on Saturday, January 28, to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

Full details can be found on the event webpage, USCIceHockey.com/CHOC.

The game itself will feature a regular-season matchup between the USC Trojans and the visiting University of Oregon Ducks. Warmups will begin at 7:15pm, with the game to start at approximately 7:30pm.

This year’s game will include a “Teddy Bear Toss,” where spectators can bring a new, unwrapped teddy bear or stuffed animal to throw onto the ice after USC’s first goal. All the bears collected, as well as proceeds from the night, will be donated to CHOC; plastic bags will be provided to keep them dry and clean.

Those bringing stuffed animals will receive $5 off their admission to the game (usually $10), as well as a special flyer of deals from various local businesses. Those with military, fire, or police ID or USC student IDs will receive a further $5 discount.

There will also be a silent auction during the game of autographed Ducks memorabilia and other items.

Starting at 6:00pm, there will be family-friendly pre-game festivities in front of Anaheim ICE. Scheduled to participate are SWAT and K-9 units from the Anaheim Police Department; fire trucks from Anaheim Fire & Rescue; and the Anaheim Ducks Street Team with a street hockey rink. Food and refreshments will be available from the Refresh Truck.

The pre-game portion of CHOC Night is free and open to the public.

The USC Ice Girls, collegiate hockey’s only ice crew, will also be on hand to meet and greet fans during the festivities and game.

CHOC Night is one of the highlights of the formal partnership announced last season between USC Ice Hockey and the Anaheim Ducks, the first and only one of its kind between a Southern California college hockey team and an NHL club. (more on next page)

# # #

Johnny Nguyen
Assistant General Manager/Executive Director of Operations | USC Ice Hockey
Email - jnguyen@uscicehockey.com | Phone - (213) 290-6080
Lyon University Center | 1026 West 34^th Street | Los Angeles, CA 90089-2500

USCIceHockey.com | facebook.com/USCIceHockey | twitter.com/USCHockey, @USCHockey
USCIceGirls.com | facebook.com/USCIceGirls | twitter.com/USCIceGirls, @USCIceGirls

About USC Ice Hockey

Established in 1925, USC Ice Hockey is a student-run, student-funded organization at the University of Southern California. The Trojans are members of the PAC 8 Conference, and are the reigning 2010 champions. The team is a sanctioned member of USA Hockey and the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), the national governing body of non-varsity intercollegiate college hockey. USC Ice Hockey plays approximately 25 games a season, playing teams locally, nationally, and even internationally. In 2002, USC became the first American collegiate hockey team to visit China, and also the first to play against their national team. Other past trips include to Iceland, Italy, and Japan.

The USC Ice Girls were formed in 2010 and is the only NHL-style ice crew for any college hockey team at any level in the United States.

In October of 2010, USC Ice Hockey and the Anaheim Ducks signed a formal partnership and marketing agreement to support and promote both teams, as well as help develop the sport of hockey in the Southern California region. The Rinks – Anaheim ICE is the official practice and training facility for the Ducks, and has served as the Trojans’ home rink for the past fifteen seasons.

END

Player Profile: Thomas Waschenfelder

2012-01-25T10:41:00.000-08:00

Thomas Waschenfelder, this week’s featured player profile, is a 22-year-old sophomore at the University of Southern California majoring in Cinematic Arts and Critical Studies.

Born in Camrose, Alberta, it should come as no surprise that this native Canadian began playing hockey at the age of three with the help of his father. “My dad taught me all he knew.”

Hockey was not the only sport that Thomas excelled at in his youth. In addition to playing his country’s most beloved sport, the future Trojan also played soccer. “I was much better at soccer than I ever was at hockey,” says Thomas, “Oh the pain and suffering of regret.”

The gut wrenching pain of regret aside, Thomas has not had any difficulty continuing to love hockey. “I have lived and breathed it for as long as I can remember, and there are few things I love more. It’s the easiest thing in the world to stay in love with.”

For Thomas, inspiration can be drawn from various parts of his life. However, he cites his parents, Jerry Seinfeld, and Larry David as his main idols of encouragement.

Many would say that his choice to wear the number 13 on his jersey is an unwise decision that could potentially bring bad luck and mishap, but Thomas thinks differently. One to not simply go with the flow, he decided that 13 was the jersey number for him when he was just seven-years-old. “I just liked going against the grain, and thought it was lucky.”

His number clearly has brought him numerous successes throughout his life, but Thomas is most proud of when he was called up for the Midget AAA team in Camrose. He scored on a breakaway with just a minute left to put his team up by one goal. His only regret of the moment is that his dad was not able to be in attendance. Although he did not have the chance to immediately celebrate with the one man who began his hockey career, he did get to keep the puck to forever remind him of his amazing play.

Thomas ended up playing with the team for two seasons after his successful appearance in the game. His biggest accomplishment actually came just the following season when he and his team won the championship.

Prior to playing for ‘SC, Thomas was a right winger. However, upon his arrival to California, he decided to change his game up just a bit. “I always said that I could win more faceoffs than my team’s own centerman, so when I came to ‘SC I said I played center. Devious, I know.”

So far this season, Thomas has proven that his devilish plan of being a self-professed centerman was the right decision, as he has contributed 11 goals and five assists to the team’s success.

A passionate player on the ice, off the ice Thomas tends to show his goofier side. His love of performing has led him to creating his own YouTube channel where he creates his own comedy videos as his creative outlet where he provides plenty of laughs and entertainment for his viewers. (Warning: not suitable for young children)

Get to know Thomas:

1. What would I find in your refrigerator right now? – Chicken. Always chicken. 15 bottles of empty spaghetti sauce and lime juice. Mayo, mustard, ketchup and ranch. I’m a big condiment guy.

2. If you could trade places with any NHL player, living or dead, who would it be and why? – Probably Nugent-Hopkins. He’s a baby and a better hockey player on two legs than I could be on six. He’s a G. And he’s loaded. Well, they’re all loaded so it’s not so bad.

3. What would the title of your movie be? – My Fear of Women: One Man’s Story of his Fear of Women

4. If you could time travel to any time before our own, which would it be and why? – I’ll just rip off Midnight in Paris and say Paris in the 1920’s. It would be pretty cool to be there in 1896 for the invention of cinema too.

5. Cats or Dogs - CATS

6. Chocolate or Vanilla - Vinilla

7. Favorite pasta shape? – I liked the Flintstones macaroni and cheese.

8. What is your favorite language other than your native language? – I’ll say French, because I’m learning now when I should have learned it in Canada.

9. Your favorite color M&M? – Green

10. The Zombie Apocalypse is here! Who on your team survives, is the first killed, the one who has a plan to survive such an event, and the one who has secretly been a zombie all along. – Elliot and Bieber survive, they’re the unsung heroes of the team. Noah’s the first killed defending the team. I’ll bet DP has a plan. No question Hank is a zombie. No human can live the life he leads.

11. Favorite holiday. Why? – Halloween I think. My birthday is the day before so that’s always fun.

12. If you owned your own hockey team, what would you name it? – The Edmonton Atheists

13. Coke or Pepsi? - Coke

14. Do you prefer hot or cold weather? – HOT, I’ve had enough cold weather for a lifetime thank you very much.

15. Do you have a nickname? Wasch.

16. Last song you heard? – I want to say Yellow by Coldplay. Don’t judge me, you love it too.

17. What is your signature dish? – Chicken and salad. Everytime, 90% of the time.

18. Most recorded show on your DVR? – I don’t DVR but I can promise you that Seinfeld is playing at my house right now… even if I’m not home… and the power’s out…and there’s a zombie apocalypse.

19. If you were an animal which would you be? – A cat. But a real lovable one.

20. What is the last book you read? – The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest = glorious.

21. What super power would you have? – Invisibility would be awesome.

22. Favorite pick up line? – My name is George. I’m unemployed and I live with my parents.

23. Your favorite meal? Lobster, shrimp and crab. No freaking question.

24. Siblings? - One older sister

25. Favorite NHL team? – Edmonton Oilers

26. Motto or saying you model your life after? – With hard work you can do anything. 27. Favorite pre-game meal? – Spaghetti and green salad.

28. What do you do to pass the time on the plane when you fly to away games? – Homework, unless it’s a real early one. Then I sleep away the day.

29. What do you do to pass the time between games when you are on the road? – Homework (sometimes I do regret it though…). Hanging out with the guys is nice too.

30. Favorite away game location? – Probably Washington. I’ve been there twice now and it’s always a blast.

31. Before each game, I must... Tape and wax my stick.

32. After graduation, I am going to... rap my way to the top. I’d love to go to USC for a Master’s in acting, or just enter the industry.

33. Anything else we should know or you feel you want to share? I love lamp.

Game Recap: Trojans take two vs. UCLA, tie series 2-2, clinch PAC 8 berth.

2012-01-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

The USC ice hockey team entered last weekend's 2-game contest against UCLA needing to win both games to keep the Crosstown Cup as well as remain in playoff contention.

UCLA won the previous two regular season meetings by close margins: a 4-3 shootout victory on October 15, and a 5-4 win on November 8, where game-winning goal was scored with 12.6 seconds left on the clock. The Bruins also won a pre-season contest on September 21, 5-4.

However, this was the Trojans' weekend, as they outscored the Bruins 10-3 to take both games, which not only tied the Crosstown Cup series up 2-2, but also guaranteed the Trojans a trip to Seattle for the PAC 8 playoffs, to be hosted by Washington on February 10-11.

UCLA had previously clinched their spot in the PAC 8s.

Friday, January 20 - USC 3, UCLA 1

In Friday's match at The Rinks - Anaheim ICE, the teams were evenly matched for most of the game. Five minutes into the 1st period, USC's Mike Mowrey (assists from Ryan Manning, Luke Walker) struck first to give the Trojans the early lead, 1-0.

However, the Bruins answered less than 3 minutes later with a power play goal from Zack Tenney (John Lee) to tie it up at one a piece.

In the last minute of the 1st, Trojan Adam Zacuto (unassisted) nets a the go-ahead goal to lead USC into the 1st intermission leading 2-1.

The 2nd period was a scoreless defensive struggle for both teams, but remained relatively quiet with only 3 penalties called, two of which were on USC defenseman Tom Duffy.

The defensive game continued until late in the 3rd period, when Bruin captain Jon Lee was called for tripping. The Trojans capitalized on the power play, when David Knight (Duffy, James Huebner) scored just 15 seconds into the man-advantage and extended the USC lead to the final score of 3-1.

The Trojans avoided handing over the Cup over to the hopeful Bruins at least for one more night, with UCLA still holding the series lead 2-1.

Saturday, January 21 - USC 7, UCLA 3

The series shifted Saturday night to UCLA's home rink, Valley Ice Center, with both teams carrying momentum from the previous night's tilt into a more aggressive game.

It was a quiet first half of the 1st period, until USC defenseman Ryan Manning (Eliot Dawson) broke the stalemate and picked up his first goal of the season on a rocket from the blue line.

UCLA answered back late in the 1st, with Tenney (Lee) notching one with 27 seconds before intermission and tying it up 1-1.

The last two periods were marked by skirmishes between the players, starting with USC netminder Eric Chiccone (42 saves) picking up a roughing penalty early in the 2nd.

Four minutes into the frame, Zacuto scored his first of 2 goals on the night, off a feed from Huebner.

The Bruins answered minutes later, as Yost (Michael Carder, Doo Soo Kim) tied up the score 2-2.

The Trojans grabbed the lead again, 3-2, when Knight (unassisted) followed through on his own shot and slipped one past UCLA goalie Al Ricchiardelli (20 saves) for the first of his 2 goals on the night.

UCLA would not be held down however, as Tenney (unassisted) scored his 2nd goal of the night, leading the Bruins into the break with another tie game, this time 3-3.

The 3rd period was a different story, as USC dominated the offensive end and scored 4 unanswered goals.

With the Trojans starting the 3rd on the penalty kill, Huebner (unassisted) lead the onslaught when he picked up the loose puck and buried one past Ricciardelli for the game-winning, short-handed goal just 45 seconds into the period.

Just a few minutes later, USC forward Ryan Kucinski put the puck past Ricciardelli, but it was ruled "no goal" by the referee for a dislodged net.

Halfway through the 3rd, Zacuto (Newman, Huebner) picked up his 2nd score of the night on a 3-on-1 breakaway and a shot through the 5-hole, giving the Trojans a 5-3 lead.

Frustration from both teams became evident as the period wore on. USC's Manning picked up a minor penalty for holding plus a 10-minute misconduct with 9 minutes on the clock, resulting in the defenseman sitting in the box for the remainder of the game.

USC extended the lead to 6-3 in the 13th minute as Kucinski (unassisted) scored his first official goal on a breakaway.

Two minutes later, Knight (Kucinski) tacked on one more to put the game out of reach 7-3 with 4 minutes remaining.

Emotions boiled over at the end of the game, sending players to the locker room early. In the final 3 minutes of play, combined 20 penalty minutes and an ejection were handed out to both teams.

UCLA's Mark Yost started the extracurriculars with a roughing penalty in the 17th minute, with Frank Witt joining him in the box a minute and a half later.

With 6 seconds left on the clock, USC's Kucinski got dinged for a slash; UCLA's Carder took exception and the 6'4" Bruin captain took a swing at 5'7" Zacuto, which earned him a roughing call.

The final penalties were assessed after the game ended, when Bruin assistant captain Nick Panzica threw a high hit on USC captain Noah Comisar, who was skating down along the USC bench after the horn sounded. Players from both teams joined in the scrum, which lead to the officials calling off the traditional post-game handshake between the teams.

Panzica was assessed a minor penalty for roughing, a misconduct penalty, and a game misconduct which resulted in a technical ejection from the game.

No USC player was given any penalties in the final series; as well, no disqualifications were handed out, meaning no players were given suspensions from either team.

USC hosts PAC 8 foe Oregon for two games this Friday and Saturday; Saturday is also USC's CHOC Night & Teddy Bear Toss, a charity game to benefit the Children's Hospital of Orange County.

UCLA travels to Santa Barbara to play Division III UCSB.

From the Stands: USC Sweeps UCLA

2012-01-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

The crosstown rivalry intensified this past weekend, as the USC Trojans swept the UCLA Bruins in back-to-back wins, positioning themselves to keep the Crosstown Cup closer to Downtown Los Angeles.

UCLA had swept all three previous meetings this season, which meant that one more win and the Trojans would have to hand over the treasured piece of hardware.

Senior Adam Zacuto and graduate student Dave Knight each had three goals this past weekend, as they and four other Trojans rallied together to outscore their rivals 10-4 in two games.

Friday night’s game-time atmosphere had a serious undertone to it, as the Trojans on and off the ice knew what was at stake. Not only were bragging rights in Los Angeles on the line, but USC was still fighting for PAC 8 playoff contention.

Regardless of potentially losing the Crosstown Cup this season after sweeping the best of five series last year, the Trojans marched into battle and ended up victorious.

Friday’s game took place at The Rinks - Anaheim ICE California in front of enthusiastic fans ready to see either a USC victory or a Bruins sweep.

‘SC produced a solid first period, resulting in senior Mike Mowrey’s scoring the first goal of the night, with sophomore Ryan Manning and grad student Luke Walker on the assist.

Manning was the first sent off to the penalty box for a check from behind, but the Trojans were successful and killed off the penalty.

UCLA eventually managed to tie the game up with just seven minutes left to the first, when Zack Tenney was fed the puck from Jonathan Lee.

Play was momentarily stopped when a fan in the stands blew a whistle that caused confusion on the ice. The game resumed uninterrupted after taking time to resolve the situation and announcing that such noise making devices were prohibited.

With just 53.1 seconds until the first intermission Zacuto rifled the puck bar down regaining the Trojan’s lead.

Despite an exciting start to the game the Trojans returned to the ice with an uninspiring second period performance. The referees penalized Trojans’ sophomore Thomas Duffy twice: once for holding and then for tripping, while UCLA only had Mark Yost called for tripping.

The mundane play ended when USC goalie junior Eric Chiccone injected life back into the game, making an unreal glove save that proved to be the game changing moment.

The Trojans were able to hold the Bruins from scoring for the rest of the night, but picked up a few penalties along the way. USC junior James Anderson was called for a boarding penalty just a couple minutes into the start of the third, while sophomore Derek Peters was called for slashing just a couple minutes later.

UCLA managed to kill ‘SC’s powerplay when Michael Carder was called for crosschecking. However, when Lee was called for tripping with just three minutes left in regulation, Knight took advantage of the fantastic opportunity and scored just 15 seconds into the power play, scoring the final goal of the game and extending the lead to 3-1.

USC’s momentum continued into UCLA’s home rink, as the Trojans confidently took to the ice the following evening in Bruins’ territory at the Valley Ice Center in Panorama City, California.

Halfway through the first period, senior Eliot Dawson sent the puck to Manning who then put ‘SC on the scoreboard.

Ten seconds later, USC freshman Cory Newman was called for tripping, giving the Bruins their first of nine power plays.

Bruins’ Doo Soo Kim was called for slashing, but the Trojans’ could not find a way to capitalize on the power play.

USC had two players find their way to the penalty box when grad student Ryan Kucinski was called for tripping and sophomore James Huebner for highsticking.

There was some sort of confusion when Kucinski returned to the ice that led to the Trojans receiving an icing call. Although the Trojans contested, the ruling on ice stood and the Bruins were given the faceoff in the Trojan’s zone.

The Bruins got a shot on goal right off the faceoff, but Chiccone was there to snatch it out of the air with a glorious glove save that had the stands and players stunned. Yet again, Chiccone’s spot-on play provided the Trojan’s with a boost of confidence that helped carry them through the end of the game.

Immediately after returning to full strength after Huebner’s penalty, Zack Tenney tied it up giving his team the hope of turning the game around in their favor.

UCLA was given a power play just a couple minutes into the second when Chiccone got called for roughing after he shoved a UCLA player behind his net. The Trojans were able to kill off the power play and resume their attempts to increase their lead.

Zacuto wasted no time in finding the net, as he and Huebner slithered and zoomed through the Bruins’ players and down the ice to regain the Trojans’ lead once more.

Yost responded almost immediately by scoring a goal of his own after he, Carder and Kim found a way to get past Chiccone.

David Giroux gave the Trojans a power play when he was called for interference. Although the Bruins had a successful penalty kill, they were not able to stop Knight from scoring an unassisted goal, bringing the score to 3-2.

The goal happened after a cluster of players fought for the puck in front of UCLA’s net. For a brief moment, Knight was the only one in the building who knew that the puck went in, as the dog pile of players lost track of the puck’s actual location. Once his teammates realized what had happened, the arena erupted in cheers.

Afterward, UCLA’s Tenney scored his second goal of the evening, but it would be the last time. UCLA would score that night. (You don’t really attempt hat tricks, they just are)

Tension intensified during the third period as USC dominated in every possible way.

Huebner scored his first goal of the evening 45 seconds into the period and the realization that the Trojans just may pull off the finally sunk in.

Zacuto found the net for the second time that night on a three-on-one breakaway goal assisted by Newman and Huebner.

Halfway through the period, Manning received a two-and-ten penalty: two minutes for holding and a ten-minute game misconduct for a hit deemed malicious by the referees.

Peaceful relations ceased in the final three minutes once Yost was called for roughing, followed by a tripping penalty given to UCLA’s Frank Witt.

Unbeknownst to the officials, the clock did not run for about 45 seconds of play. However, once the oversight was acknowledged only 15 seconds was subtracted on the clock.

With just a minute left in regulation, ‘SC’s Kucinski was called for slashing and UCLA’s Carder for roughing.

Frustration got the best of Carder when he began to antagonize Zacuto. Words were not enough and Carder took a swing at Zacuto that landed the UCLA player with a two-minute roughing call that sent the Bruin to the lockerroom early, with only 5 seconds left on the clock.

Following Carder’s exit, a brawl broke out and chirping between the teams continued past the final buzzer. Bruin Nick Panzica tangled with Trojan captain Noah Comisar, which lead to players mobbing around them. Panzica was given a two-minute minor penalty for roughing, a 10-minute misconduct penalty and a game misconduct penalty, resulting in a technical ejection from the game, which had already ended. Three other players were given minor penalties, but no disqualifications were assessed. Players were riled up and clearly displeased with each other. Even the teams’ coaches got in on the action as they exchanged heated words briefly as both teams slowly left the ice; the teams skipped the traditional handshake.

After a tumultuous ending to a thrilling game, the Trojans left with the Crosstown Cup still in their possession and a 7-3 win over their archrivals.

Game Preview: USC vs. UCLA – January 20-21

2012-01-19T21:33:00.000-08:00

Not an enviable position for USC to be in.

In the second to last weekend of games that count for PAC 8 Conference Standings, the Trojans (8-10-1, 4-5-1 PAC 8) find themselves in the precarious situation of having to face their crosstown rivals not only to keep their playoff chances alive, but also to maintain possession of the Crosstown Cup.

UCLA (9-6-0, 8-2-0) has a 2-games-to-none lead on USC in the best-of-5 season series. Both of the previous meetings between the teams came down to the wire, with the first game going to a shootout, and the second won by the Bruins in the last :26 of regulation time.

The Trojans look to turn the tide this weekend; Game 3 is on Friday, January 20 at The Rinks – Anaheim ICE, with Game 4 the following day at Valley Ice in Panorama City. A sweep of the Bruins would force the Crosstown Cup winner to be decided in Game 5, to be held at the Trojans’ home rink in Anaheim on February 4.

Two wins this weekend would also solidify USC’s hold on the 4th and final PAC 8 playoff spot, with Oregon (9-7-0, 4-5-0) just behind in the standings in the 5^th spot and facing top-ranked Washington for two games this same weekend.

This weekend's results then set up the final showdown for 4th, as Oregon travels down to Southern California to face USC January 27-28.

UCLA has already clinched their invitation to the PAC 8s as the 3^rd place team, as have 2^nd-place Utah (22-6-0, 7-2-0) and Washington (12-6-1, 10-0-0), who is hosting this year’s playoffs near Seattle.

The PAC 8 uses a complicated but proven weighted-point system based on records of opponents, so knowing playoff scenarios requires more than a simple glance at team records and upcoming schedule.

Under the system, USC has a slight advantage over the Ducks, but could still use some help from the Huskies. Because of Washington’s high value as the top team, a sweep by the Ducks would turn the fortunes and place USC in the hole playoff-wise.

Below is a table of possible playoff scenarios and outcomes for USC and Oregon.

For the Trojans, it’s all too simple: sweep both UCLA and Oregon, and there’s nothing to worry about.

		USC/ucla results
		USC sweeps ucla	USC splits with ucla	USC loses both to ucla
UO/UW results	UO sweeps UW	USC must sweep UO	UO goes to PAC 8s	UO goes to PAC 8s
	UO splits with UW	UO must sweep USC	UO must sweep USC	USC must sweep UO
	UO loses both to UW	UO must sweep USC	UO must sweep USC	UO must sweep USC

Player Profile: Luke Walker

2012-01-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

Defenseman Luke Walker is a 22-year-old graduate student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California. He previously attended the University of Wyoming for undergrad, where he played for four years with the Cowboys.

In addition to hockey, Luke also played soccer and has an affinity for kayaking.Born in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Luke was inspired by his parents and friends to play hockey at the age of four. Luke insists that it requires no work to love this demanding sport, “I have been playing basically all my life. It’s not hard to keep loving hockey.”

An effervescent person both on and off the ice, Luke believes that “there is no such thing as too much fun” in life. Watching him play hockey or spending time with him off the ice, it is easy to realize that Luke loves to enjoy every moment and live it to the fullest.

Over his 18-year career, there have been many memorable events that Luke can be proud of. However, winning state and placing second at the Rocky Mountain Regionals are particularly special to him, “There were two years in high school that we won Wyoming State and then went to the Rocky Mountain Regional Tournament and lost in the championship.

Luke brings his experience to the Trojans, and has made his presence known on defense, with bone crushing hits worthy of the highlight reel. Just this past weekend, Luke annihilated an LMU player that sent the player’s body and hockey stick flying in opposite directions. While the crowd was riled up, Luke just looked back at his team on the bench with an accomplished look on his face. Moments like these show just how much of his heart and soul he puts into the game.

Get to know Luke:

1. If you could trade places with any NHL player, living or dead, who would it be and why? Peter Forsberg (recently retired from the Colorado Avalanche)

2. If Hollywood were to make a movie about your life, who would play you? Chuck Norris

3. What would the title of your movie be? Walker, Wyoming Ranger

4. If you could time travel to any time before our own, which would it be and why? 1960 and on because you could do whatever you want.

5. Cats or Dogs: Cats

6. Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate

7. Favorite pasta shape? Bowtie

8. What is your favorite language other than your native language? Spanish

9. Your favorite color M&M? Blue

10. The Zombie Apocalypse is here! Who on your team survives, is the first killed, the one who has a plan to survive such an event, and the one who has secretly been a zombie all along. This one has already been answered.

11. Favorite holiday. Why? Thanksgiving for good food and good friends

12. Coke or Pepsi? Gatorade in a double gulp with lots of water

13. Do you prefer hot or cold weather? Cold

14. Do you have a nickname? Wyoming

15. Last song you heard? Right back where we started from... slapshot

16. What is your signature dish? Eggs, bacon, and taters

17. Most recorded show on your DVR? Prison Break

18. If you were an animal which would you be? Peregrine Falcon

19. What is the last book you read? Outliers

20. What super power would you have? Fly

21. Favorite pick up line? Bad dance moves + big grin

22. Your favorite meal? Breakfast

23. How did you end up playing the position that you play? How did you decide on your jersey number? 27 in high school because it was one of the only numbers left.

24. Favorite NHL team? Avalanche

25. Who is your inspiration? Coach fer sure

26. Favorite pre-game meal? Spaghetti

27. What do you do to pass the time on the plane when you fly to away games? Watch movies and talk with the team

28. What do you do to pass the time between games when you are on the road? Usually homework and experience the town.

29. Favorite away game location? Pig barn in Nebraska

30. Before each game, I must... Pick up Ernst and Sunshine

31. After graduation, I am going to... Travel for a while

Recap: Dramatic shootout victory for USC over LMU, 6-5

2012-01-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

Harbor City, CA - After a five week break for the winter (except for a single practice this past Monday), the USC Trojans (8-8-1) kicked off the spring semester with a 6-5 shootout win (Game Log | Box Score) over the Loyola Marymount Lions (6-11-0) in front of a raucous hostile crowd in Harbor City on Thursday night.

The game was the start of a three-game weekend for the Trojans, who have won 6 of their last 8 games, including against then-6^th ranked San Diego State to go into the break. The win completes a sweep of the annual Century Cup series between USC and LMU, with the Trojans having taken the previous two meetings (5-2, 6-5).

The Century Cup was supposed to have been presented to USC last night, however LMU failed to bring the trophy to the game.

The Trojans were led by the offensive tandem of senior Adam Zacuto (2 goals, 2 assist) and sophomore James Huebner (2 goals, 1 assist), as well as the goaltending of junior Eric Chiccone during the shootout (24 saves).

The first period got off to an electrifying start with Zacuto scoring USC’s first two goals: the first with an assist from James Huebner just 3 minutes into the game, then again shortly afterward while shorthanded (unassisted).

About a minute after the second goal, LMU responded with their first goal of the game, on a power play by Nick DelBueno (Michael Indigaro, Robert Yanotta) after USC’s Ryan Manning was called for slashing.

USC’s Hank Griesbach scored unassisted to extend the lead to 3-1. LMU’s starting goalie, Tyler Payne, was replaced by Vitto Banez after allowing the 3 goals on just 6 shots.

Total shots-on-goal for the game was 32-29 in USC’s favor.

The physicality of the match picked up when Luke Walker delivered a bone crushing hit on an LMU attacker late in the period that sent the Lion’s stick flying in the opposite direction than his body.

With just 7 minutes before the first intermission LMU’s Indigaro (Kevin Keomanee, Kyle Burch) cut into the lead and the period ended with USC maintaining a 3-2 advantage.

The 2^nd period was more physical and defensive in nature. USC’s Huebner scored his first goal of the game trailing on a 2-on-1 shorthanded breakaway, receiving a pass on the weak side from Zacuto and putting in the backhand to extend the Trojans’ lead to 4-2.

Three minutes later, the Lions answered with their own shorthanded goal to make it 4-3, when Jack Hyman blocked a slapshot from the blue line that careened toward center ice, leading to a 1-on-0 breakaway for Hyman, who put it around USC goalie Eric Chiccone.

Emotions boiled over for both teams with 19 seconds left in the 2nd, when a couple of LMU players got too close to Chiccone and a shoveling match broke out in and around the USC crease. However, no penalties were called and the teams went into the locker rooms with the score at 4-3 USC.

The Lions mounted a strong comeback in the 3^rd period. LMU took advantage of an interference call on Max Ernst halfway through the period, and scored the power play goal (Hunter Costin, assisted by Yanotta) to tie the game up at 4 goals apiece.

Another penalty on USC with 3:27 left (Tom Duffy – 2 minutes for slashing) almost proved costly for the Trojans, as LMU’s Jim McDonald (Kalei Tipon) scored just 6 seconds into the power play to take the lead, 5-4.

The Lions’ aggressive forechecking contained the Trojans in the USC zone for most of the remaining time, preventing Chiccone from reaching the bench for the extra attacker until just 40 seconds remained.

LMU had an opportunity to put the game away after gaining possession of the puck in the neutral zone with an empty net, but shot the puck wide. A subsequent blown whistle for a dislodged net allowed USC to call a timeout with 25 seconds remaining to set up one last push; however the faceoff remained on the USC end, forcing Chiccone back into the net.

After the faceoff, the Trojans grabbed the puck behind the net, and Mike Mowrey stretched a pass up to Zacuto, who drove to the net and passed off to Huebner who buried the equalizer with just 3 seconds remaining on the clock, sending the game into overtime with the teams tied 5-5.

The Trojans carried the momentum into the 4-on-4 OT period and outshot LMU 3-1, but with no goals for either team, the game went to a shootout.

ACHA shootout rules are similar to the NHL, with 3 players from each team having an opportunity to go against the opposing goalie, followed by 1-and-1 if still tied after the initial three.

Both goalies stood their ground, keeping denying the shooters through the first 4 rounds.

Shooting for USC were Zacuto, Huebner, graduate David Knight, and junior Corey Newman, who were all stopped on their attempts.

Finally in the fifth frame, USC graduate Ryan Kucinski deked to his right and sent a forehand wrister past Banez, leaving LMU having to answer to keep the game going.

However Chiccone had other plans, and with his fifth consecutive shootout save, captured the win and the Trojans rushed the ice to celebrate their win and sweep of the season series.

The Trojans continue their weekend tonight and tomorrow in Anaheim against the visiting 6^th-ranked (and PAC 8 newcomer) Utah Utes (19-6-0), who defeated 7^th-ranked SDSU (12-10-0) last night 3-1.

Warmups for tonight starts at 8:20; tomorrow, 7:15pm.

LMU hosts SDSU in Harbor City on Saturday.

Player Profile: Dante Caravaggio

2012-01-10T17:36:00.000-08:00

Dante Caravaggio is a 21-year-old senior at the University of Southern California majoring in Chemical Engineering with a Petroleum emphasis. Born in Southern California, Dante has moved around the map but most recently calls Newport Beach, California home. He has three siblings: Alex, 19 (and also a goalie for USC); Lauren, 16; and Nicholas, 15.

Growing up, Dante played soccer and swam competitively. However, when the future ‘SC defenseman saw “The Mighty Ducks” movies in first grade, he began playing roller hockey, then in second grade he made the transition to Ice Hockey where he played for the “Irvine Ice Puppies.”

Having played forward most of his life, Dante came to the realization that he was better suited as a defenseman and ultimately became more successful on the ice after making the switch. “At a certain point, though, you find out if you are capable of scoring goals at higher levels [.] I was physical but lacked the ability to produce consistently. Defense kept me playing at the higher levels through high school.”

Not surprisingly, the hockey world in Southern California is quite small, so it should come as no surprise that Dante and USC teammate, senior Adam Zacuto, unknowingly crossed paths when they were much younger. They skated together during the Under-16 and Under-17 USA Pacific Development Camps in Washington. This camp was a distinct honor as only the top 30 players of each position from six states are invited to participate.

Dante also had the privilege of playing AA Midget in Calgary for the Bruins during his junior and senior years in high school. At USC, he was Rookie of the Year (2009), Defensive MVP (2009, 2010), and was named Second Team All PAC 8 in 2010, which he says, “was a surreal experience.”

With more than enough memories to last a lifetime, Dante feels that some of his “favorite hockey memories stem from skating on lakes and outdoor rinks with friends and family when we lived in Calgary, Alberta. Alex and I loved how unique of an experience it was [.] We can’t get that type of atmosphere in California, Houston or anywhere else we’ve lived.”

Family is near and dear to Dante’s heart and he cites his family as his source of inspiration that pushes him and ultimately keeps him going. “I draw inspiration from a lot of sources, but my family has always kept me pushing my limits. I helped train my brother Alex in high school for his junior year. He had already won several awards on previous teams, but he continued to set his sights higher […] He has given up everything since age 12 to play hockey, and somehow he isn’t sick of it. This really kept my love for hockey alive, as I have been prone to injury throughout my life, and sometimes it’s hard to find motivation to keep the skills high.”

After graduating this May, Dante will move to Dallas, Texas where he will work for Encana as a petroleum engineer. A hockey player in every sense of the word, he hopes to find an adult hockey league there to continue playing the game he loves.

Full name: Dante Matthew Caravaggio
Favorite NHL team? Calgary Flames or Anaheim Ducks
Best advice you ever received? Don’t always live in the present, or you’ll lose your way.
Favorite pre-game meal? Spaghetti & Meatballs
What do you do to pass the time on the plane when you fly to away games? Sleeping, reading, and listening to music, typically. I love flying.
What do you do to pass the time between games when you are on the road? Every guy on this team I’ve met over the four years has been hilarious. Between games on the road, going out anywhere is usually a good story.
Favorite away game location? Oregon
Before each game, I must…stay focused or I’ll end up too loose on the ice.
What would I find in your refrigerator right now? Frank’s Red Hot sauce, leftover pad thai, and a bottle of wine. Not much else, actually.
If you could trade places with any NHL player, living or dead, who would it be and why? Jerome Iginla because he lives the dream. Calgary loves him, and I hope they never trade him.
If Hollywood were to make a movie about your life, who would play you? Ben Schwartz
What would the title of your movie be? Livin’ La Vida Loca
If you could time travel to any time before our own, which would it be and why? Yesterday. I’m now rethinking my choice of going to Chipotle and El Cholo in the same day.
Cats or Dogs: Dogs
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate
Favorite pasta shape: Penne
What is your favorite language other than your native language? Italian, unfortunately I do not speak it.
Your favorite color M&M? I eat them so fast I couldn’t tell you.
The Zombie Apocalypse is here! Who on your team survives, is the first killed, the one who has a plan to survive such an event, and the one who has secretly been a zombie all along. Everyone in the hockey house dies except Hite and Alex because they have zombie plans. Ernst dies prior to infection while cooking up too much crack. Elliot and Noah die by trying to bite zombies themselves. Mowrey and I fight until we’re starving and tired, and then get lazy and superman dive into a pile of zombies. Yen dies while dancing in the common room. Dave was a zombie the whole time. James was missing.
Favorite holiday. Why? Christmas. Everyone is happy during the Holidays.
If you owned your own hockey team, what would you name it? Cheese Wranglers
Coke or Pepsi? Coke
Do you prefer hot or cold weather? Hot
Do you have a nickname? Nope.
What is your signature dish? Kraft Dinner
Most recorded show on your DVR? Sadly I don’t record TV
If you were an animal which would you be? Pterodactyl
What is the last book you read? The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway. Surprisingly no, it wasn’t for a class.
What super power would you have? Fly
Favorite pick up/wing-man line? –Without any introduction: “Have you met my friend?” compliments of Mike Mowrey
Your favorite meal? Chipotle Burrito
How did you decide on your jersey number? I chose 2 because it’s been a frequent part of my hockey life. Somehow, tryout after tryout and camp after camp, the number 2 always came up. I decided not to fight it, and just wear number 2.

Editorial: NBC LA drops the ball; interrupts Winter Classic

2012-01-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

EDITORIAL

Boy, did NBC Los Angeles (Channel 4) show its true feelings and ignorance of hockey on this one (I had other more colorful phrases I wanted to use, but decided to show a modicum of self-restraint).

Now, I know that Southern California isn't known as a traditional bastion for the sport of hockey, but it's certainly up and coming enough to be home to TWO National Hockey League teams (the LA Kings and the Anaheim Ducks, who actually won the Stanley Cup championship in 2007) and a smattering of a few minor league teams. The local ice rinks are filled to capacity with men's and kids' leagues, and high schools are now getting into the act. In fact, if it wasn't for our 16+ year relationship with The Rinks - Anaheim ICE, it would be nearly impossible to find ice time to host USC hockey games (many ice slots at all rinks are booked a year out, unless you wanted 4am or 12am times).

For those not familiar with the NHL's Winter Classic, here's the long and short of it: They build a hockey rink at an outdoor venue, and two of the more well known teams go at it at the beginning of the new year. This season, the Winter Classic is at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia (home to baseball's Phillies), and features the New York Rangers versus the hometown Flyers.

Just how big is this event? With social media now the gauge of all things, "Winter Classic" was trending on Twitter not only in Los Angeles, but worldwide.

Such an auspicious spectacle calls for NBC to even dust off and wheel out Bob Costas.

Another point of context for those not familiar with hockey: The annual Winter Classic is just about as high profile an event for the NHL as the Super Bowl is for the National Football League, possibly second only to the Stanley Cup Finals.

So what happened at approximately 12:02pm PST on Monday, January 2, 2012 caused what I'm sure I can describe as a collective scream of anguish and despair from LA-area hockey fans. Just after the NBC mothership started their coverage of the Winter Classic at noon, Channel 4 News butted in with "Breaking News."

My hockey-oriented mind raced through the possible scenarios that could have warranted a preemption of such a televised event. Had Japan suffered another massive earthquake? Did Stephen Hawking just confirm the Mayan calendar's prediction that the world will end in 2012? Did a nuclear World War III just break out?

I certainly had plenty of time to come up with such major catastrophes, since the "Breaking News" graphic alone lasted a full THIRTEEN SECONDS.

It was a bit of local news. The area of north of Downtown LA has been hit by a recent rash of arson fires, and they had just captured the suspected arsonist at 3am this morning. Let's be clear, this by no means is a small incident... the arsonist caused over $2 million in damages and terrorized the area for several days.

But does one interrupt the Winter Classic for a news conference about the capture, which happened 9 hours prior? Would you interrupt the Super Bowl? Here are some interesting tidbits for your consideration:

- ABC 7 did not interrupt coverage of the Outback Bowl to break to the press conference;

- CBS 2 did not interrupt their broadcast of The Young and the Restless;

- Most of us probably already heard about the arrest through reliable online sources, such as TMZ.com;

The information given at the press conference could have been summed up with the following statement: "We caught someone -more details later today."

Even Ana Garcia, the NBC newswoman who unwittingly and inadvertently became face of all who hate hockey, stated, "[T]he police aren't saying an awful lot."

While the "Breaking News" segment carried on for what seemed to be forever, as I hung on every word not because I was hoping for more details but rather wondering when the talking heads would stop talking, they got us back just in time for the national anthem.

But the damage was done. When I should have been taking in the moment, the pageantry of the Winter Classic, I was instead driven to contact NBC 4 to express my opinion and was motivated to take to this editorial. And I can't be the only hockey fan with similar feelings.

I certainly hope the NBC mothership catches wind of this, since one of their spawn decided it had found a more newsworthy event than the Winter Classic, which had been promoted for months. And the NHL can't be too happy, with Southern California being such a unstable market for them to warrant this level of disruption to their marquee game.

I hope, for NBC LA's program director's sake, that the coverage of non-news was worth creating a legion of hockey fans who hate Channel 4. Good on you, mate.

To send feedback to NBC 4, go to http://www.nbclosangeles.com/contact-us/

Johnny Nguyen is Assistant General Manager of USC Ice Hockey, and a USC alumnus. This editorial reflects his views alone, and does not necessarily represent statements or opinions by USC Ice Hockey or the University of Southern California.

USC upends #6 San Diego State

2011-12-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

The USC Ice Hockey team gave their fans reason to celebrate the holidays early. In one of the most anticipated matchups of the semester, USC upset 6th-ranked San Diego State Aztecs 6-3 (box score) on Friday night at The Rinks in Anaheim, California.

The last time these two teams met on September 30, USC had yet to find their chemistry. Fresh off summer vacation, the Trojans failed to form a cohesive unit and ultimately fell to the Aztecs 7-2 in San Diego in just their second game of the season.

Friday night proved that they are not only a solid team, but a force to be reckoned with. The fans were privy to a completely different team than the one seen in September. After a difficult last couple of weeks with finals and a loss to Long Beach State, the Trojans made the most of every second they were on the ice.

Just a few minutes into the first period senior Hank Griesbach delivered a gritty check that got the crowd riled. At that moment, the fans knew that USC was there to play. The Trojans victimized the Aztecs on special teams, scoring on three of six power plays while killing off three of four USC penalties.

Five different Trojans scored, led by sophomore Thomas Waschenfelder with two goals, netting one on a power play and capitalizing on the empty net at the end of the game. Freshman Cory Newman and Senior Dante Caravaggio also scored on the power play, while Sophomore James Huebner and Senior Adam Zacuto contributed with an even-handed goal each. In addition, goalie Eric Chiccone made was a barricade in net against the Aztecs, stopping 43 shots on the way to earning the win.

This game marked the beginning of winter break for USC. The Trojans return in the Spring with a major homestand, having eight of 10 games at Anaheim ICE and the two road games being local. They will face Loyola Marymount, Utah, UCLA, Oregon, and Cal State Fullerton. Their first game will be against LMU on Thursday, January 12 at Skating Edge Ice Arena, starting at 8:15pm, immediately followed by a back-to-back series against PAC 8 newcomer Utah on Friday & Saturday in Anaheim.

The remaining games are against UCLA, Oregon, and Cal State Fullerton.

Player Profile: Adam Zacuto

2011-12-06T22:06:00.000-08:00

This week’s featured player profile is the Trojans’ resident sniper Adam Zacuto!

Hailing from San Clemente, California, Adam is a 21-year-old senior at USC’s Marshall School, just months away from graduating with a major in Finance.

Adam and his neighbor watched the Mighty Ducks movies and were instantly inspired to skate. “[We] watched the [movies] and thought it looked pretty fun. We started out playing in our street and things took off from there.”

At the age of five, Adam enrolled in his first roller hockey lesson. After a couple years he made the transition to ice hockey and has not turned back since. “I love the speed and physicality of the game – I honestly don’t think there is any other sport that compares to the adrenaline rush you feel on the ice.” It did not take long for him to realize that his love of scoring goals outweighed his desire to stop goals from happening, “[Playing] forward was an easy choice.”

Among the numerous hockey memories that he has accumulated throughout his hockey-playing career, Adam cites two particular moments as the most memorable. In 2007, Adam was given the distinct honor of making the Under-17 USA Hockey National Development Camp at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Later that same year, his team, the LA Selects, made it all the way to the semifinals at their national tournament. To say the least, it was a fantastic year of hockey for Adam.

Behind every success story there is a source of inspiration and Adam has been fortunate enough to grow up with a family full of it. “Both of my grandfathers were successful entrepreneurs with unbelievable work ethics. Their accomplishments are an inspiration to me everyday. My maternal grandparents were also Holocaust survivors. Their resilience inspires me to overcome whatever problems I may face in life. My dad also runs a non-profit and dedicates his life to helping foster children – he is an inspiration to me, as well!”

This season Adam has been a goal-scoring machine and a major asset, with more than 20 goals and 10 assists thus far. Along with his goal-scoring, Adam adds speed and agility to the Trojans’ arsenal.

After he graduates in May, Adam will move to San Francisco where he will work in investment banking. His presence on Trojan ice will be greatly missed!

Get to know Adam:

1. What would I find in your refrigerator right now? This weekend I was scolded by a few girls who were at my apartment for only having hot sauce in our fridge – so there you go.

2. If you could trade places with any NHL player, living or dead, who would it be and why? It would be pretty cool to be Alex Ovechkin – he’s one of the best players in the league right now and it seems like no one in the NHL has more fun than he does!

3. If Hollywood were to make a movie about your life, who would play you? Ed Norton, Leo DiCaprio, and Adam Sandler are my favorite actors – one of them would be awesome.

4. If you could time travel to any time before our own, which would it be and why? I’m pretty happy in the 21st century – can’t live without my iPhone! It would be nice to travel back a few decades to get to know some of my relatives who passed away, that I did not get the chance to meet.

5. Cats or Dogs? Dogs

6. Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla

7. Favorite pasta shape? Penne

8. What is your favorite language other than your native language? I took 5 years of Spanish in high school and I also know a little Hebrew (would like to learn more!)

9. Your favorite color M&M? I am allergic to chocolate (but my favorite Skittles colors are yellow, orange and green)

10. The Zombie Apocalypse is here! Who on your team survives, is the first killed, the one who has a plan to survive such an event, and the one who has secretly been a zombie all along.

Survives – Hank Griesbach

First Killed – Dave Morris

Has a plan to survive – James Andersen

Was a zombie all along – Justin Bieber

11. Favorite holiday? Why? Hannukah – eight crazy nights!

12. If you owned your own hockey team, what would you name it? Trojans (Team Zacuto is the name of my fantasy team too)

13. Coke or Pepsi? Coke

14. Do you prefer hot or cold weather? Not a big fan of the cold

15. Do you have a nickname? Most people just call me by my last name (my roommates also call me Zook or Zooki)

16. Last song you heard? Paradise (Lil Wayne and Young Chris)

17. Most recorded show on your DVR? Either South Park, SportsCenter or Entourage. The annual Victoria Secret Fashion show [...] too!

18. If you were an animal which would you be? Cheetah

19. What is the last book you read? Monkey Business or Liar’s Poker

20. What super power would you have? It would be pretty cool to fly – reading minds would also be awesome!

21. Favorite pick up line? Not G rated

22. Your favorite meal? Chicken Club from Board n’ Brew (sandwich shop in my hometown) or Pedro’s Tacos (small taco stand also in my hometown)

Player Profile: Alex Caravaggio

2011-11-15T21:42:00.000-08:00

The Featured Player Profile finally kicks off, and this week’s player is goalie Alex Caravaggio.

Alex is in his second year at USC and majoring in Chemical Engineering with a Petroleum Emphasis. Alex, 19, was born in Valencia, California and has lived all over the world. He considers Calgary, Alberta to be his home since he spent his junior high and high school years there.

Growing up, Alex played every intramural sport possible at his high school except for football. He spent most of his time swimming until he was eleven at which point his family made the big move from Texas to Canada.

At first, skating was not an innate skill for Alex. He first tried skating while in Texas, where his brother Dante played hockey. Alex recollects that his first attempts at skating involved more of his holding on to the wall than actually skating. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and soon Alex became a skilled skater. He began taking actual classes when he was eleven and joined his first team when he was twelve. Alex was forced to quit competitive swimming when he was fourteen as he was not able to competitively swim and compete at the highest level of hockey for his age group simultaneously.

Alex credits his older brother (a senior at USC who also plays on the hockey team) for getting him started in hockey. “My older brother Dante got me playing. He has been my inspiration and role model my whole life.” He then quips “Plus…who doesn’t play hockey in Canada?”

The two brothers would practice their skills in their driveway and it was here that Alex realized his love for goaltending, “I fell in love with the idea that I was the last line of defense. Plus, the old Cat-Eye cages and gear that goalies wore was so awesome. It felt like I was a knight or something putting it on for the first time.”

In the final half of high school, Alex played Major Midget AAA where he got to participate in an International Tournament called the Macs Tournament. It is here that many NCAA and Major Junior scouts attend in hopes of finding their prospective team members. “I had several offers to go play for lower tier Junior teams and chase the NCAA dream, but I owe it to my brother to play with him like I’ve always wanted to do since I started playing hockey. We never played together because of our age difference of two years.”

Alex’s fondest hockey memory is with this Major Midget team he played on in High School. Right before the 2010 Team Canada Women’s Ice Hockey team participated in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics they held an exhibition game against his team. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that granted him the opportunity to tend the net against these professional female hockey players. The tournament was televised and had 4,000 enthusiastic fans in attendance. The game ended in a nine-round-shootout when Alex made a splits save and won the game for his team.

In his first season at USC, Alex helped lead the Trojans into the 2010-2011 PAC 8 Conference Tournament, where they secured a third place finish, losing to the eventual champion Washington in a shootout and defeating Cal in the consolation game. At the PAC 8 Awards Banquet, the conference teams’ coaches recognized Alex’s tremendous efforts throughout the season and voted him onto the All-PAC 8 First Team as the league’s best goaltender. The freshman phenom beat out the veteran goaltenders from the two higher-ranked teams, senior Jack Barry from 2nd-place Oregon and sophomore Danny Dougan from Washington.

Get to Know Alex:

1. What would I find in your refrigerator right now? Subway!
2. If you could trade places with any NHL player, living or dead, who would it be and why? Patrick Roy, he revolutionized goaltending
3. If you could time travel to any time before our own, which would it be and why? Back to the time of the dinosaurs, so I could tame a Tyrannosaurus Rex to do my bidding
4. Cats or Dogs: Dogs
5. Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla
6. Favorite pasta shape? Fettuccine
7. What is your favorite language other than your native language? French
8. Your favorite color M&M? Red
9. The Zombie Apocalypse is here! Who on your team survives, is the first killed, the one who has a plan to survive such an event, and the one who has secretly been a zombie all along? My brother and I survive with our foolproof plan that will only be shared with our closest acquaintances, and DP would absolutely be the first killed while probably trying to get other people killed, too.
10. Favorite holiday? Why? Christmas, normally has the longest break and I prefer the cold
11. If you owned your own hockey team, what would you name it? “The Subs”
12. Coke or Pepsi? Water :)
13. Do you prefer hot or cold weather? Cold
14. Do you have a nickname? Not that I know of
15. What is your signature dish? Footlong Chicken Breast on Wheat
16. Most recorded show on your DVR? Velociraptor
17. What super power would you have? Control time
18. Your favorite meal? Subwaaay!
19. Favorite NHL team? Calgary Flames!!!
20. Motto or saying you model your life after: It is a part of a prayer called the Prayer of Serenity, truly words to live by:
"Grant me the serenity,
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference."
21. Who is your inspiration? Without a doubt, my older brother Dante. I might not be playing hockey, I might not be studying engineering, I might not even be getting the incredible experience I am getting here at USC without him supporting and encouraging me every step of the way.

Trojans Win The Century Cup

2011-11-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

USC made winning the Century Cup look easy this past weekend as the Trojans swept Loyola Marymount with back-to-back wins Thursday and Friday nights.

The Century Cup is the trophy annually awarded to the winner of the best-of-three series between USC and LMU. The Lions will present the Cup to the Trojans at their next game on January 12 since it is in their possession after winning the 2010-2011 series.

Both games saw an abundance of scoring action with final scores of 5-2 and 6-5 respectively.Both USC goalies from this weekend, rookie junior Eric Chiccone on Friday and sophomore Alex Caravaggio on Saturday, did a phenomenal job at keeping LMU at bay.

Senior Adam Zacuto was named the HockeyGiant First Star of both match-ups. Zacuto had yet another stellar weekend as he posted a total of six goals and two assists. Thursday night’s Second and Third Stars were Chiccone and rookie junior Chris Roman; Friday’s Second and Third Stars were sophomore James Huebner and senior captain Noah Comisar.

In addition to Zacuto’s six goals, four other Trojans scored and eight others contributed assists.

“It was definitely a team win,” Zacuto stated after Saturday’s game.

Both games oozed emotion. Thursday saw USC’s Alex Hite and LMU’s Stephen Vollkommer receive game misconducts in addition to their minor roughing penalties with just 34 seconds left in the third period. The teams knew that they were to face one another again the next night causing tempers to flare with the scoreboard in USC’s favor. The following evening, with just 43 seconds left in the third period, Zacuto scored the Trojan’s sixth goal of the evening. With the Century Cup lost, LMU players retaliated and Zacuto ended up in the penalty box along with LMU’s Robert Yannotta and Michael Indigaro, each with a minor roughing penalty. LMU’s Bobby Arnold joined his teammates in the box with a two-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Trojans fought for the puck and finished their checks – two huge improvements from the beginning of the season. The team also has found their chemistry with one another, which make the games not only successful, but that much more entertaining to watch.

The Trojans travel to Northern California this weekend to take on Cal. Their next two games will be played at Oakland Ice Center in Oakland, California. Fight On!

A Weekend With Washington State

2011-10-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

After four consecutive losses, the USC Trojans finally found their stride and reaped the benefits of having back-to-back ten goal games. The Trojans defeated Washington State 10-2 Friday night and 10-1 Saturday night.

Sergei "Serge" Liberovsky was the Trojan in net that could not be beat Saturday night as Washington made a valiant effort to make a comeback from the previous evening.

What caused this team to score 20 goals over the course of two games after losing four?

Regarding the turn of events this past weekend, alternate captain Noah Comisar feels that “[…] only having five or six practices under our belt, we have a lot to develop. This weekend we switched up the lines a bit because the lines for the first four games weren’t creating the chemistry we needed to produce out there.”

After a not so stellar start to the season this shake up clearly had a positive impact on the players. The chemistry that these new lines created was positively reflected on the scoreboard this past weekend.

“I attribute this weekend’s two wins towards a rash of self-confidence we hadn’t had prior and unselfish play all around,” said alternate captain Dante Caravaggio. “People came to the games hungry to win.”

This hunger was refreshing to finally see as the Trojans battled for the puck in an unprecedented way thus far in the season. They played a physical game where they finished their checks and truly made an effort to score and play as a team.

Adam Zacuto personally had an unbelievable weekend as he scored a hat trick (three goals in one game) in both games against Washington State. When asked about what led to his personal success, Zacuto was quick to share his success with his linemates, “I think I benefited personally from the new line combinations we went with this weekend. Both James Huebner and Cory Neuman gave me some great passes and they definitely contributed to my personal success and the points our line put up.”

Zacuto gave it his all on Saturday and even received a 10-minute game misconduct along with two extra minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct when he was involved in a scuffle on the ice. Although he was out of commission for twelve minutes, the passion he played with on Saturday was greatly appreciated by all in the arena.

Looking to the future, Comisar said, “We still have yet to prove ourselves as a team that can compete with the best in our league. I’m hoping that the monkey is off our back.”

Whether it was as easy as switching up the lines, receiving a bit of luck, or just plain old timing the USC Trojans have now proved that they have what it takes to get the puck to the net. There is no going back for this team who faces their cross-town rivals UCLA this Saturday at The Rinks in Anaheim, California at 7:30. Fight on!

Trojans vs. 49ers October 6, 2011

2011-10-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

It was another loss for the USC Trojans as they fell for a second time to the Long Beach State 49ers last night 5-0.

The first period looked extremely promising, as the Trojans came out looking like they were playing to win. There was a fighting energy that permeated throughout the entire arena that gave everyone hope that this game would end in USC’s favor. SC’s starting goalie, Alex Caravaggio, was solid in net. He looked calm and confident as Long Beach kept getting pucks to the net. There were some fantastic checks as SC battled for the puck. Unfortunately, after a scoreless first period, Long Beach scored with two minutes and nine seconds left to the period. It was at this moment the energy on SC’s bench changed and never recovered.

Three minutes into the second period, Long Beach scored again making the score 2-0. The energy continued to drop and the team was just not able to recover the game. Forward Anthony Dragatto said, “We were outplayed. We were out-hustled, and we got out-shot. We were not confident with the puck especially at the blue line.” This was extremely apparent throughout the rest of the game, as the team continued to allow three more goals to be scored.

Defenseman Dante Caravaggio feels that the lines have yet to find their scoring rhythm, “I’d say our lines have been slow to develop chemistry against these tough opponents (SDSU, CSUF and CSULB all nationally ranked last year), but our intensity is constantly improving. If we keep things simple, we’ll start scoring. Alex is one of the best goaltenders on the west coast, but we have to score to win games.”

The score is a perfect reflection of what went wrong. The team was shut out because they failed to get the puck to the net. The fight for the puck that they showed in the first fifteen minutes of the first period completely disappeared after Long Beach scored one goal. The goalie is only able to do so much, and the rest of the work falls on the team to keep the puck in the opponent’s zone and eventually in their net. If A. Caravaggio, who last year was voted to the All PAC 8 First Team as the league’s best goalie, had not played the way he did, the score could have been a lot worse.

The Trojans will hopefully find more of a scoring rhythm tonight as they take on Washington State University at The Rinks in Anaheim, California tonight at 8:30pm, and tomorrow night at 7:30pm.

USC Roster for Oct 1 CSUF game

2011-10-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

USC roster for the CSUF game on Saturday, October 1:

Forwards

5 Peters, Derek

6 Griesbach, Hank

7 Knight, David

9 Huebner, James

12 Morris, Dave

13 Waschenfelder, Thomas

16 Kucinski, Ryan

17 Bieber, Justin

18 Zacuto, Adam

21 Newman, Corey

22 Roman, Chris

23 Draggoto, Anthony

26 Comisar, Noah

Defense

2 Caravaggio, Dante

4 Hite, Alex

14 Manning, Ryan

15 Mowrey, Mike

20 Walker, Luke

22 Roman, Chris

28 Duffy, Tom

Goalies

1 Caravaggio, Alex

33 Xu, Harrison

USC Trojans vs SDSU Aztecs Live Blog Third Period - 9/30/11

2011-09-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

As the third period gets underway here at the Kroc Arena in San Diego, USC must continue to build on the strong second period and get more shots. USC starts off with 1:58 on the powerplay, and are immediately forced to regroup in their own zone. They get it down before the strong SDSU penalty kill sends it back down. USC gets a breakout but a bad turnover allows SDSU to put it back down. SC finally gets it down but SDSU manages to knock it out again. Finally, with under a minute left in the power play, they set it up down low. Shot from the point is tipped up into the net by USC, so the faceoff will come all the way down to the Trojan end. SC wins the faceoff and Manning sends it up the ice for SC to start the power play. SDSU continues to dominate the penalty kill, ending the penalty with the puck in the Trojan zone. USC having trouble breaking out, finally sends it down into the SDSU zone for a change. Aggressive play by SC keeps it int he Aztec zone but SDSU rushed down for a good shot on Caravaggio. He saves it wide and both teams battle in the corner to get it out. Battle continues in the SC zone before Knight flips it into the netting for a faceoff with 16:37 remaining in the 3rd.

Faceoff in the SC zone won by SDSU, and the resulting shot and rebound allows SC to clear the zone. Battle in the neutral zone finally allows Caravaggio a breath, but SDSU gets it right back in. Great defensive play by SC gives them a clean breakout, and they set up their own offense down the the SDSU zone. No shots as SDSU pokes it out, and SC must regroup in the neutral zone. Bad turnover at the blue line allows SDSU to send it down into the SC zone, where the Trojans regroup and break it out before the attacking Aztecs can slow them down. Battle in the neutral zone finally won by SC, and they dump it down into the SDSU zone, where a long Dante Caravaggio shot is easily covered by the Aztec keeper. Faceoff in the SDSU zone won by the Aztecs and they are able to clear the zone. SDSU gets a good rush into the Trojan end, and a puck thrown in front redirected over the sprawling Caravaggio and into the back of the net. SDSU scores with 14:22 remaining in the game to make it 5-2, and giving them a huge momentum boost.

Faceoff in the neutral zone won by SDSU, but pressure from SC keeps it down in the Aztec zone for a moment. SDSU breaks it outand set up their offense again in the SC zone. Snipe shot from the top of the circle over the left shoulder of Caravaggio makes it 6-2 with 13:42 left in the game, and it looks like SDSU has seized control of this game with authority.

Faceoff in the neutral zone won by SC and they send it in and set up their offense. Shot saved by the SDSU goalie and we will have a faceoff down in the Aztec zone. Faceoff won by SC and they keep it down in the Aztec zone, before a turnover allows SDSU to clear the zone. USC trying to regroup but bad turnovers don't allow them the chance to send it down. Puck finally broken out but it is iced down and SC will have another faceoff in their own zone. Faceoff won by SDSU and they battle for it in the corner. Long shot wide of Caravaggio, but another bad turnover allows SDSU to control it again in the Trojan end. Duffy gets called for the slash at 11:55 and this is not what the Trojans needed right now. SC will go on the penalty kill still down 6-2.

Faceoff in the Trojan end won by SC and Waschenfelder throws it out of the zone and down into the Aztec zone. Great pressure by Morris keeps it down for a second, but SDSU breaks it out. Great defensive play in the neutral zone gives SC the puck back, but a bad turnover gives SDSU a odd man rush. Great defensive play by Waschenfelder to break up the 2-1, and the puck is sent up into the netting for a whistle. Faceoff won by the Aztecs and they send it deep. Backhand wide of the net by SDSU, but they regain control and set up the powerplay. Another big save from Alex Caravaggio gives SC the puck back. They take it down the ice and get a shot off with 18 seconds remaining in the Duffy penalty. Faceoff in the SDSU zone. Penalty to SDSU after the play gives us a 4-4.

SC trying to set up the power play now in the SDSU zone after the Duffy penalty ends. Shot saved by the SDSU net minder and we have another faceoff. Faceoff won by SC, and they keep putting the pressure on the Aztecs. Best power play tonight. SC still trying to sneak the puck into the net, but the Aztec keeper covers for another faceoff with 1:15 left in the PP. Faceoff won by SC and they keep the pressure up. SDSU finally sends it down the ice and controls it in the SC zone. SC breaks out and gets a good rush down the ice led by Morris. USC trying to set it up in the Aztec zone yet again but they are unable to capitalize on the Aztec penalty, and still cannot crack the SDSU penalty kill.

PUck is won down in the SC zone by Duffy, and he breaks it out with Walker and the Trojans enter desperation mode with under 8 minutes remaining. Comisar regroups in his own zone and brings it down for another shot. SDSU picks up the rebound and brings it down the ice, but the Trojans regain control in the own zone. Bad turnover by the SC defensemen allows SDSU to keep it in the zone, but the Trojans finally get a breakout and send it down into the SDSU zone as we are under 6 minutes now. Back and forth we go with SC trying to come back in this game and the SDSU defense playing very conservatively. SC is doing a great job on defense not allowing any Aztec forward a clean entry into the Trojan zone. Puck finally travels down into the SC zone, and Caravaggio jumps on it for the whistle with 5:10 remaining in this very chippy game.

Faceoff won by SC but it is iced down for another faceoff in the SC zone with 5:07 now. Faceoff won by SDSU and they get a quick shot off. Covered by Caravaggio. Faceoff won by SC and they break it out and send it down into the Aztec zone. Bad turnover allows SDSU to bring it back down, and they get a great chance in front of the net. Puck sent out of the zone but SDSU regains control and brings it back in. SDSU sets up their offense, trying to add to their already large lead. Caravaggio covers up a loose puck and we have a scrum in front of the net, led by Duffy. Faceoff in the Trojan zone with 3:45 left. Faceoff won to the point by SDSU. Shot blocked and travels down into the SDSU zone. Aztecs regroup and bring it back into the Trojan end. SC tries to break it out but another bad turnover costs SC. Aztecs get a quick shot from the slot through a screened Caravaggio, scoring their 7th goal of the game. Goal at 2:48 puts SDSU up 7-2.

Faceoff won by the Aztecs and they send it down. SC regroups in their own zone and brings it down the ice. Turnover allows the Aztecs to bring it back with under 2 minutes remaining here in the game. Back and forth through the neutral zone we go until SC finally sets up in the Aztec zone. Good pressure from the Trojans to finish off this game on a high note. SDSU breaks it out and brings it down the ice. Bieber takes it and tries to take it down the ice before getting owned on a bad hit by SDSU. Penalty for SDSU puts USC on the power play with 1:05 left in the game. USC hopes to capitalize on this to finish off this game on a positive note. SC running a good powerplay down in the Aztec end, getting off a few great shots. Good pressure from SC as we get under 30 seconds in the game, keeping the puck in the SDSU zone. Aztecs get it out of the zone and that will do it here in San Diego as the clock strikes zero. USC loses their second straight to start the season, falling to the San Diego State Aztecs at Kroc Arena here in San Diego. USC will be back on the ice tomorrow night at 7:30 at Anaheim Ice, but not for their home opener. They will be the visiting team against the Cal State Fullerton Titans. We will be broadcasting that game for you, so we look forward to that tomorrow night. Until then, this is James Anderson, signing off.

USC Trojans vs SDSU Aztecs Live Blog Second Period - 9/30/11

2011-09-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

As the second period gets underway, USC has been outshot 19-7 so far tonight. I talked to Coach Langille during the intermission and all he had to say was that the Trojans were being outskated and that they needed to get their heads in the game. An icing call with 19:20 remaining here in the second brings the faceoff back down to the Trojan end, a good clean breakout gets SC a shot on the SDSU goalie and we will have a faceoff in the Aztec zone. SDSU wins the faceoff and easily carries it back into the SC zone. A quick turnover gets USC another shot on the Aztec goal, and USC is finally starting to show some life on the offensive side. Faceoff win by USC allows them a chance to set up the offense, and Morris almost gets it by the Aztec netminder and the ensuing scrum ends the play. SDSU gets the faceoff and brings it down into the SC zone before SC gets another clearn breakout. The line of Morris, Dragatto, and Waschenfelder have really stepped up here to start this 2nd period. SDSU sets up in the SC zone just for a moment before SC sends it back down into the Aztec zone. SC with a tip just wide of the net keeps them with the momentum to start this period as the clock runs down to under 17. Back and forth in the neutral zone before SDSU gets it in and a shot and Caravaggio covers up for the whistle with 16:49 left in the 2nd.

USC gets the win in their zone and Zacuto breaks it out. He is held up at the Aztec blue and SDSU gets it back. Shot from the Aztecs results in a whistle and a change for the Trojans, and they break it out. Offsides results in a faceoff in the neutral zone. SDSU wins the faceoff and regroups in their own zone before going down and getting a good shot on Caravaggio. Resulting faceoff is won by the Trojans and they get it down into the Aztec zone. SDSU gets the loose puck and sends it down, setting up their offense in the SC zone. USC gets it back and dumps it off the glass, but SDSU gets a quick regroup and its back into the Trojan zone. USC is forced to ice it with 15:08 remaining in the 2nd.

Faceoff in the Trojan zone won by SDSU, and again they setup their offense. USC manages to get it back and dumps it down into the Aztec zone for the change. Pressure from Kucinski and Comisar fails to keep it in the SDSU zone, and the Aztecs get the breakout. A good steal by the Trojans gets them out and back into the SDSU zone. Shot on net is covered by the Aztec netminder, and the resulting scrum gives the Aztecs a roughing penalty. Trojans going on the powerplay with 13:58 remaining.

USC trying to set up in the Aztec zone, but only just manage to keep it in. Loose puck taken by Kucinski and USC sets it up. Shot by Walker from the point allows a long rebound, but no Trojan is there to capitalize, and the Aztecs dump it down with under a minute left in the power play. USC having trouble dumping it and keeping it in before Dragatto brings it in himself. His shot is turned aside and SDSU gets a shorthanded breakaway. Huge save by Alex Caravaggio gives the Trojans the puck back, and they take it down and score to make it 3-2!!!!! Goal by Dave Morris at 12:07 assisted by Waschenfelder brings the Trojans to within 1!!

Faceoff won by the Aztecs and they are clearly not happy about the last goal. They begin to step up their play in the offensive zone, forcing Hite to take his second penalty of the night, a tripping call at 10:50 remaining in the 2nd. Aztecs setting up their powerplay in the Trojan end, but the SC penalty kill gets it and sends it all the way down as we go to under a minute remaining in the power play. USC trying to keep the Aztecs out of the net and kill this penalty off, but the Aztecs are giving them all they've got. USC finally dumps it down getting a change after the offsides call. Faceoff in the neutral zone won by SDSU but it goes all the way down to their zone and they'll have to regroup. The penalty winds down before a big save by Caravaggio causes another scrum in front of the net after the whistle. Faceoff in the Trojan end won by SDSU resulting in a quick start. SC trying to break it out and finally does. Dragatto shot saved and the rebound is picked up by SDSU. Dante Caravaggio gets beaten out of the zone, causing an odd man rush. SDSU scores off the shot, making it 4-2 for the Aztecs with 8:21 remaining here in the 2nd period.

Faceoff won by SDSU and they regroup and set up their offense in the SC zone. Shot from the point is saved by Caravaggio and we will have another faceoff in the Trojan end. SDSU cycles around the SC zone before Zacuto takes it out himself and into the Aztec zone. Shot from Zacuto saved and faceoff in the Aztec zone. SDSU breaks it out and sets up their offense again the Trojan end. USC keeping it physical and a big hit allows them the break it out and send it down into the Aztec zone. Shot by Peters tipped wide and the SC offense forces the Aztecs to ice it with 6:18 remaining. Huge faceoff coming in the SDSU zone for the Trojans. Stommel wins the faceoff back to Walker, whose shot gets through on the SDSU goalie. Rebound hit by Bieber but covered. Another faceoff is won by SDSU, but the Trojans keep it in with great play by Dawson, Bieber, and Stommel. SC continuing to play phsyical in the Aztec zone, keeping the puck down low. Finally, SDSU breaks it out and brings it down for a shot on Caravaggio. Puck is tipped up into the netting and we will have a faceoff down in the SDSU zone with 5:06 remaining.

Faceoff won by Waschenfelder by a bad shot by Dragatto allows SDSU to clear the zone. The Trojans, however, get it right back into the SDSU zone, and continue to keep up the pressure. Aztecs get it down and get a shot on Caravaggio, but Alex makes the easy save for a faceoff in the Trojan zone. Faceoff won by the Trojans, who hold it down in the corner before making a bad turnover on the side. SDSU gets a shot off, but SC manages to clear the zone. SDSU comes right back setting up the offense again and SC again is having trouble with the breakout. Puck is covered by Alex Caravaggio and we will have another faceoff with 3:35 remaining. Scrum in the corner off the faceoff gives SDSU the puck, and they keep the pressure up with another strong shot from the point on Caravaggio, who has to cover for another faceoff. Faceoff won by SDSU as they try to add to their lead, but SC gets it out and into the Aztec zone. Aztecs break it out and get a good rush down the ice, but the shot is wide and SC will continue to try to work on their breakout. They manage to get it out before it stalls in the neutral zone. Knight knocks it in and the Trojans will try to keep up the pressure. SDSU breaks it out before being called offside with 2 minutes left in the period.

Faceoff in the neutral zone won by SC and Dragatto will rush it down the ice. Shot by SC wide, and SDSU is forced to ice it for a critical faceoff in the Aztec zone. Faceoff won by SC but Mowrey's shot is blocked and SDSU gets it down into the Trojan end. Shot from the point wide, and SDSU keeps the pressure up in the SC zone as we now are under a minute in the second period. USC still unable to break it out as the Aztecs cycle around, looking for their shot. Shot wide with 30 seconds left and USC finally gets it out of the zone. Dragatto loses it in the SDSU zone,b ut SC keeps the pressure up. Zacuto shot with 8 seconds left draws a tripping penalty, so with 2.1 remaining in the period, USC will go on the power play. No shot off the faceoff before the period ends, so USC comes back with all they have, but still cannot cut into the Aztec lead. SDSU leads 4-2 after 2 periods here in San Diego. Coach Langille, on his way to the locker room, had just 2 words for me, "Much better".

USC Trojans vs SDSU Aztecs Live Blog First Period - 9/30/11

2011-09-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome Ladies and Gentleman to the live blog for tonight's game where your USC Trojans will take on the SDSU Aztecs here at the Kroc Arena in San Diego, California. USC is coming off a tough season opening loss against Long Beach State 4-3, in which Sophomore Goalie Alex Caravaggio took 55 shots against, while holding the 49ers to just 4 goals. Look for Caravaggio to continue to hold his own against the team that he opened up his USC career against. I will be live blogging this game, so continue to refresh the page to get streaming updates from me, James Anderson, throughout the evening.

As we wind down here in the warm-up, USC lines tonight headlined by the fact that Sophomore James Huebner will not be playing due to an illness. So therefore, the lines will look like this:

Morris-Waschenfelder-Dragatto
Comisar-Kucinski-Zacuto
Griesbach-Newman-Knight
Stommel-Bieber-Peters-Dawson

Walker-Caravaggio
Hite-Manning
Mowrey Duffy

The game begins with the Aztecs dominating in the Trojan end. After a minute and a half, Aztecs break through Caravaggio after a nifty move in the defensive zone by an Aztec forward. SDSU leads it by a score of 1-0. Aztecs are continuing to dominate in the Trojan end, and USC has barely been able to get it out of the zone. The physical play has stepped up in the SC zone, however, and the Trojans are really attempting to establish a physical preference early in this game. Whistle blows at 14:57 with USC still down 1-0. Faceoff in the USC zone won by SDSU, and the domination continues by the Aztecs. Manning is able to clear it out if only for a second just to give the Trojans a breath, and allowing the forwards to get a change. Except for the one mishap, Caravaggio is stonewalling the SDSU forwards so far. Faceoff after an icing gives the Aztecs the puck back in the zone, and with no rest Hite is forced to take a bad penalty, 2 minutes for hooking. USC penalty at 13:41 remaining not a helpful start for the Trojans.

USC penalty kill is led right now by Zacuto and Comisar, they kill it off for a minute before allowing Griesbach and Newman to come on. An unfortunate deflection in front of the net gives the Aztecs another goal, a power play goal at 12:17 by Dustin Holt, and SDSU continues to dominate in the Trojan end. SDSU takes a penalty now so the Trojans move onto the power play at 11:40. USC trying to control the puck in the Aztec zone, and are trying to get a good shot. SDSU gets it out with 1:20 left in the penalty, and USC will have to regroup. Another whistle for icing against the Trojans brings the puck back into the SC end. SC having a lot of trouble against this Aztec penalty kill, wasting a lot of time trying to break it out. Trojans finally establish a power play, but the puck travels down to the SC zone again, and bad defensive plays force Caravaggio to cover it up. SC is unable to do much on the power play as SDSU continues to dominate at both ends of the ice. Halfway through the period USC still down 2-0.

SDSU roughing penalty puts SC back on the power play. Trojans begin the power play again having trouble breaking it out of their own zone, but Zacuto takes into his own hands, going end to end before getting a good shot off. USC back in the SDSU zone trying to establish something on the power play, but still can't. The Aztecs penalty killers really have the Trojans number and USC is trying to battle back on the physical side. Good physical play has been the lone bright spot on an otherwise dismal power play as they are now 0-2 on the power play with only 3 shots. Full strength again.

USC now trying to pull even, with much of the play staying in the neutral zone. USC, however, loses whatever momentum they gained with another big SDSU rush. Faceoff again in the Trojan end with just over 5 remaining. SDSU scores off a bad breakout attempt by the Trojan's fourth line, going up 3-0 with 5:02 remaining here in the first period. USC really needs stronger play by all four lines if they want to stay in this game and give Caravaggio a chance to catch his breath. USC again trying to use physical play to keep the puck down in the Aztec zone, but a bad offsides call brings the puck down into the Trojan end. First solid breakout I've seen by the Trojans leads to a bad turnover in the neutral zone, and USC is back on the defensive. SDSU continues to cycle down in the Trojan zone before a save stops the play at 3:30 remaining. Scrum in front of the net shows the frustration on the USC side. Faceoff won by USC and they bring it all the way down into the Aztec end. Off sides call at 3:07 brings the faceoff back into the neutral zone.

Down to the final 3 minutes, SDSU wins the faceoff and brings it all the way down into the Trojan end. A weak breakout gives the Trojans a chance to breath, until finally they get it all the way down into the Aztec zone, if only for a moment. Quick turnover and breakout puts the Trojans back into their own zone as we are now under 2 minutes left. Great breakout by the Trojans leads to a USC goal!!!!!!!! Big goal by Junior Thomas Waschenfelder assisted by Dragatto at 1:47 remaining puts USC back into this game. Unfortunately, bad charging penalty by Comisar takes away a lot of that momentum, and USC is forced back onto the penalty kill. USC dumps it down not once but twice, as we are now under 1 minute. USC just trying to keep SDSU off the scoreboard and keep this a 2 goal game. Defense playing very conservatively. SDSU sets up the cycle again and Caravaggio comes up with a big save with 7.6 seconds left. Faceoff won by the Aztecs and a last second shot goes wide, ending the period. USC heads into the locker room down 3-1 after a momentum saving goal by Waschenfelder keeps the Trojans right in this game. We'll be right back with the second period here in San Diego.

Rivalry Night

2011-09-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

After months of waiting, Rivalry Night at the Honda Center has come and gone. The mighty USC Trojans made a valiant effort as they faced their cross-town rivals, but were ultimately defeated by the UCLA Bruins 5-4 at the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks.

This was just the first meeting between these two teams, as they compete for the Crosstown Cup this season. The Trojans are currently in possession of the cup, as they swept UCLA last season.

The atmosphere in the arena was electricfying, as the audience of about 1000 were running off the high from the thrilling San Jose Sharks 6-1 win just prior to the USC game. During the first intermission of the Ducks vs. Sharks game, USC and UCLA held a shootout. With Alex Caravaggio in net, the Trojans went out there ready to take the Bruins out. However, UCLA skated away victorious after an exciting few rounds of shootout attempts.

During both the NHL and Rivalry Night portions of the evening, the cardinal and gold of the USC fans in the stands stood out among the sea of Sharks and Ducks jerseys. There was equal representation of both schools in the stands, as both schools made their presence known by chanting their alma mater’s cheers. The Spirit of Troy, USC’s infamous marching band, was in attendance playing all the SC favorites.

The game went by quickly, as the teams played three periods back to back with essentially no intermissions. The battle was well fought as the Trojans showed everyone that they have not only improved since last season, but that they only have their sights set on winning. Although the result of the game was not in favor of USC, the team showed great promise for an amazing season to come.

The HockeyGiant player of the game was USC’s very own Anthony Dragotto. For his outstanding play, he was awarded a Bauer TotalOne LE stick, furnished by HockeyGiant.

Although it was not a win, a huge congratulations is in order to the team who had a successful season opener in every other sense. USC hockey is now in full swing and the fans are ready for the awesome ride through the season. The USC Trojans look to defeat San Diego State this Friday at Kroc Ice Arena at 9:00.

Fight On!

Volunteers Wanted!

2011-09-26T12:03:00.001-07:00

VOLUNTEER for the hockey team! We want to hear from Trojans & Friends of USC who love hockey and would like to help us put on a spectacular game every game!

Putting on the perfect hockey game takes a lot of manpower and teamwork, so we treat our volunteer workers like gold. YOU MAKE OUR GAMES GO 'ROUND! We are looking for individuals who can help us with general game functions such as:

Scoreboard operation;
In-game announcing;
Score and statistics keeping;
Camera operators (nothing fancy, just record the the action!);
Photography;
Sales & merchandising'
and more!

The benefits of volunteering for USC Ice Hockey:

Receive USC Ice Hockey swag;
Discounts off merchandise purchases;
Use of team discounts, such as to Hockey Giant;
Opportunities to take advantage of offers from our partners, such as the Anaheim Ducks;
Networking opportunities - we work closely with the local USC Alumni clubs, and you never know who you'll run into!
The satisfaction of turning the energy of your school spirit into something tangible!

Those who are interested should contact info@uscicehockey.com with the following information:

Your Name and contact info;
Year in school or USC affiliation;
Your level of knowledge of the game of hockey (Not required! We'll teach you!)
Any relevance experience, training, or other information.

Thank you, and FIGHT ON!

USC Ice Girls

2011-09-24T12:52:00.001-07:00

After suffering through a scortcher of a day, I found myself frozen to the bone as I sat in the Iceland Ice Rink in Van Nuys, California watching the open skate for the USC Ice Girls.

The Ice Girls were founded last season through a collaboration between the USC men's ice hockey team and group of girls from the USC Figure Skating Team.

Junior Niki Huenergardt, co-founder and squad coordinator, met with USC Figure Skating president Jessie Ranko Houston and USC Ice Hockey Assistant General Manager Johnny Nguyen, and it was decided with a group of girls on the figure skating team that they wanted to find a way to be a part of the spirit of USC through their skating skills. Thus, the USC Ice Girls were born.

This open skate was such a success that they decided to have a Varsity and Junior Varsity team – a huge milestone for the girls, as last year there were only five on the team. Niki was beyond thrilled with the turnout and explained that she hopes that even more girls will take an interest in the future, “We want to let girls know that they don’t have to be a skater. We want bubbly, fun, personality girls. We want to be an important asset to the USC community.”

This 2011-2012 season appears to be a promising one for the girls, as they will have more members to help promote their team throughout the USC community. They love reaching out and interacting with the fans. They are quite excited about becoming more and more apart of the spirit of the university.

There was lots of fun to be had at their open skate. I could feel the excitement from the girls who were having a blast skating around and forming new friendships with their future teammates. Work was accomplished as the girls’ skating ability did need to be tested to see who was eligible to be apart of the girls who actually perform during the intermission of the USC Ice Hockey games. They are also responsible for clearing the ice of snow throughout the USC Ice Hockey team's games.

The highlight of the evening was AGM Johnny Nguyen attempting figure skating tricks in his hockey skates. He made a valiant effort as he entertained all those who were there to witness.

There were some stumbles, some impressive tricks, and lots of laughter – all indicators that the USC Ice Girls are in store for a fantastic season.

This past week at Rivalry Night at the Honda Center, fans were able to meet their new USC Ice Girls team, and they were welcomed with open arms. The girls helped make the entire evening go off without a hitch and truly made a connection with the fans. Congratulations to the new Ice Girls who looked like seasoned pros at their debut event:

Alexandria, Amy, Daniele, Emily, Felicia, Jill, Joyce, Katie, Meghan, Rachel, and Treasure

USC comeback falls short with uneven officiating; 49ers win 4-3.

2011-09-24T00:20:00.000-07:00

LAKEWOOD, CA - In a contentious and hard-fought game that was marred by questionable officiating calls against both teams, USC (0-1, 0-0 PAC 8) falls 4-3 to host Long Beach State (1-0) in the regular season debut for both squads in front of a standing room only crowd.

Fresh off an exhibition game against UCLA at the Honda Center, the Trojans looked to avenge last season's two losses to the 49ers, with many fresh faces appearing the lineup.

The teams immediately made their presence known, playing aggressively and together racking up 9 penalties in the 1st period, while holding each other scoreless. Shots on goal were nearly even, 12-11 in favor of USC.

Long Beach State drew first blood early in the 2nd period, with Brad Roberts (Robbie Zdjelar, Ian Hoang) scoring off a rebound 2:11 into the frame.

The lead didn't last long, as USC answered immediately with rookie forward David Knight (Corey Newman) scoring just 46 seconds later to notch it up 1-1.

Later in the 2nd, the 49ers score again as Tyler Robertson (Zac Zamoya, Hoang) wrapped around the net and scored from USC goalie Alex Caravaggio's right side, giving The Beach a 2-1 lead.

But again, the lead was short lived as the Trojans scored a mere 19 seconds later. Sophomore forward James Huebner (Ryan Kucinski, Adam Zacuto) collected a rebound off Long Beach goalie Ricky St. Louis and punched the puck in to tie it up 2-2.

Both teams collected 9 more penalties; 2nd period SOGs were 14-6 in favor of USC.

In the 3rd period, the 49ers again scored quickly and took the lead 3-2 , with Zamoya (Matt Rushton) punching it through A. Caravaggio just 1:33 into the period.

Controversy struck as an apparent game-tying USC goal by a driving Zacuto is waived off. The referees conferred and agreed that the puck caromed into the net by a high stick, even though Zacuto was the only Trojan within 15 feet of the net.

Halfway through the 3rd, the Trojans tied the game as USC rookie forward Corey Newman scored unassisted off the faceoff after a Long Beach icing call.

Late in the game with the score 3-3, the 49ers put the game away on a 3-2 breakaway with 3;09 left in the game. Zdjelar streaked up the weak side and slid the puck behind A. Caravaggio off a pass from Roberts (Chris Chan).

USC desperately tried to even the score, pulling A. Caravaggio several times to bring on an extra attacker. On two consecutive series, the linesman whistled USC's drives dead for sending the attacker too early, before the goalie reached the bench. In the second incident, defenseman Ryan Manning came on to replace fellow defenseman Tom Duffy, but was mistaken as the extra attacker by the linesman, who consequently blew his whistle.

"One of the worst calls I've ever seen," said USC Head Coach Jeff Langille after the game. "How he could confuse my defenseman as the extra attacker is beyond me."

USC faces two more West Coast Hockey Conference teams next week, as they drive down the coast to face San Diego State (0-1) on Friday (9:00pm, Kroc Center), then play in their own home rink as the visitors against Cal State Fullerton (0-0) on Saturday (7:30pm, The Rinks - Anaheim ICE).

Both games will be broadcast online on Ustream. Visit http://www.ustream.tv/channels/uscicehockey for more details.

Game Notes:

- USC remains winless against teams from WCHC, which was formed in the 2010-2011 season.

- Manning & Zacuto received misconduct penalties at the end of regulation.

- Next matchup between USC and Long Beach State is Thursday, 10/6 - 8:30pm at Anaheim ICE.

Tryout Info for the 2011-2012 season

2011-08-28T23:58:00.000-07:00

Dates:

- Sept 4-5: Training Camp (off-ice)
- Wed Sept 7: On-Ice Tryouts/Captains' Practice (Anaheim Ice, 10pm)
- Mon Sept 12: On-Ice Tryouts (Glacial Garden, 10:15pm)
- Wed Sept 14: Preseason Practice (Anaheim Ice, 10pm)
- Mon Sept 19: Preseason Practice (Glacial Garden, 10:15pm)

- Full gear (including full face cage) required for on-ice sessions, plus a white & dark jersey.
- All required forms (e.g., USA Hockey registration, Rec Sports waiver, medical forms) must be completed and submitted before the first ice session.

To receive further details on training camp and tryouts, you must email Head Coach Jeff Langille at jlangille@uscicehockey.com with the following details:

- Full Name

- Year in School

- Cell Phone number

- Email address

- Hometown

- No. of Years playing

- Level of play

- Previous team played for

5 Trojans invited to PAC 8 All-Star Team

2011-03-17T13:56:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: Follow the PAC 8 All Stars below to receive updates and scores from Philadelphia this weekend!

Five players from USC Hockey have been invited to help represent the PAC 8 Conference against other all-star squads on April 1-3, lead by freshman goalie Alex Caravaggio, voted to the All PAC 8 First Team as the league's best goalie this past season.

The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) All-Star Challenge will be held in West Chester, PA, near Philadelphia, and will pit the PAC 8 team against the best players from the East Coast, Northeast, and other regions known for producing top-notch hockey teams.

Joining the young Caravaggio is his brother, junior defenseman Dante Caravaggio, as well as senior forward Charlie Mach, who was selected to the PAC 8 Third Team. Additionally, USC Assistant GM Johnny Nguyen will join the team in Philly as a GM.

Invited but not able to attend are senior defensemen Mike Gawlik and Jason Bush (PAC 8 Second Team).

Accompanying the Trojans will be players from Cal, Oregon, UCLA, Washington, and Washington State. Oregon has the largest representation with six players; the current PAC 8 Champion, Washington, was only able to send one player.

Stanford is currently serving a season-long sanction and their players were not eligible for the all-star team. Utah is still completing the process of joining the conference.

Schedule of Games (all times Eastern):

Friday, April 1
- 12:30pm PAC 8 vs. Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA)
- 8:00pm PAC 8 vs. Super East Collegiate Hockey League (SECHL)

Saturday, April 2
- 11:45am PAC 8 vs. Great Northeast Collegiate Hockey Conference (GNCHC)
- TBD Game #4

Sunday, April 3
- TBD Game #5

UPDATE: Full PAC 8 roster below...

GOALIES:

- Jack Barry (Oregon)

- Alex Caravaggio (USC)

DEFENSE:

- Dante Caravaggio (USC)

- Ashton Christian (UCLA)

- Justin Lacasse (Oregon)

- Dougo Reese (Oregon)

- Nathan Taylor (WSU)

FORWARDS:

- Michael Carder (UCLA)

- Jordan Chenersky (UW)

- Nik Haigh (WSU)

- Charlie Mach (USC)

- JP McNicolas (Cal)

- Zach Peters (Oregon)

- Dan Sulitzer (Cal)

- Kevin Trihey (Oregon)

- Daniel Vaynter (UCLA)

- Derek Wolfson (Oregon)

- TJ Wynn (Cal)

STAFF:

- Cyril Allen (Cal)

- Mark Francis (UCLA)

- Johnny Nguyen (USC)

- Chris Soriano (WSU)

USC Falls in Shootout in Pac-8 Tournament Semifinal

2011-02-12T00:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight, USC showed what they are truly made of. In the Pac-8 semifinal, USC went wire to wire with the best team in the Pac-8, the UW Huskies, falling just short in a shootout. 2-1. A team that has faced so much adversary this season brought it all tonight here in Seattle, showing the rest of the Pac-8 that this new USC team is here to stay. After the game, Husky Coach Dave Kell said, "This is a young USC team that is here to stay. They are going to be very competitive in this league for a long time".

This game was the most exciting and even game I have ever had the privilege of being involved in. The first period started off slow, with both teams trading big hits without seizing any momentum. The second period is when things really began to heat up. Both teams traded penalty after penalty until finally, UW was given a 5-3, and Husky Jeff McCormick capitalized on it, sniping a laser into the top part of the net through a thoroughly screened Freshman Goaltender Alex Caravaggio. USC struck back very quickly during their own 5-3, when Junior Assistant Captain Noah Comisar took a rebound off the back wall and buried it home. USC dominated the 3rd period, but couldn't find a way to get the puck past UW Goalie Danny Dougan. Overtime was a very defensive game on both sides of the ice, with neither team getting any real opportunities to take the game. That lead to a shootout, where Husky Forwards Corey James, Jordan Chernesky, and Stefan Sobiek beat Caravaggio on the same move, sending UW to their second straight Pac-8 championship game.

My first star of the game has to go to Freshman Standout Goalie Alex Caravaggio. Time and time again this season Alex has proved that he is the best goalie in the Pac-8, if not the entire western region of the ACHA. Yet it wasn't just how he played that earned him tonight's first star. It was how he lost. I can honestly say that I have never been more proud of any player in my life. It is one thing to win graciously. It is another thing entirely to lose like a man. Alex lost tonight, but he took it like a man. He didn't throw a tantrum and break a stick. He shook every Husky's hand and held his head high all the way into the locker room. Tonight, the people of Seattle saw a teenager become a man, and that is why he has earned my first star.

I'll see you all tomorrow for the 3rd place game against Cal.
J

USC loses 2nd game to UW

2011-01-30T01:15:00.000-08:00

Looking to rebound from the loss to Washington the previous night, USC came out faster and stronger but came up short, losing the close match 3-1.

After a quiet and scoreless 1st period, the action livened up early into the 2nd as the Huskies' Stefan Sobiek (unassisted) poked the puck away on defense and scored on the ensuing breakaway.

Another UW goal, this time on a 5-on-3 power play, was tipped in by Daniel Carson (Sobiek, Jordan Chenersky) to make it 2-0 going into the 2nd intermission.

USC regrouped during the 3rd period, scoring halfway through the frame on a USC power play as Dante Caravaggio (Thomas Waschenfelder) ripped a shot through a screen and past UW goalie Danny Dougan, bring the Trojans to within one goal.

However, the Trojan comeback was repelled with less than two minutes left to go in the game, as UW's Phil Harezlak fed Andrew Johnson at the top of the circle, who fired it past traffic and into the top corner, finishing off their roadtrip with the 3-1 victory.

The Trojans finish off the regular season against non-conference foes Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount next weekend before heading up to Seattle for the PAC 8 Conference Championships on February 11-12, joining California, Oregon, and host Washington as the qualifying teams.

Third-seeded USC will again faceoff against 2nd-seeded UW, this time at the Huskies' home rink, while top-seeded Oregon squares off against 4th-seeded Cal.

USC Trojans vs. UW Huskies: Pac-8 Championship Rematch Game 2-Postgame

2011-01-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

USC came out with a whole different attitude and a new lineup in the 3rd period, and it paid off to start. Physical play was the theme of the period as both team traded hit after hit, and penalty after penalty. USC finally struck first in the period, but UW was able to put it away late in the 3rd, sinking the Trojans 3-1.

USC came out much stronger than they had been in the previous 5 periods this weekend, trying to swing the momentum in their favor. Coach Langille switched up the lineup, putting Freshman Thomas Washenfelder with Freshman James Huebner and Junior Assistant Captain Noah Comisar, and it paid off on the power play. Washenfelder fed Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio at the point, who ripped a shot through a Huebner screen and past Husky goalie Danny Dougan. USC continued to battle for momentum all the way through the period, but with less than 2 minutes to play, UW struck back, as a Tristan Wickliff slap-shot from the top of the near circle rifled into the top corner through a thoroughly screened Freshman goalie Alex Caravaggio. The goal sent the Trojans home with the 3-1 loss.

My first star of the game goes to Junior Assistant Captain Noah Comisar. Though he did not show up on the scoresheet tonight, his physical play throughout the first 2 periods was the ultimate "lead by example" type of play. His work clearly caught the sight of Coach Langille, who put him as the grinder up on the first line, and his physical play combined with Waschenfelder and Huebner gave the Trojans the best chance they had to win. Look for Comisar to continue that physicality going into next weekend's games against LMU and LBSU.

Overall, the Trojans played a very up and down game against the Huskies. They showed, though, that they can skate with them, and if they played the same way they played in the 3rd period for all three, USC would've come out of this game with a win. Alex Caravaggio continues to prove why he is the premier goalie in the Pac-8, and his play is an example the rest of the Trojan lineup can follow.

I'll be back next Friday for the Trojans game against LMU.

James

USC Trojans vs. UW Huskies: Pac-8 Championship Rematch Game 2-2nd Period Analysis

2011-01-29T21:04:00.000-08:00

Two very unfortunate goals doomed the Trojans in the 2nd period here at Anaheim Ice, as the UW Huskies have taken a 2-0 lead here with 20 minutes to go in Game 2 of our Pac-8 Championship rematch. Stefan Sobiek and Daniel Carson scored to put the Huskies ahead.

Both teams again came out very physical, and USC was finally awarded their first power play 3 minutes into the period, but the Huskies turned it towards their favor, when Sobiek poked it away from a Trojan defender and went untouched on a breakaway on Freshman goalie Alex Caravaggio. Caravaggio gave it all he had, but to no avail as Sobiek put it past him to power UW to a 1-0 lead. Both teams played back and forth through the middle of the period, but penalty trouble slowed down the Trojan attack yet again, and the Huskies took advantage of yet ANOTHER 5-3, when Carson tipped a Sobiek shot past Caravaggio to send USC to the locker room down 2-0.

As my color man, Alex Hite, said, "A two goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey". USC needs to come out in the 3rd period madder and faster than they have so far this weekend. They need to take control of the game and swing the momentum in their favor, starting with a quick goal to start the period. Defensively, they have done better controlling the breakout and not giving the puck right to the Husky defensemen. However, they still need to control the front of the net and stop UW from getting any second chances on Caravaggio rebounds.

I'll be back after the game with a full postgame recap and analysis.

James

USC Trojans vs. UW Huskies: Pac-8 Championship Rematch Game 2-1st Period Analysis

2011-01-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

After one here at Anaheim Ice, your USC Trojans have come out a lot stronger than they did last night, keeping the game scoreless 0-0 against a high powered UW Husky offense. Great job by the USC defense to limit the number of shots for UW, clearing out the front of the net and giving Freshman goalie Alex Caravaggio much greater visibility to the points.

Both teams played a very physical and back and forth game, keeping the game close at both ends of the ice. The new first line of Freshman Thomas Waschenfelder, Senior Mitchell Landsinger, and Sophomore Dave Morris did a great job shutting down the Husky first line, one of the most important matchup issues of the game. However, none of the forward lines have been able to capitalize on opportunities presented to them, not taking a lot of shots that they needed to in order to put pressure on Husky goalie Danny Dougan. Look for them to take more shots and crash the net harder going into the next two periods.

The biggest change USC has to make is in the defensive zone. The Trojans need to control the puck more on the breakout, and not allow Husky defenders to collect these errant passes and take shots on Caravaggio. Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio and Senior Assistant Captain Jason Bush are doing a great job taking the puck out themselves rather than throwing it aimlessly around. Let's hope the rest of the Trojan team can follow their lead and run a much more controlled breakout.

I'll be back after the 2nd period with continued in-game analysis.

James

USC Trojans vs. UW Huskies: Pac-8 Championship Rematch Game 2-Pregame

2011-01-29T19:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, Ladies and Gentlemen, to Anaheim Ice, where your USC Trojans will try to bounce back from an unfortunate loss last night against the UW Huskies in their first game since last years Pac-8 Championship. The Trojans are hoping to shut down the high powered offense of the Huskies, who are lead by Forwards Jordan Chernesky and Stefan Sobiek. Trojan Freshman goaltender Alex Caravaggio is hoping to bounce back from a great, yet disappointing game last night, and help the Trojans try to find an offensive rhythm.

My key matchup for tonight's game is between the Trojans second line of Freshman Thomas Waschenfelder, Sophomore Dave Morris, and Senior Mitchell Landsinger, against the Husky first line of Sobiek, Chernesky, and Forward Ben Waters. Coach Langille told me before the game that since he has the last change as the home team, he will try to match up his second line with their offensive juggernaut. They seemed to do the best job shutting down that line without getting too many penalties in the process. He will try to match the Trojan third line of Junior Assistant Captain Noah Comisar, Senior Max Szentveri, and Freshman Derek Peters against the Husky second line of Corey James, Phil Hareslak, and Alex Wytaske, giving the Trojan first line of Senior Charlie Mach, Sophomore Beau Selisker, and Freshman James Huebner a chance to develop a rhythm against the UW third and fourth lines.

Defensively, the Trojan blue-liners must continue to stand tall against the UW attack, but also need to a better job clearing out the front of the net. This will allow Caravaggio to see a lot better, helping him rebound from last night's loss. Look for Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio step up tonight and provide a spark for both the USC defense as well as the offense. His rushes up the ice could be the key for a USC victory tonight.

I'll be back after the first with in-game analysis.

James

USC downed by UW in rematch

2011-01-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

The Washington Huskies came into Anaheim Ice looking for redemption against USC, and took a first major step towards it, as the Huskies defeated the Trojans 4-1 on Friday night.

Meeting for the first time since last season's dramatic PAC 8 Championship Game where an underdog USC squad defeated UW, both teams looked to solidify their conference records in the final week of conference play, as well as size each other up, ahead of this season's playoffs.

USC is the defending PAC 8 champion and coming off two victories against archrival UCLA. Washington likewise notched two victories against their rivals, top-ranked Oregon, as well as a win against Cal State Fullerton the previous night.

The Huskies host this year's PAC 8 tournament. Currently, UW sits in second place in the PAC 8, with USC right behind in third place.

A relatively quite first period was highlighted by a pair of goals near intermission. USC struck first with a streaking Dave Morris receiving from a Thomas Waschenfelder pass up the middle and putting the puck past Husky netminder Danny Dougan to put the Trojans up 1-0.

However, UW answered ten seconds later, as USC goalie A. Caravaggio left the puck on his exposed flank and UW's Byron Ma (Dan Herda) took advantage, scoring on the open net to tie it up 1-1.

USC entered the 2nd period on a 5-on-4 advantage for the first 3:59, as UW's Jordan Chenersky was assessed a double minor (roughing, 2:00; crosschecking, 2:00) going into the 1st intermission. The Trojans failed to capitalize though, with USC picking up a hooking penalty within the first minute of the period to make it an even 4-on-4 situation.

Midway through the 2nd with both teams at full strength, UW's Daniel Carson (Corey James, Jason Bartlett) punched a shot through heavy traffic and past A. Caravaggio for the Huskies' second goal.

While the Trojans killed off two separate 5-on-3 UW power plays, screens continued to be the main factor as another UW shot by Jeff McClateck (Phil Hamzlek, James) squeezed through traffic with :35 left in the 2nd, and sending the Trojans into the locker room down 3-1.

The 3rd period was riddled with penalties for both teams, but UW put the game away on another screened shot, this time by Ben Walters (Chenersky, Carson) on a power play.

Final score of the game was 4-1 in favor of the Huskies. The teams have their second meeting this weekend on Saturday. The puck drops at Anaheim Ice at 7:30pm.

Other Notes:

- UW's Andrew Johnson sat out for this game, serving a disqualification stemming from the previous night vs. CSUF.

- UW outshot USC 28-20.

- Twenty-six separate penalties were assessed between the two teams; USC's Beau Selisker led the field with 4 minors.

USC Trojans vs. UW Huskies: Pac-8 Championship Rematch-Postgame

2011-01-28T23:04:00.000-08:00

Well, USC doomed themselves again with penalties, allowing UW to take advantage of bad penalties and a lack of rhythm for the Trojans, beating them in game 1 here at Anaheim Ice, 4-1. The Huskies added an insurance goal early in the 3rd to doom the inconsistent Trojans at home.

Washington took advantage of too many bad penalties from the Trojans, scoring their insurance goal on the power play, as Husky defenseman Daniel Carson took a hard shot from the point through a couple of screens past Freshman goalie Alex Caravaggio, putting the Huskies ahead for good. USC, time and time again, shot themselves in the foot taking bad penalty after bad penalty, never giving themselves a chance to get into a rhythm.

My first star of the game goes to Freshman forward Thomas Waschenfelder, who in his first game as a Trojan played with more heart and determination than any other player on the ice. His excellent play gave USC the first lead in the game, and he continued afterwards to put the puck on net and put constant pressure on the Husky defense.

Overall, USC's penalty trouble continues to plague a team that needs to find a rhythm in order to compete in the upcoming Pac-8 tournament. Offensively, the Trojans continue to struggle to put the puck on net, regardless of the number of chances they have. USC continues to try and make the "perfect" play in order to score a goal, instead of wearing down Husky goalie Danny Dougan, who was not challenged very much at all tonight. Defensively, the Trojan defensive corps consisting of Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio, Senior Assistant Captain Jason Bush, Senior Captain Mike Gawlik, Freshman Tom Duffy, Freshman Ryan Manning, and Junior Mike Mowrey, do a great job containing a high powered UW offense, but their problems with the forwards on the break out continues to allow teams more chances on Caravaggio than necessary.

We'll be back tomorrow night with game 2 of this Pac-8 Championship rematch here at Anaheim Ice, 7:30 start.

James

USC Trojans vs. UW Huskies: Pac-8 Championship Rematch-2nd Period Analysis

2011-01-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

USC came out in this period looking to capitalize on a double minor by UW at the end of the first period, but it was their own penalties that did them in this period, allowing the Huskies to score two unanswered goals. Any momentum they got was quickly erased by unfortunate penalties, putting them down 3-1 after 2.

USC came out into the period on the power play, thanks to a 4 minute double minor from Husky Jordan Chernesky, but almost immediately USC was in the box themselves, taking 2 minutes out of their power play and not allowing them to get into a rhythm. The Huskies struck very soon after Chernesky came out of the box, when a Daniel Carson shot got through a lot of traffic and past Freshman goalie Alex Caravaggio. USC held on even though they faced multiple penalty kill situations, including two separate 5-3's. The Huskies struck again with 35 seconds remaining in the period after Caravaggio lost sight of a Washington shot, sending the Trojans to the locker room down 3-1.

USC again is having a lot of trouble with penalties and cannot get into a rhythm. One major consequence of that is their inability to break the puck out of their own zone, giving UW more chances to put the puck on Caravaggio. Look for the defense, especially Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio, Senior Assistant Captain Jason Bush, Senior Captain Mike Gawlik, and Freshman Tom Duffy to take the puck out themselves if the Trojan forwards cannot get it out.

I'll be back after the game with my postgame analysis.

James

USC Trojans vs. UW Huskies: PAC 8 Championship Rematch-1st Period Analysis

2011-01-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

Well Ladies and Gentlemen it was a back and forth period here at Anaheim Ice with both teams coming out sluggish. USC managed to keep it close with some key saves from Freshman goalie Alex Caravaggio, and both teams have headed into the locker room tied up at 1-1

USC struck first after 15 minutes of back and forth play from both teams. Incoming Freshman Thomas Waschenfelder made a great run into the Husky end, before making a tape-to-tape to Sophomore Dave Morris in front of the net, who buried it past UW goalie Danny Dougan. Unfortunately for USC, they couldn't hang on to the lead, as 10 seconds later, Caravaggio misplayed a puck, allowing it to squirt out in front of the net with him way out of position. Husky Captain Byron Ma buried it into the wide open net, tying up the score at 1-1.

USC needs to come out this period a lot stronger than they did last period, and capitalize on the double minor that Husky leading scorer Jordan Chernesky took with 1 second remaining in the period. The first line of Senior Charlie Mach, Freshman James Huebner, and Sophomore Beau Selisker need to develop an offensive rhythm and continue putting pucks on net. The second line of Waschenfelder, Morris, and Senior Mitchell Landsinger must continue to produce in the Husky zone if USC wants to win this game.

I'll be back with my 2nd period analysis.

James

USC Trojans vs. UW Huskies: Pac-8 Championship Rematch Pregame

2011-01-28T20:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen! After a very strong weekend against ucla, your Trojans are hoping to keep the momentum rolling against the team they beat last year for the Pac-8 title: The University of Washington Huskies. UW is coming off of a big win last night against CSUF, 4-1, and are now ranked 15th in the west. The Huskies are a very young team, with 12 underclassmen and only 5 seniors. They are led by Junior forward Jordan Chernesky and Senior forward Stefan Sobiek, who was the Pac-8 leading scorer two years ago.

The Trojans counter with Freshman goaltender Alex Caravaggio, who is coming off three straight spectacular starts, including two incredible victories over ucla. Tonight's lineup is a lot different than previous games, with newcomer Freshman Thomas Waschenfelder centering the second line. The lineup tonight looks like:

1: Selisker - Mach - Huebner
2: Morris - Waschenfelder - Landsinger
3: Comisar - Szentveri - Peters
4: Bieber - Silverman - Ernst
D: Gawlik - Duffy
D: Bush - Manning
D: D. Caravaggio - Mowrey
G: A. Caravaggio

In order for USC to be competitive in this game, they need to do 3 important things. First, the Caravaggio brothers need to continue their dominating play in the defensive zone, with Dante playing as USC's top defenseman, and Alex playing spectacularly in net. Second, the Trojan first line of Senior Charlie Mach, Freshman James Huebner, and Sophomore Beau Selisker need to capitlize on their offensive chances and lead USC's offensive attack. Finally, in their game Saturday against ucla, the Trojans had a lot of trouble staying out of the penalty box, preventing them from generating any sort of rhythm in the offensive zone.

I'll be back after the first period with a full analysis

James

USC Ice Hockey completes season sweep of UCLA

2011-01-23T20:17:00.000-08:00

The Trojans defeat the Bruins 4-3 (OT), 3-2 (SO) in a pair of wild finishes

By Johnny Nguyen
January 23, 2011

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The USC men’s ice hockey team completed their domination over UCLA this season by winning a pair of matches over the weekend, going into overtime in both games, with one going to a shootout.

Previously, USC won both of the previous meetings earlier this season, 5-4 and 4-3.

On Friday, the Trojans drove to the Bruins’ home rink in the Valley for an early evening game. The Bruins took advantage of Trojan miscues to score two power play goals and go into the first intermission up 2-1, even though they were outshot by USC 16-11. Mark Yost (Jon Lee) and Michael Carder (Charlie Linehan) scored for UCLA; Noah Comisar (Mitchell Landsinger) notched one for USC.

The Trojans rebounded from their quiet first period performance and kept the puck in the Bruins’ zone for the majority of the second period, outshooting UCLA 13-8 and capitalizing with 2:05 left in the period when Landsinger received a quick pass from Comisar and sniped it past Bruin goalie Al Ricciardelli, tying the game at 2-2.

The third period was a defensive battle as each side continued to repel each other’s attacks. However at the 7:14 mark, USC captain Mike Gawlik (Jason Bush) fired a slow shot from the blue line through a screen of players, which trickled in under Ricciardelli and put the Trojans up 3-2.

At one point, the Trojans successfully killed off a 5-3 Bruin power play that lasted 1:52, but quickly found themselves on another penalty kill and paid the price, with Carder (Lee, Yost) equalizing the score with a one-timer past USC goalie Alex Caravaggio at the 6:22 mark.

USC had an opportunity to close out the game when Carder picked up a tripping penalty with 0:28 remaining, but only managed two shots on goal as the period expired.

In the extra overtime period, it remained a four-on-three man advantage for USC as Carder served the remaining time for his penalty. American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) rules state that the teams play four-on-four in five minutes of sudden-death overtime.

The Trojans overpowered the Bruins in overtime, keeping the puck in the offensive zone and after several shots turned away by Ricciardelli, USC’s Dante Caravaggio (unassisted) rocketed a blue-line shot past the UCLA netminder at 1:03, winning the game for the Trojans and clinching the 2011 Crosstown Cup three games to none.

USC maintains a 13-3 domination over UCLA in the Cup’s sixteen-year history, though the Bruins won the Crosstown rivalry last season, three games to two.

On Saturday, the Game Four of the series shifted to the Trojans’ home rink, The Rinks – Anaheim ICE. While USC captured the Crosstown Cup, the game remained relevant as both teams looked to secure their invitation to the PAC 8 Conference Tournament, held this season in Seattle, WA.

USC currently holds third place in the conference; UCLA sits just out of the playoff picture in fifth place.

In the first period, USC’s Caravaggio and UCLA’s Ricciardelli lead the way to a 0-0 deadlock, with the teams picking up two penalties each along the way, including a four-minute double-minor for highsticking by USC’s Max Ernst on Bruin Ashton Christian’s neck. Christian recovered quickly, immediately taking the next faceoff.

The second period saw more aggressive play out of both teams. Three players on each side picked up penalties, including five-minute major penalty and game misconduct against USC rookie James Huebner for a violent hit 0:30 into the frame, resulting in his ejection from the game.

However, USC turned the tables on the previous night and capitalized on their power play situations. Dave Morris (Landsinger, Peter Rugo) broke the impasse 8:41 into the period, scoring on a severe off-angle to take a 1-0 lead, but at even strength UCLA quickly answered back 0:13 later, with Brandon Wu (Christian, Carder) putting in the tying goal off an error by A. Caravaggio behind his net.

Still in the second period, the Trojans exploited an interference call against UCLA’s Carder, as Landsinger (Morris, Ryan Manning) punched in a shot with 2:25 remaining, and sending the Trojans into the locker room with a 3-2 lead after two.

The third period started quietly, but with the Trojans on a penalty kill, the Bruins scored the equalizer with 5:40 remaining and sending the game into the extra session.

The overtime period saw plenty of action but no goals, as both netminders turned away several shots and locked out the opposing teams, sending the game into a decisive five-man shootout.

During the shootout, the goalies again turned in solid performances in the one-on-one situations, but USC’s Morris found the chink in Ricciardelli’s armor, scoring the only shootout goal for either team, and locking up the victory for USC by the final score of 3-2, as the Bruins could not penetrate A. Caravaggio’s staunch goaltending.

In a rematch of last season’s PAC 8 championship game, USC hosts another PAC 8 foe, Washington, this weekend on Friday and Saturday, January 28-29, in Anaheim. The second-place Huskies are themselves coming off a successful weekend, sweeping conference leader Oregon in Eugene.

Other Notes:

UCLA assistant coach Josh Hoffman was assessed a match penalty in Friday’s game for throwing a stick onto the ice at the referee after the game was concluded; he was given a one-game suspension by the PAC 8 Conference, which banned him from Saturday night’s matchup.
USC’s James Huebner, ejected from Saturday’s game, was not assessed a game disqualification, which would have been an automatic one-game suspension.
Each of the four games in this season’s Crosstown Cup series was decided by a single goal.
While the Crosstown Cups series is typically best-of-five, this season’s Game Five, slated to be hosted by UCLA, was canceled due to the PAC 8's moving of the playoff tournament one week ahead than was originally scheduled without notification to any California team, affecting games for both the USC-UCLA and Cal-Stanford series. USC additionally had to cancel a game against San Diego State.

USC Trojans vs. ucla Bruins-Crosstown Cup Game 4 Postgame

2011-01-22T22:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone for a lack of a 2nd period analysis, but I was having a lovely chat with GM Mark Wilbur, but the real action didn't happen until the end of the game, when USC and ucla took a 2-2 game into overtime for the second straight night. Nothing happened in the overtime period, so USC went to their first shootout of the year. Back and forth both teams went as both goalies, Freshman Alex Caravaggio of USC and Al Ricciardelli of ucla, made save after save trying to bring their team the victory. Unfortunately for ucla, Sophomore Dave Morris was able to slip one through the 5-hole of Ricciardelli, sealing the victory for USC.

The 2nd period was a back and forth affair, starting with a 5 minute major and game misconduct for Freshman James Huebner 30 seconds into the period. USC did a great job killing off the penalty, and ucla was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. USC struck first when Morris took a bad-angle shot through a very small hole and past Ricciardelli and into the net. ucla struck back quickly when Caravaggio, trying to clear the puck out from behind the net, gave the puck to Michael Carder, whose shot was redirected past a sliding Caravaggio and into the net. USC finished off the period with another huge goal from Junior Assistant Captain Noah Comisar, sliding one past Ricciardelli. The 3rd period remained scoreless until 7 minutes left, when ucla, on another extended power play, snuck one by Caravaggio to even the score. Caravaggio saved shots from Michael Carder, Mark Yost, Ashton Christian, Charlie Linehan, and Nick Panzica, while Ricciardelli stopped shots from Senior Charlie Mach, Sophomore Beau Selisker, before allowing the goal from Morris. Another save on Freshman Tom Duffy allowed ucla another chance, but to no avail.

Overtime was exciting as both teams had huge chances to score, but both goalies standing on their heads. Finally, the overtime period ended, and a shootout was needed to decide the postseason fate of both teams.

My first star of the game is of course, Freshman Alex Caravaggio. Time and time again he has proven to the world that he is the best goalie in the Pac-8, and may be one of the best goalies in the west. Save after save he makes just seems to make him stronger, refusing to get tired out as he continues to stand on his head for the Trojans. The future of USC hockey seems to be in great hands.

My final analysis of the game rests solely on the number of bad penalties taken by USC. They spent way too much time in the box, and made it very difficult to keep up any momentum they would get. That allowed ucla to stick around for the whole game, even after USC was outplaying them in all aspects of the game. Great job by all six defensemen, Freshman Tom Duffy, Senior Captain Mike Gawlik, Senior Assistant Captain Jason Bush, Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio, Junior Mike Mowrey, and Freshman Ryan Manning. Look for the team to build on their great play heading into next week's huge showdown with Washington, a rematch of last year's Pac-8 Championship game.

See you all next week here in Anaheim!

James

USC Trojans vs. ucla Bruins-Crosstown Cup Game 4 1st Period Analysis

2011-01-22T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well Ladies and Gentlemen, both USC and ucla had plenty of opportunities to take control of the game, but both goalies, Freshman Alex Caravaggio of USC and Al Ricciardelli of ucla, have played unbelievable to keep the game tied at 0-0.

Both teams had plenty of chances in the period, with ucla having a very extended powerplay right in the middle of the period, including one minute of a 5-3, but Caravaggio stood on his head time and time again to keep ucla off the board, including two great saves against uncovered Bruins. On the other side, a couple of great plays by the first line of Senior Charlie Mach, Freshman James Huebner, and Sophomore Beau Selisker, gave USC some great chances in front of the ucla net, but still have trouble capitalizing. Look for the three of them to continue to work on their rhythm going into this second period.

On the other side of the ice, as Mr. McClanathan said at the end of the period, USC needs to do a better job bottling up Sophomore Michael Carder, who has emerged as the primary threat on the ucla offense after the graduation of Daniel Vayntner. Look for the Trojan defensemen to play the body on him and stop him from making the end to end runs he has been making.

I'll be back after the second period with more analysis.

James

USC Trojans vs. ucla Bruins-Crosstown Cup Game 4 Pregame

2011-01-22T19:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to tonight's matchup between the bitter Crosstown rivals, USC and ucla. Last night USC took a thrilling overtime victory in game 3 of this annual series, securing the Crosstown Cup once again would return to Downtown. Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio netted the game winner in what was the most thrilling matchup between the two teams this season. Yet, what seems like a somewhat meaningless game actually is very important for both teams, for a USC victory secures their place in February's Pac-8 tournament in Seattle, and will end ucla's hope of a return trip to the tournament.

Tonight's key matchup is between the Trojan's first line of Sophomore Beau Selisker, Senior Charlie Mach, and Freshman James Huebner, against the ucla goalie Al Ricciardelli. Last night, Ricciardelli showed great improvement from his previous two performances against USC, doing a much better job with his rebound control to shut down the aggressive play of the first line. Look for them to take more shots to try and tire Ricciardelli out early.

I'll be back with my first period analysis of this crucial game.

James

USC Trojans vs. UCLA Bruins-Crosstown Cup Game 3 Postgame Analysis

2011-01-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

Well Ladies and Gentlemen, it was a hard fought game on both sides of the ice, but it was an overtime goal from Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio with 3:37 remaining in overtime that sealed the deal for the Trojans, as USC has taken back the Crosstown Cup from ucla. USC was victorious 4-3 in the game, with goals from Caravaggio, Landsinger, Gawlik, and Comisar.

The 3rd period was a messy period for both teams, with USC squandering some great opportunities in their own zone and ucla squandering an extended 5-3. The Trojans started off strong in the period with a goal by Senior Captain Mike Gawlik, whose weak slapshot slid through a very crucial screen and past Bruins netminding Al Ricciardelli. The Bruins struck back though, after squandering a 5-3 they got another chance with a bad penalty by Freshman Peter Rugo. Michael Carder fired a one-timer past Freshman Alex Caravaggio, tying up the score 3-3. Yet, with 28 seconds left, USC got a powerplay, but only took 2 shots as the period ended. But in overtime, USC began to find their shooting touch, and after a couple of great saves, Caravaggio sniped one through a screen to take the Crosstown Cup back.

USC played an up and down game overall, with every line having their good moments and their weak moments. The first line of Freshman James Huebner, Sophomore Beau Selisker, and Senior Charlie Mach really need to get themselves to a place where they can take a lot more shots and have a much larger impact offensively.

My first star of the game is Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio, who in his second game back showed everybody why he is the Trojans star defender. Play after play he put himself in a position to succeed and followed through with every play. He is the spark the Trojans needed after the first semester to really power them going into the post-season.

I'll be back tomorrow night for Game 4 at 7:15 in Anaheim!

James

USC Trojans vs. UCLA Bruins-Crosstown Cup Game 3 2nd Period Analysis

2011-01-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

I said after the first that USC needed to rebound in this second period if they wanted to stay in this game, and they did exactly that, playing most of the period in the ucla zone. Bruins goalie Al Ricciardelli made a couple of great saves to keep ucla in the game after 2 periods, with the game now tied 2-2

USC did a great job coming out in the period to keep the puck in the ucla zone for most of the period. The Trojans took shot after shot on Ricciardelli but he has improved drastically on his rebound control, helping to control the game for the Bruins. Finally, with 2 minutes remaining in the period, Junior Assistant Captain Noah Comisar made a great play to get the puck into the Bruin zone, but after seeing he didn't have a good shot, made an excellent pass to Senior Mitchell Landsinger, who sniped one past Ricciardelli to even the score.

USC needs to continue to build on the momentum they gained during the end of that period and come out even harder against a clearly gassed ucla squad. The first line of Senior Charlie Mach, Sophomore Beau Selisker, and Freshman James Huebner need to find a rhythm in order for them to make a much stronger impact on the game. The second line of Landsinger, Comisar, and Sophomore Dave Morris have done a great job in the offensive zone, and look for them to step it up here in the 3rd period.

Look for my postgame analysis here after the game.

James

USC Trojans vs. UCLA Bruins-Crosstown Cup Game 3 1st Period Analysis

2011-01-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

USC came out in this game against a fairly weak ucla squad hoping to build on their strong outing against Long Beach State last weekend. Unfortunately, they fell very flat, falling into a 2-1 hole early here in Panorama City. The story of this game was supposed to be the introduction of two new USC players, Freshman James Huebner and Freshman Peter Rugo, who were hoping to provide a spark for a very weak USC offense. Unfortunately, they haven't had too much of an impact yet.

Both ucla goals came on the power play after two questionable calls against the Trojans. Mark Yost made a great shot for ucla as he was hit, throwing a fluttering puck through traffic past Freshman Alex Caravaggio. USC responded quickly though as Sophomore Dave Morris tipped a Comisar pass from behind the net past ucla goalie Al Ricciardelli. But USC was given a second questionable penalty and Sophomore Michael Carder rifled a shot past Caravaggio to take the 2-1 lead.

USC needs to come out a lot stronger here if they want to dominate as they should against ucla. Missed plays by all four lines cost the Trojans in the first period, and that trend cannot continue if they want to take home the Crosstown Cup tonight.

I'll be back after the second period with more in-game analysis

James

USC Trojans vs. CSULB 49ers Game #1 - Postgame

2011-01-15T23:09:00.000-08:00

Well Ladies and Gentlemen, after a very hard fought game here in Long Beach, USC ends up with the loss at Cal State Long Beach 3-1.

The third period was scoreless until 53 seconds left in the game when 49ers Freshman Taylor Abramson came up with a lucky play where two USC players took each other out, clearing the way for the empty netter.

Overall, USC played fairly strong to start the semester, keeping the game close throughout. Strong defensive efforts from Junior Dante Caravaggio, Freshman Tom Duffy, Senior Mike Gawlik, and Senior Jason Bush led the way for the Trojans. Yet, a lack of offensive production, with the Trojans only managing 17 shots in the whole game, ended up spelling doom for USC. There were flashes of brilliance, especially from the first line of Senior Charlie Mach, Junior Noah Comisar, and Sophomore Beau Selisker, which hopefully will lead to a much stronger game next week against ucla.

USC's star of the game is without a doubt Freshman Alex Caravaggio, who time and time again came up with enormous saves to keep the Trojans in the game, ending the game with 55 saves on 56 shots, with only letting in one 49ers goal, with the Selisker own goal and the empty netter giving the difference. His play gives the Trojans a lot of hope looking towards the future, and he seems to only get better as the year progresses. Look for him to lead this Trojan team throughout the rest of the season and into the postseason.

Next week USC will play their second home and home with the much maligned ucla bruins. Having already taken the first two in the five-game Crosstown Cup series, USC hopes to squash any hope for ucla to make a comeback on Friday night in Panorama City at 5:30 PST, and to present the Cup to their fans on Saturday night at Anaheim Ice, 7:15pm.

James

USC Trojans vs. CSULB 49ers Game #1 - 2nd Period Analysis

2011-01-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

Well Ladies and Gentlemen, after 2 periods of play here in Lakewood, Long Beach holds a slim lead over the Trojans 2-1, but really, the Trojans have scored two goals.

The lone goal of the period came early, when Trojan Sophomore forward Beau Selisker, trying to make a pass behind the net, instead accidentally fired it directly into the Trojan net. The goal was credited to 49ers Senior Sean Hoang, who extends his points lead for the 49ers.

Overall, this has been a very sloppy game for both teams. USC is only in this game because of the unbelievable play of Freshman standout goalie Alex Caravaggio. So far in the game, he has made 34 saves, including 21 in the 2nd period alone. USC is really having trouble putting the puck on net, managing only 13 shots through these two periods. In particular, the Trojans second line of Senior Mitchell Landsinger, Sophomore Dave Morris, and Freshman Sam Silverman, is really having trouble performing, losing a lot of races to the puck and having problems breaking the puck out of the zone. One bright spot for the Trojans has been the very physical play of the 4th line: consisting of Grad Student Justin Bieber, Junior Elliot Dawson, and Sophomore Sherwood Egbert. The 49ers have been unable to solve Caravaggio and lets hope the Trojans can keep it that way while generating a lot more offense.

In order for the Trojans to win this game, they need to win more foot races, keep the puck out of their zone, and focus on their fundamentals, making smart, strong passes, and taking a lot more shots. I'll be back after the 3rd period with my post game thoughts.

James

USC Trojans vs. CSULB 49ers Game #1 - 1st Period Analysis

2011-01-15T21:33:00.000-08:00

After 1 period of play, USC and Long Beach State are tied at 1-1 at what looks to be a dogfight between the Trojans and the 49ers.

USC came out strong to start the period, skating hard and making good, smart plays with the puck. Unfortunately, they have been struggling all season with clearing out in front of the net, and the 49ers exploited that early. #6 Matt Rushdin put in the first goal of the game from the slot through a very crowded front of the net, giving Long Beach State the early lead. USC struck back fairly quickly though as Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio, in his first game of the season after having ACL surgery over the summer, put away a wide open rebound over a sprawling 49ers goalie, tying the game up, where it stayed for the rest of the period.

Overall, the Trojans have played much better than Long Beach expected them to, but according to Assistant Coach Brandon Krikorian, they were still playing lazy. There were many examples of players losing races to the puck because they weren't moving their feet, and a lack of physicality in front of the net caused LBSU's first goal. However, it does appear that last night's destruction of Texas has given Long Beach a certain cockiness that showed a great deal in the first period, and USC took advantage of their low expectations, bringing some heat to the 49ers. Look for both teams to pick it up in the next period, but USC must strike first if they want to stay in this game. Long Beach is too good of a team to stay cocky for too long of a time. The top 2 lines for the Trojans must step it up, for they are getting more rest than they have in previous games now the Coach Langille is playing all 4 lines.
Live updates are available on the USC forum page as the game progresses, and I will be back after the second period.

James

USC Trojans vs. CSULB 49ers Game #1 - Pregame

2011-01-15T20:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen!
James Anderson here giving you live blog updates on tonight's game between USC and a very talented Long Beach State team!
Tonight's matchup for the Trojans features the return of Junior Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio from offseason knee surgery. His presence on the blue line gives our defense the upgrade it needs to protect Freshman standout goalie Alex Caravaggio, who has become the undisputed since the graduation of Senior goalie Zack Keith. USC's starting lineup is:

C - Charlie Mach
RW - Noah Comisar
LW - Beau Selisker
D - Mike Gawlik
D - Tom Duffy
G - Alex Caravaggio

SC is going up against a very talented and deep Long Beach State team, who last night dismantled the visiting Texas Longhorns 15-3. Ranked 10th in the West, LBSU is lead by Senior Sean Hoang and Senior Scott Byrum. Look for the revamped Trojans to attack these two players early.
I will be posting up to date scoring on the forum and if you would like to listen into the game go to
http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/lbsuicehockey.portal#

James

Social Media run amok!

2010-12-26T21:31:00.000-08:00

If you can believe it, this blog entry serves a couple of different purposes:

- To test out blogger... I've never used it before;

- To fill out content... hopefully this will be a regular contribution!

- To take a break... I'm on social media overload, and this is my break!

As AGM, I run the various social media outlets for the team. It all started off as such as simple idea back in my dorm room years ago. I actually was the first webmaster for the team, and (for some odd reason) my original webpage design continued to be used well after I graduated. In fact, until the webpage revamping I did earlier this year, you were looking at the page I originally designed! Flattered as I am, the page definitely needed updating.

Gone are the times when I only had to deal with a website that was just a subdirectory of the student server (gotta love the ~icehocky folder!), and email once in a while (remember icehocky@usc.edu?)

Now we're all grown up... our own domain, our own email servers, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, blogs, etc. Double that up with the same outlets for our Ice Girls, and then add a couple more for The Rig, and I'm up to my ears in updating/tweeting/blogging.

And this doesn't include my personal accounts.

But in any case, what we have now is multiple ways to follow the team. We've always focused on how our fans, both locally and non-locally, can feel close stay connected. We've had a few hiccups this season on the game broadcasting side of things.... we hope to resolve that soon.

Until then, make sure you check out all the ways you can connect with us!

The Team:

USCIceHockey.com
facebook.com/USCIceHockey
twitter.com/USCHockey

(please note that "@USCIceHockey" will still be tweeted by GM Mark Wilbur)

The Ice Girls:

The Rig

GM Mark Wilbur

twitter.com/USCIceHockey

Assitant GM Johnny Nguyen

twitter.com/IceTrojan

Local Listings

Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/usc-ice-hockey-anaheim
Foursquare: http://foursquare.com/venue/14312328

Saturday November 20th

2010-11-30T21:19:00.000-08:00

Tonight is the second game in the series against the Oregon Ducks. After almost being skated off the ice by the Ducks last night, the Trojans had a mission tonight to show the Ducks how the Trojans can really play. From the puck drop, the Trojans were skating with a purpose not seen yet from this team. The Ducks did not know what to do and the Trojans gave the Ducks a run for their money. But in the end it was all for not and the Ducks were able to stay afloat and emerge victorious with a score of 3-2. Next time these two teams meet, the Ducks may not be able to secure another win. Next week is rivalry week and your USC Trojans face off against the Bruins.
- #4 A. Hite

Friday November 19th

2010-11-30T21:14:00.000-08:00

The Trojans flew up to Oregon this week to play against the Oregon Ducks. After having a 4 am flight from California the Trojans were jet lagged and tired but still put on thier pads to play. Oregon had a settle to score to settle with the Trojans, last year the Ducks were favored to win the Pac 8 championship but were defeated in the semi-final round by your Trojans. The Ducks obviously did not forget this loss and took it out on this years team, they beat the Trojans 7-0. This game was one sided from the beginning, your Trojans were not able to get anything together offensively, while the Ducks were invincible in comparison. The Ducks had superior puck control, passing and shooting. Tomorrow the Trojans face off once again with the Ducks hopefully things will go differently.

Saturday November 13th

2010-11-30T21:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight was a special night for the Trojans because proceeds from this game were being donated to the Childrens Hospital of Orange County. Your Trojans faced off against San Diego State once again, after almost half of the season the Trojans, a now more experienced team, tried to avenge their earlier loss but were unsuccessful. The Aztecs were still superior to the Trojans skill and came out with a final score of 6 -1. Even though the Trojans lost, the team was able to raise about 1200 dollars to donate to the childrens hospital. While both these teams played against each other they were united under the single goal of helping out children with diseases.

Friday November 12th

2010-11-30T21:02:00.000-08:00

The Trojans are playing the Cal State Fullerton Titans this week, they are coming off a loss from Loyola Marymount. The Trojans battled hard against the titans and were evenly matched in the first period, the game was still up for grabs. During the second period though the Titans were able to pull away with a lead of 4 -0, it would be a long uphill battle for the Trojans if they were to expect a victory out of this game. The Third period was a crushing blow against the Trojans when the Titans scored 2 more goals, but the Trojans were able to put 1 past pipes of the Titans, making the final score 6-1.

Thursday November 11th

2010-11-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight your Trojans face off against the Loyola Lions once again, trying to regain some footing in the race for the century cup.This game was much closer than the first and the Trojans showed some moments of brilliance but were not able to best the Lions. The Trojans lost 2-0 this week and the Lions were able to be the first team to win the Century Cup. This loss comes as a blow to the trojans who have been able to bounce back in any series they have played so far.

Friday, October 22nd

2010-11-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

USC played the Loyola Marymount Lions this weekend at Loyolas's home rink. Loyola has some of the rowdiest fans and this may have been a deciding factor in the Trojans loss this week. Your Trojans fought hard but were only able to put 2 past the goalie, Loyola on the other hand was able to best our team with 5 goals. This year an interesting twist has been thrown into the mix, both teams are now competing for the Century Cup. The name for the Century comes about because both teams have been around for almost a century respectively.

Saturday October 16th

2010-11-30T20:43:00.000-08:00

The Trojans faced off the Cal Bears again tonight and once again were victorious by clinching a 6-2 victory. The Cal bears would not go down with out a fight, this was evident in the first period where both teams only scored 1 goal respectively. In the second the real game began and the Trojans scored 4 goals while the Bears were only able to score 1. The third period was a little lackluster both teams battled hard and the Trojans scored 1 goal. So far your USC Trojans are dominating over the Pac 8 teams, hopefully this is how things are going to go this season.

Friday October 15

2010-11-30T20:36:00.000-08:00

This week your Trojans are playing against the California Bears. Cal and USC have a bitter rivalry that goes back before cars were common on the road. The Trojans owned the Bears goaltender by racking up 9 goals, Cal battled hard back and were able to score 5 against USC and tied in the third period in goals. It was the Trojans work in the earlier periods that secured their victory. The Trojans face Cal tomorrow night, hopefully the streak will continue

Saturday October 9th

2010-11-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

The Trojans were out to secure at least one victory this weekend and they did just that. Stanfords efforts were futile against this Trojan team tonight.USC went up 2-0 at the end of the first, but like any good player will tell you a 2 goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey. During the second period both teams were even and it was tied. This third period was crucial for both teams, luckily the Trojans were victorious and put 1 between the pipes and were able to secure a 3-0 victory over Stanford.

Friday October 8th

2010-11-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

Your USC Trojans squared off against Stanford tonight, but unfortunatly were not able to obtain a victory against the Cardinals. Stanford went up 3 to 1 in the first period, during the intermission coach Langille was able to whip his team into a frenzy. In the Second period the Trojans were able to score 2 unanswered goals, making the game even, but unfortunately the third period was not in the Trojans favor. In the third period the Trojans could only score one while Stanford was able to obtain 2 goals securing their victory of 5 to 4. The Trojans face Stanford again in their next game, hopefully they will fare better.

Friday October 1st

2010-11-30T20:15:00.000-08:00

This week your USC Trojans were playing a tough oppnent the Cal State Fullerton Titans. This game would be an answer to the split series of last year. This time unfortunately your Trojans could not best the Titans and suffered a defeat of 1-5. The Trojans played their hearts out but the Titans, who had been skating all year together, had more chemistry. Coming up is another conference game against Stanford, hopefully the Torjans will have better luck against the Cardinals.

Saturday September 25th

2010-11-30T20:08:00.000-08:00

No broken broom this weekend Trojan Fans, USC completed its sweep over Washington State with a 5 -2 victory closing out the weekend. The Trojans came out big in the first period and scored 3 unanswered goals, they simply dominated over the Cougars. During the Second period things were more evenly matched and the neither team scored a single goal, but the Trojans were still ahead 3-0. In the third period the game became close with the Cougars scoring 2 goals, it was a tense couple of minutes while the Trojans rallied back and scored 2 more of their own goals to clinch a final victory of 5 to 2.

Friday September 24th

2010-11-30T20:03:00.000-08:00

This week your USC Trojans flew up to Washington to play the Washington State. Washington State has had a tough couple of seasons because they have not recorded a win for the past two years. The trojans started out slow but managed to squeeze one goal out in the first period. After hearing Coach Langilles speech between periods, your Trojans were a completely different team and put 5 past Washington States goalie. In the third period the Trojans calmed down and just put one between the pipes. This new team promises great things, if winning 7-0 is any indication of things to come.

Friday, September 17

2010-11-30T19:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to the 2010-2011 season for the USC Trojans. Tonight we played against the San Diego State Aztecs. The Trojans are a young team this year with a lot of young, promising talent. The Aztecs are a seasoned team with a lot of returning players which showed out on the ice tonight. The Trojans battled hard against the Aztecs but were not able to score a goal and suffered a 5-0 loss. This was a tough test for a first game of the season considering the Trojans have not skated together since winning the PAC-8 championship last February.