Rivalry Night

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!

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

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.

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

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

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

• Facebook
• Twitter (@PAC8AllStars)
• ACHA All Star Challenge Website

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

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