Spring Break
Ice Hockey Club heads to Utah to face rival
From the Penalty Box
Julia Cooper
Issue date: 11/9/06 Section: Sports
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The San Jose State University Ice Hockey Club will face longtime rivals Utah State University tonight in what Spartan head coach Ron Glasow calls the "biggest game of the year."
"They'll be the toughest team we face this semester," Glasow said. "They are ranked third or fourth right now, so we need to beat them."
The Spartans have an 8-3-1 record and are currently ranked seventh in the American Collegiate Hockey Association West Region.
The club will face three Utah teams on the road this weekend - Utah State tonight, Brigham Young University on Friday and Weber State University on Saturday.
Senior goaltender Ryan Lowe echoed the importance of the Utah State game.
"From playing each other for the last few years, we've developed a huge rivalry," Lowe said. "We only play each other twice (in a season), and every game is an all-out war."
Lowe said the Spartans beat Utah State for the first time on the Aggies' home rink last year, and added that games against the team are always evenly matched and intense.
"They always have 1,500 fans (at the games), so it's just a crazy place to play," Lowe said. "It seems like we're always real close for the final positioning at the end of the season."
Friday's game will have the Spartans playing Brigham Young, which the club swept at home 4-0 Nov. 3 and 8-2 Nov. 4.
Junior left wing Simon Guertin scored two goals in each Brigham Young game, and goaltender Lowe got his first shutout of the season on Nov. 3.
"It's always nice to get," Lowe said. "It took a few games. To do it against a good team like BYU, that's an accomplishment."
Glasow said junior defenseman Paul Fuller broke his collarbone in the Nov. 3 game, an injury that Fuller may be healing from for the rest of the fall semester.
Glasow said he did not see the injury happen, but he heard Fuller was slammed into the boards.
"It was a freak accident," Glasow said.
Glasow said other players are ready to step up, but the loss of Fuller is a great loss to the team.
"They'll be the toughest team we face this semester," Glasow said. "They are ranked third or fourth right now, so we need to beat them."
The Spartans have an 8-3-1 record and are currently ranked seventh in the American Collegiate Hockey Association West Region.
The club will face three Utah teams on the road this weekend - Utah State tonight, Brigham Young University on Friday and Weber State University on Saturday.
Senior goaltender Ryan Lowe echoed the importance of the Utah State game.
"From playing each other for the last few years, we've developed a huge rivalry," Lowe said. "We only play each other twice (in a season), and every game is an all-out war."
Lowe said the Spartans beat Utah State for the first time on the Aggies' home rink last year, and added that games against the team are always evenly matched and intense.
"They always have 1,500 fans (at the games), so it's just a crazy place to play," Lowe said. "It seems like we're always real close for the final positioning at the end of the season."
Friday's game will have the Spartans playing Brigham Young, which the club swept at home 4-0 Nov. 3 and 8-2 Nov. 4.
Junior left wing Simon Guertin scored two goals in each Brigham Young game, and goaltender Lowe got his first shutout of the season on Nov. 3.
"It's always nice to get," Lowe said. "It took a few games. To do it against a good team like BYU, that's an accomplishment."
Glasow said junior defenseman Paul Fuller broke his collarbone in the Nov. 3 game, an injury that Fuller may be healing from for the rest of the fall semester.
Glasow said he did not see the injury happen, but he heard Fuller was slammed into the boards.
"It was a freak accident," Glasow said.
Glasow said other players are ready to step up, but the loss of Fuller is a great loss to the team.
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