UCO's Donald Geary (91) during a game between UCO and Minot State at Arctic Edge Arena in Edmond, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista
The UCO hockey team came into their weekend series against Minot State University looking for some wins going into their long road stretch. The task proved to be too great, falling in consecutive games 4-0 Friday, Jan. 27 and Sunday, Jan. 29 at Arctic Edge Ice Arena.
The #15 Bronchos (14-16) extended their losing streak to five, their last win coming in early January in an upset of #1 Penn State. The #10 Beavers wrapped up a four-day road trip, including a two game sweep of the Oklahoma Sooners.
“We’ve been dealing with a couple rough weeks in a row here,” sophomore Donald Geary, UCO’s team points leader, said. “We have to keep our heads straight and we have to keep disciplined. That is the key for our success.”
Central’s effort began on an ominous note Friday, as a scoreboard malfunction prevented home penalties and shots from being displayed.
On the ice, Minot outmuscled and outshot Central at every turn. Goaltender Wyatt Waselenchuk turned away every shot the Bronchos could muster. Sophomore Josh Dueck netted one goal and freshman Michael Jordan had two for the Beavers.
Earning assists for Minot were juniors Daniel Lamb and Eric Herbel.
On Sunday, UCO came out looking tired and defeated early in the game, with backup netminder Brett Patchett keeping Central even with Minot until the last second of the first period, starting in place of freshman Tory Caldwell.
“Tory needed to take a bit of a rest,” Craig McAlister, head coach, said. “He’s lost four games in a row, sometimes that’s mental fatigue on goaltenders and that’s a tough thing.”
“We expect them to be Superman sometimes, but in a perfect world that’s going not going to happen,” he said.
After the Beavers took a 2-0 lead early in the second period, some life got breathed back into the UCO bench after Edmond native Josh Harris put in a goal off an assist by senior Corey Brennan on a rare Central powerplay.
Minot State slammed the door on any Broncho comeback in the third period. Goals by Donald Iverson, Garrett Ferguson and Cam McGeough put the final nails in the coffin, taking advantage of a breakdown in UCO’s discipline. Two Bronchos were ejected in the final period, with defenders Matt Prigge and Ryan Marrs picking up game misconducts.
“They’re frustrated,” McAlister said. “They skated hard for two periods, got frustrated because things weren’t falling for them, and then we came out for the third and got penalties right off the bat. That just took them down…their whole mentality isn’t where it should have been. They had a bad third period and when we needed the team the most, they weren’t there mentally to react to that.”
The Bronchos hit the road this weekend for a three-week road swing, beginning with a two game series in New Brunswick, New Jersey to take on Rutgers University. UCO will be back home Friday, Feb. 24 for the final home game of the season against the cross-town rival Sooners.
