December 7, 2024
Salt Lake City, Utah
The Utah Hockey Men’s Division 2 game
took on Utah State this weekend for a double-header, one away, one at home. After securing their first win Friday night away, Utah claimed a second back on home turf at the
Salt Lake County Sports Complex in a thrilling overtime battle, concluding the meeting with a 4-3 victory.
First Period
The heat was on between the two Utah teams from the start. On the ice, there was no lack of physicality between the Aggies and the Skatin’ Utes. Early on, Utah State made rushes towards the goal in an attempt to score, but Utah’s defense quickly shut them down and turned these plays into their own offensive attacks. The teams went back-and-forth on the ice, and Utah State started to challenge Utah more offensively.
About 14 minutes into the first period, Utah State won the offensive battle against Utah, sneaking their first goal into the net. Under two minutes later, Utah State capitalized on this momentum with another goal, putting the Aggies at a 2-0 lead early in the game.
Down by two and 10 minutes in, Utah began to wake up in the offense, forcing themselves into Utah State’s territory. The Skatin’ Utes had several great shots on goal, but none were able to breach the goaltender. However, that didn’t stop Utah. With a seamless breakaway and a few tricky moves at the slot, rookie
Connor Beers was able to score the first goal for Utah, making the score 2-1.
The energy exploded on the rink, turning an in-state feud between the teams turned into a full blown battle on the ice. The Aggies and the Utes battled for control of the puck, with the Skatin’ Utes coming alive. Utah continued to chip away at Utah State’s defense, and in the final minutes of the period,
Ezekial Endy put the puck in the net, tying the up game at 2-2 going into the second.
Second Period
Utah State came out strong in the second period, with a few offensive pushes resulting in close calls by the goal for Utah. The intensity from the first period carried on, with the Aggies and the Utes trading blows against the boards. Utah’s defense shined for the first part of this period, staving off Utah State’s attacks and shots on goal. A few amazing saves from
Marcello De Antunano on top of the defense’s stability kept the goal clear for the first half of the period despite the ongoing pressure from Utah State.
Utah’s offense started to come alive in the second half of the period, with a power play boosting their momentum and keeping the Aggies on the run. Unable to score with the one-man advantage, the Utes and the Aggies continued charge at each other’s goals, with both teams putting up a good fight against the other.
Another penalty on Utah State once again gave Utah the upper hand with a power play, but Utah State held strong against Utah’s storm. In the remainder of the period, neither team was able to break down the other. Utah State fired off a shot in the final seconds of the period, but luckily for Utah, the shot ricocheted of the bar. Moments later the horn blew, with the score still tied at 2-2 after a goalless 20 minutes.
Third Period
Going into the third, the two rivals were at a bit of a stalemate. After a battle in the neutral zone for the first five minutes of the period, a Utah State player broke away from Utah’s defense. In a face-off against De Antunano, the Aggies scored, taking back the lead they started the game with.
Down by one once again, Utah turned up the heat with consistent offensive pressure on Utah State. This continued for several minutes, but even after firing several shots on goal and tiring the Aggies defense, Utah was unable to score. Utah State started to fight back, with a penalty on Utah adding to this newfound momentum.
Utah’s defense fought hard while they were down a man, fending off any goals during the penalty. After returning to full strength on the ice, the Utes were determined to score on the Aggies. In an offensive push by the team,
Benjamin Laduke secured the third goal for Utah, tying up the game 3-3 with under five minutes left in the match. Both teams scrambled for a goal, and a penalty for Utah State gave the Utes a power play with just a minute left in an exciting match. The Utes hammered at the goal, but couldn’t get past the sea of blue crowding the slut, sending the game into overtime.
Overtime
Utah State started overtime with a man down, but came charging at Utah once all players were back on the ice. With three minutes left in overtime, the Utes received a penalty, now putting them at a disadvantage. Down a man and with hope in their hearts, the Utes rallied the three remaining players in the rink. Endy managed to break away, scoring a shorthanded goal for the Utes and ending overtime to win the game 4-3.
Looking Ahead
Utah will be back in the new year to take on another batch of matchups against in-state rivals Utah Valley and Utah State on Jan. 9 and Jan. 11. These games are away, and no broadcast will be available. However, you can stay updated by following Utah M2 on
Instagram,
Twitter, and
Facebook, where the score will be consistently updated.
Tickets for all games can be found here.
