The Metro club ice hockey team lost two games and tied another during a road trip Nov. 11–13 in Utah.
Metro forward Tyler Bejarano waits for the puck to drop during a game against the University of Denver's club team Oct. 29 at the Pepsi Center. File photo by Steve Anderson
The highlight of the weekend came in a nationally televised game Nov. 11 in Provo, Utah against Brigham Young University, which ended in a 3-3 tie.
“I wish we could play on TV every game because we’d probably play better like that since we have something to play for and just a little bit more incentive to play your hardest,” Club Ice Hockey President Turner Bahn said.
The draw marked the end of the three game swing that included a unique opportunity to play a televised game in front of a packed crowd, Bahn said.
“It was definitely a one-time opportunity, but it was good and we played really, really well,” he said.
Metro led for much of the game and netted their third goal of the game in the final period, but BYU scored the tying point just seconds afterward to force overtime.
Even without a win over the weekend, the draw ended a seven game losing streak and helped the team gain some assurance.
“I wouldn’t say we got beat down, but we definitely saw our share of good hockey,” sophomore left wing Kyle Kube said of the losing streak. “Performing well up there was a huge confidence booster.”
The club has had the misfortune of playing numerous road games against some of the best teams in the region.
They began the trip Nov. 11 in North Logan, Utah with a matchup against Utah State University, the No. 2 team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II, following an early morning bus ride.
“It was kind of a bummer having to come out and having to play the best team that we were going to play all weekend, and maybe the best team we play all year, after being on a bus for 10 hours,” Kube said. “It takes a toll on your legs for sure.”
Metro kept the game close, they had a mistake-filled stretch in which bad passing and penalties allowed USU to run up the score 6-1 in the first period.
“When you play a team that’s that good, if you make any kind of mistake, whether it’s big or small, the team is going to capitalize on it,” Bahn said.
Bahn’s line scored the only goals of the night, but it wasn’t enough as Metro fell 9-2.
“There’s some games we come out and we just kick ass, and there are some games that we come out and it’s just like nobody showed up to play.”
The team didn’t have the right attitude, and coupled with fatigue, led to failure in their second game against the University of Utah Nov. 12 in Salt Lake City, Bahn said.
“In the second game against Utah, I think we were just a little bit tired and we weren’t really that ready to play,” he said. “It was a game that we knew going in that we probably should win and I think we kind of went into it with the wrong attitude.”
Metro gave up two goals in the first period, but unneeded penalties and slow play equated to a four-goal second period, Kube said.
“I think it was just that the effort wasn’t quite there,” Bahn said.
Utah added another goal in the final period and the game ended 7-3 overall.
The Metro club ice hockey team returns home for games against ACHA Division II No. 1 team Colorado State University Nov. 19 at Big Bear Ice Arena.
People: Kyle Kube, Turner Bahn, Tyler Bejarno
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