Dominic Jones looked more as if he was trying out for Cirque Du Solei than goaltending Jan. 23, pulling off acrobatic moves in the net to propel the SRJC Hockey team to a 5-2 win over Boise State University. The victory snapped Division II Boise State’s 20-game win streak, saddling the No.4 ranked squad with its second loss.
Playing at Snoopy’s Home Ice, SRJC expected an intense 60-minute battle. But players knew what was on the line and confident the retooled roster would put up a good fight. And fight they did. From puck drop it was evident both teams wanted to prove who was boss. A couple of cheap shots put SRJC on the power play often in the first period, but the team’s only goal was by Josiah Nikkel at even strength. The impressive shot by the Polar Bear’s Alternate Captain was only outshined by the SRJC defense, as it held Boise State scoreless while shifting to cover the loss of Andreas Rahm who left a few minutes in with a dislocated shoulder. Nikkel was back at it in the second period, burying a shot at 18:59 for a 2-0 lead. The teams scrambled around a few misguided penalties, neither giving the other a true advantage. Then new skater Nick Harris made the most of an ending penalty kill, scoring off a pass from Eric Zagacki for his first official point. “Nik [Nisja] came out of the box and I got this pass, and just wanted to get a shot off. I was very fortunate to get a goal,” he said. Harris was happy about his second game play after taking three penalties against Stanford University Jan. 17. “I’m really excited to play full contact hockey again, and was more excited to hit people than focus on the actual game of hockey last time,” Harris stressed. “But I feel more grounded now. After practicing another time with the team, I’ve settled a bit and feel really good about being able to positively contribute to the team.” Harris’ goal provided a nice 3-0 lead to enter the third period and SRJC didn’t waste time increasing its score. Josh Greenwell smacked in a rebounded puck from Matt Katicich out the gate, and Stephen Wolmarans put the Polar Bears up 5-0 ten minutes later. Jones’ shutout looked near complete as the minutes ran down. However, Boise State pressed hard on two shifts by their second line, denying the Polar Bear goalie the prize by stealing two goals to end the game. Still, SRJC took the win and Boise State skated away with a disheartening defeat. Jones saved 19 of 21 shots on goal, as SRJC barreled 41 shots at Boise State. SRJC’s starting forwards- Nikkel, Greenwell and Wolmarans- dominated the offense. Both Nikkel and Greenwell upped their team-leading point totals, with Nikkel at 67 points (33 goals, 24 assists) and Greenwell with 32 pts (17 goals, 15 assists). “I’ve got to give it to the coaches for giving me the opportunity to go out there and try to contribute with my teammates,” Greenwell said, of his rookie-leading points total. “I’m just trying to play my game the way I always have. I can’t put too much pressure on myself, and luckily things have bounced in my favor. I’ve been paired with the best players on the team and it has boosted my game so much.” SRJC will spend the next weekend on the road, taking on UC Davis at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 30, then San Francisco State University at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 31. UC Davis will be the most challenging, with the season series notched at one game apiece. This game will play a huge factor in the next round of ACHA rankings, and is the last between the two before the PCHA Tournament in February. “They have some strength in the middle, and Vacaville is kind of a bogey rink for us. We like to complain about the refs and what goes wrong, but we can’t lay it all on that,” Wolmarans said. “We need to set the tone; we understand what needs to be done. Not just in this game, but in the PCHA, to win the cup and bring it back to us for a third-straight year. That is what is going to permeate through our locker room and we’ll bring our A game next week.” With a different looking lineup than the first half and only two practices on the books, there was bound to be a few struggles in the Polar Bear’s first game of 2015. Luckily, in its Jan. 17 match against Stanford University, SRJC’s troubles only lasted the first period.
The team looked shaky as it figured out its new parts in the first minutes of the game. Stanford struck first with a goal off Dominic Jones, before the Polar Bears rebounded with three straight goals. Still, there was something off about SRJC and Stanford took advantage. By the end of the first period, the score was tied 3-3. It was a complete 180 in last 40 minutes of the game, as Jones silenced the opposition and SRJC broke out. Josiah Nikkel got it started off a feed from Stephen Wolmarans, scoring his first of four goals on the night. Matt Katicich followed; tipping in Andreas Rahm’s shot from the blue line. New skater David Lundgren added a shorthanded goal shortly after for his first official point as a Polar Bear and a 6-3 lead. “It was exciting and felt good to get out there and hit some people. I really just wanna contribute to the team any way I can,” said Lundgren, who has been practicing with the team for several months. “I got some lucky bounces in front of the net and happened to poke them in. It felt good; I was just happy that we won.” Stanford forced several penalties in the remaining time, but SRJC squashed any opportunity and continued to rack up goals. By the end of the game it was 14-3, SRJC. Four players had multiple goals— Nikkel (4), Katicich (3), Lundgren (2) and Josh Greenwell (2) — while Blake Johnson, Wolmarans and Niklis Nisja each added one. Nisja’s goal was especially worthwhile since not only was it his first official point, but it came in his first game since having reconstructive knee surgery in September. The rookie defensemen wasn’t expected back this season, but returned to the ice in record time. “Obviously, I was focusing on my knee and finding my legs tonight,” he said. “The goal was great but all the credit goes to my teammates who made it happen; I just finished it.” Five new players— Lundgren, Nisja, Nick Harris, Carson Riley and Shane Butulia— made their season debuts against Stanford. Each contributed effectively in their first game. While the team skated away with a win, it’s hard not to focus on the first period struggles and how it will affect the Polar Bear’s upcoming three-game home stand. SRJC won’t have much time to work out the kinks before it takes on Boise State University (Thurs., Jan. 22) and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Fri./Sat., Jan 23-24) at Snoopy’s Home Ice. This is the first time SRJC will face UNLV and the first game against Boise State since the 2012-13 season. Boise State is a Division II team and the biggest competitor the Polar Bears will face in the second half of the regular season. Players know how hard these games will be and what’s at stake. “This weekend is going to be one of our toughest. We have to be ready; and we have to be fast the whole game,” Nikkel said. “We have to keep up with these teams. They are going to be some of the hardest we play. With new guys who haven't played much it’s going to be hard, but anything is possible if you put your mind to it.” Shortened bench. Stacked injuries. Shuffled lines.
These issues have plagued SRJC over the last month and played a big role as the team failed to garner a single win in a two-game series to open December against San Jose State University’s Division II team. SRJC headed into competition Dec. 5 with a different looking lineup than previous games. Without leading scorers John Keshishian and Josh Greenwell for the game- and Alternate Captain Josiah Nikkel out for the first two minutes- head coach Mike Kovanis played three freshman forwards on the starting line against San Jose State. Matt Katicich, Andrew Mason and Tommy Dennen were an interesting pairing in the regular starters’ absence, although the tag team of Mason and Katicich is one SRJC has seen before. The two first-year skaters usually hold down the wings on the third line, which has been shuffled around after the season-ending injury to center Jackson Waldron. Both skaters have produced nicely in 18 games and proved to be the difference against SJSU. San Jose struck first with a rebounded goal off a sprawling Dominic Jones at the 17-minute mark of the first period; a minute later Stephen Wolmarans tied the score. Tensions grew as the period wore on, with neither team scoring for 11 minutes. In the remaining five minutes of the period, SJSU scored three goals, including one off a power play, and SRJC’s Katicich notched one with help from Blake Johnson. SJSU held its 4-2 lead for most of second period, despite several shots on goal for both teams. Back-to-back five-minute advantages put SRJC on the power play for the remainder of the period. The team scored on the first chance as Mason put one in the net with a little less than four minutes to play. Ultimately, the Polar Bears lost the match 5-3 but were optimistic about the Dec. 6 rematch. “We came out slow in the first and didn’t have the team play that we needed, but we were very good in the second and third periods. We definitely picked it up- although we didn’t win the third,” said Eric Zagacki. “We need to pick it up tomorrow, go into it knowing we have to play hard all three periods. We can definitely come out with a W.” The two teams met at Snoopy’s Home Ice for the Polar Bear’s last home game of 2014 the next day. It was scoreless well into the second period. Like the previous day, SJSU hit first but the Polar Bears weren’t far behind. Only minutes after San Jose scored, Johnson netted his own goal with an assist from Nikkel. It remained a 1-1 score until one minute remaining in the game. With 42.3 seconds left on the clock, San Jose slide one past Jones for what looked like the winning goal. Then, with 1.1 seconds left in the game Nikkel found the back of the net to tie the score 2-2. That goal sent the game to a five-minute overtime that saw no goal action. A nine-round shootout followed before finally someone was called the victor. SJSU took the match 3-2. Despite losing both in regulation and in a shootout, there was a bright side to these games: the Polar Bear’s know what needs to be done going forward. Players understand the issues facing the team and how they can work around it. “It’s definitely hard practicing once a week and showing up to games not knowing who’s going to be in the locker room or trying to put together a plan without knowing how many guys we have until that moment,” Mason said. “But if we can get a really solid group of guys to really commit for the second semester, to be there on time for all the games and practices, we can be that much better. It won’t be easy, but we can make it work.” The Polar Bears look to end 2014 on a high note as they take on San Francisco State University at 9:30 p.m. Dec. 13 in Oakland. SRJC has faced SFSU once this season, in an 18-0 home win in October. The Polar Bears are no strangers to the penalty box, but in Friday night’s match against College of the Canyons, they kept their cool when it mattered most and captured an 8-2 victory.
After beating CoC 6-2 on Thursday, the two teams met for a rematch Friday. Right out the gate, the Polar Bears looked a bit lost; Misconnections, turnovers, and a starting line that looked uncomfortable together. But the Polar Bears still managed to end the period with a 2-1 lead, thanks to a Blake Johnson goal and Matt Kiticich’s first goal as a Polar Bear. “We were just chipping and dumping; trying to keep the pressure up. We were causing some simply turnovers, making simply passes and got it to the point and to the back of the net,” Kiticich described as the setup of his first goal.” Players came out in the second period looking better than they did in the first, pulling off a goal by Brandon Bronze and Andrew Mason’s first SRJC goal. “Our play in the first period was chaotic; we didn’t play our game,” said Chris Whitten, who had an assist on SRJC’s first goal. “[Mike] Kovanis [head coach] did a great job in-between periods, and our strategy improved tremendously.” “We played our style of play in the second period and controlled the game better,” he continued. “Bronze and Mason did a great job getting our team fired up. The talking on the bench shows we’re really becoming a closer family.” With a 4-2 lead going into the final period, the game was completely up for grabs. The teams traded penalties for 11 minutes before Josiah Nikkel scored a power play goal. From there, the tension on the ice continued to grow and CoC proved the team just couldn’t handle the heat. In a disputed play in the CoC’s offensize zone, two players collided for what CoC believed to be an intentional hit. No penalty was called and a CoC forward and coach were ejected from the game. SRJC skated with a five-minute man advantage, allowing Jackson Waldron to score and Nikkel to add to more to complete the hat trick. Two CoC slashing penalties also contributed to the Polar Bear’s end of game offensive blowout. While the Polar Bears scored timely goals, it was Dominic Jones’ impressive play in net that really silenced CoC. Jones performed near acrobatic saves, deflecting 21 of 23 shots and earning save no. 3 on the season. SRJC outshot CoC 67- 23 in the game and will face the team one more time this season: in the Polar Bear’s November showcase. After nearly self-destructing in this match, no doubt CoC will be out for blood. The Polar Bears will finish their three-game road trip tonight at 9:15 p.m. against CSU Fullerton’s Division II team. It’s early in the season, but the Polar Bears are already on a roll with two wins in as many games. With an 8-4 win over Cal Sept. 20, and Thursday’s 6-2 College of the Canyons victory, the Polar Bears have a quick 2-0 record.
Last Saturday’s 6-2 win against UC Berkeley was just what the team needed after struggling in four preseason games. John Keshishian scored a hat trick early in the game, paving way for five veteran teammates to pad the score. Chris Whitten put up two goals in the game, with Josiah Nikkel, Jackson Waldron and Steve Wolmarins each adding one goal. Rookies Matt Kiticich and Colin Ridenour scored their first points in an SRJC uniform; Kiticich assisted Waldron’s second period goal, while Ridenour passed off to both Whitten and Keshishian’s second goals. That opening night win propelled the Polar Bears into their first road trip, matching up against Southern California nemesis College of the Canyons Sept. 25 for the first match of a two-game series. It was a battle for the first 10 minutes, but SRJC scored first with two goals by defensemen Brandon Bronze and Blake Johnson. Sophomore forward Jackson Waldron scored to end the first period with the Polar Bears on top, 3-0. Waldron added another goal in the second period for a 4-1 lead. “I felt great out there tonight,” Waldron said, who has three goals and an assist in two games. “Playing with Andrew [Mason] and Matt [Kiticich] made things easy or me. We were clicking as a line and just grinding away.” Alex De Vaughn and Keshishian added a goal in the third period, both assisting on each other’s goals along with help from Bronze (Keshishian’s goal) and Nikkel (De Vaughn’s). In the end, SRJC won 6-2. In two games against COC last year and Thursday night’s win, the Polar Bears have outscored the team 26-6, with two games left to play this season. Despite a clear offensive swing in SRJC’s favor, the Polar Bears know it could be anyone’s game and are concentrating on what they need to do to come out victorious. “We need to come out hard and fast tomorrow, hit them early and often,” Waldron said. “They [COC] don’t want to lose two in a row in their barn, but if we play our system, we’ll be coming out with another win.” The Polar Bears will face COC at 7:30 p.m. Friday night before finishing their road trip at 9 p.m. Saturday against CSU Fullerton’s Division II team. |
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