Trojans Finish Semester With Heartbreaking Loss

The 1st period was a hard fought period for both teams, with neither team able to gain an upper hand on offense. Going into the locker room, the score was still 0-0. In the 2nd period, however, Long Beach struck first on the powerplay after an unfortunate penalty from Lewis. But, 4 minutes later, Freshman Max Ernst buried a loose puck in front for his first goal as a Trojan, tying the game up. However, the cheers had barely subsided from the bench when, 30 seconds later, the 49ers took the lead again, this time for good. The score was 2-1 going into the 3rd, and the 49ers struck again just 1:30 into the period. The Trojans, however, would not go down without a fight, and after a hard fought period, Senior Assistant Captain Cory Adler buried another rebound into the top of the net with only 2:11 left. But, after the Trojans pulled the goalie, CSULB was able to put the game away with an empty netter, making the final score 4-2. Ernst led all scorers with 2 points (1 G, 1 A).

Trojans Split Weekend With CSULB Going Into Thanksgiving

USC came into their first game against Cal State Long Beach on November 20th riding a 3 game win streak, including two big Pac-8 victories over ASU and Stanford. Their series with CSULB would span over two weeks, and the Trojans were hoping to go into Christmas only one game under .500.

Game 1 of the series was at home, and the Trojans came out very strong, with a goal from Senior Assistant Captain Cory Adler just 2 minutes into the game. The 49ers rallied to end the 1st period, scoring a goal with just 1 minute left in the period. In the 2nd, both teams again came out strong, but Senior Assistant Captain Jason Bush put the Trojans ahead going into the 3rd. In the 3rd, both teams received an absurd number of penalties, including a 2 minute minor for illegal goalie equipment, knocking Junior Zach Keith out of the game, replacing him with a fairly cold Senior Phil Adams. 30 seconds later, CSULB took advantage of Adams and tied the game at 2. But just 2 minutes later, freshman Nick Helmer scored the game winner, and the Trojans held on for the victory. Helmer led all scorers with 3 points (1 G, 2 A).

Trojans Sweep Weekend Against LMU, Stanford

USC came into this weekend looking to build on their momentum from their victory last week against ASU, and they did. Thursday night, the Trojans played LMU at the Lion's home rink. They started the game with only one goalie, Sophomore Adam Kwon, because of unseen circumstances. Kwon stepped up in his second career start, only allowing 3 goals in a period and a half before regular starter Zach Keith arrived. Down 4-3 going into the final 5 minutes of the game, Freshman Nick Helmer sent the game into overtime with a spectacular wrap around goal in the final 2 minutes. Neither team scored in overtime, but the Trojans were able to finish it in overtime, with goals from Sophomore Adam Zacuto and Senior Josh Frazier.

Friday, the Trojans returned home to play their last Pac-8 game of the fall against a weak Stanford team, and continued to add to their momentum. After two periods of mediocre play, the Trojans went into the 3rd period only up 3-1. However, in the 3rd, the Trojans lit up the scoreboard, scoring 5 goals to finish of the Cardinal, 8-2.

Alumni Game Postponed, Trojans to Play Stanford Friday

On Friday, the Trojans, whose series with Stanford a month ago was canceled due to a scheduling conflict, will play the Cardinal for the only time this season. This is the last PAC-8 game of the fall, so it is a crucial game for the Trojans, who look to build on their PAC-8 momentum after a strong victory against ASU on Saturday. Puck drops in Anaheim on Friday night at 7:30.

USC Escapes from Tempe with Series Split

The Trojans made the long journey to Tempe on Friday ready to kick start their season after a disappointing series of losses. However, it seemed that they wouldn't recover from their early season woes, losing a poorly played game Friday 7-2 to the Sun Devils. Charlie Mach and Adam Zacuto provided the only points for the Trojans.

However, the series was far from over, and on Saturday, the Trojans made a strong step towards taking back their season, holding on to win a great game on the road, 5-4. Josh Frazier, returning to the lineup after missing the last two weeks with an injury, powered the offense with 2 goals. Nick Helmer, Noah Comisar, and Alex Hite also scored for the Trojans. The game was dominated by the Trojans, except for in the last minute, when ASU pulled their goalie and scored 2 goals in less than a minute, bringing the score to 5-4. However, spectacular goal-tending from Phil Adams and strong defense helped the Trojans pull it out in the final seconds.

USC has rough weekend against UCLA, looks ahead to ASU

The Trojans went into Thursday night's game against the Bruins feeling quite confident after a very strong showing against Oregon last weekend. However, UCLA came out ready to avenge last year's sweep, and the Trojans were not ready for it. After a bitter battle through three periods, USC and UCLA were all tied up, and USC entered its 2nd straight overtime game. Unfortunately, USC could not reverse its fortunes, and UCLA took game one of the series at home.

Game 2 on Friday night followed a fairly similar path, and after 2 periods, it was 2-0 UCLA. The third period started with another UCLA goal. However, sophomore Adam Zacuto made a valiant effort to spark a comeback, scoring 2 goals in the 3rd. But, unfortunate penalties late in the game cost the Trojans, and UCLA left with another victory.

USC begins Crosstown Cup Defense in Panorama City Tonight at 11:30

USC Lose Heartbreaker, Get Swept by Oregon

The Trojans played two incredibly strong games against the reigning Pac-8 champs Oregon, losing two incredibly well played games by both teams, with Saturday's loss coming in overtime.

Trojans Avenge Pac-8 Opening Loss to Cal

The Trojans came out on Thursday night fresh and ready to play after strong practices last Friday and Monday. After an embarrassing loss to the Cal Bears to open their Pac-8 season, USC came out of the locker room angry and out to redeem themselves.

The first period was the strongest period for the Trojans all season, as they netted 3 quick goals from Senior Jason Bush, Sophmore Adam Zacuto, and Freshman Nick Helmer. All four Trojan lines played with aggressiveness and felt very confident going into the locker room at the end of the 1st.

The second period started off slow, as the Trojans let up on their aggressiveness. They took a couple of bad penalties and ended up allowing a goal. After Cal scored, USC woke up, and two more goals from Helmer gave the Trojans the momentum going into the 3rd.

In the third, USC came out strong again, peppering shots on the Cal goalkeeper, Peter Tartaglia, who kept the Bears in the game, saving over 50 shots throughout the game. Finally, after plenty of opportunities, Sophmore Alex Hite netted the final goal for the Trojans with 6 minutes left. After that, the game became chippy, with Bears forward Matt Henry receiving a game misconduct, and both USC and Cal receiving multiple penalties in the last 5 minutes.

SERIES AGAINST STANFORD CANCELLED

Trojans go 1-1 vs Cal State Fullerton

In their first series of the year, the Trojans went 1-1 versus Cal State Fullerton. On Thursday, USC came away with the 6-4 victory, with a strong effort in goal from Phil Adams, as well as great play by the first line of Sophmore Adam Zacuto, Freshman Nick Helmer, and Senior Cory Adler.

Game 2 of the series did not go as well for the Trojans, falling 6-5 to the Titans in their home arena. The Trojans started strong, leading 4-2 going into the second, but ultimately lost it. Helmer and Zacuto again had strong games.

Buttweiler, Joyce Help Pac-8 All Stars to Win

Matt Buttweiler made 28 saves, and Mike Joyce picked up an assist as the Pac-8 All Star team beat the ACC Hockey League team 7-6 last night in the ACHA All-Star Challenge. The Pac-8 lost earlier on Friday 7-3 to the Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association.

The Pac-8 will be back in action Saturday with a day game against the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association and a night game against the Super East Collegiate Hockey League.

Trojans Falter In Semis, Take Third Place

2/14 Late UW Rally Downs Trojans In Semifinals

The Trojans suffered a heart breaking loss to the Washington on Valentine's Day. After a scoreless first, USC stormed out to a quick three goal lead in the second. However, the Trojans lead wouldn't hold against Huskies, who scored on a five-on-three later in the frame, and then took control of the game with four unanswered goals in the third period (the last of which was an empty netter) for the 5-3 win. The Trojans struggled all day on the powerplay, failing to convert on three five-on-threes, while giving up three shorthanded goals to UW.

2/15 USC Takes Third Place In Dominant Fashion

After carrying leads into the third period in the three previous games and losing all three, USC came prepared for the season finale against Washington State. USC scored once in each of the first two periods before mauling the Cougars in the third period with five goals to take a 7-0 victory. The shutout sent four year starting goaltender Matt Buttweiler out in fashion. Buttweiler, along with fellow senior/grad students Jonathan Stallsmith, Clark McClanathan, Michael Nijjar, Mark Koechling, Michael Joyce, Tyler McLinn, Emile Nguyen, and Joe "White Helmet" Scialfa all played in their final games for the Cardinal and Gold.

Friday Pac-8 Tournament Update

UW Beats Stanford, Will Face Trojans Tomorrow

Washington jumped out to a four goal lead in the first period and rode it to a 8-4 victory in Friday night's quarterfinal matchup against Stanford. The win means the Huskies will move on to face the Trojans tomorrow. USC is the tournament's number two seed and got a bye in the quarterfinals. That bye will give USC an advantage against UW, who will only have 13 hours between the end of Friday night's game and Saturday's 12:30 pm faceoff. The game will be played at Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene and can be heard live on Pac-8 Tournament radio.

WSU Upsets ucla

The Pac-8 Tournament faced off Friday afternoon with No. 6 Washington State upsetting No. 3 ucla in the quarterfinals 6-4. The result means that USC, who has a bye, will take on the winner of Friday evening's quarterfinal between No.4 Washington and No. 5 Stanford; had ucla won, the Trojans would have played them.

Different Night, Same Story

Poor Third Dooms Trojans Again

For the second night in a row, the Trojans led No. 8 San Jose State by a goal headed into the final period and for a second night in a row, the Trojans failed to hold the lead. USC scored first and led 3-1 midway through the second period, before the Spartans scored to close the gap. However, San Jose St. scored four unanswered goals in the third period, two in the last few minutes, and USC fell 6-3. The Trojans put up a valiant effort, especially considering they couldn't buy a call from the worst refereeing they'd seen all season. However, in the end, the third period was the Trojans demise yet again. On Friday, USC had led 2-1 going into the third before losing 4-2.

USC closes out the regular season with a record of . It will head north to Oregon next weekend for the Pac-8 Tournament. USC is ranked second in the Pac-8 and will take on the higher-seeded team advancing from Friday's quarterfinals. The Trojans semifinal game will be at 12:30 pm on Saturday, February 14. A win would put the Trojans in the finals at 3:30 pm on Sunday. All games will be broadcast through an affiliate of USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Trojans Battle But Fall Late

SC Challenges No. 8 SJSU

The Trojans gave the eighth ranked San Jose State Spartans all they could handle on Friday night. It looked shaky for USC before the game. The Trojans warmed up with only half the team and didn't get everyone on the ice until late in the 1st period due to horrific traffic on the rainy 350-mile drive to Northern California. Despite that, the Trojans came out with a purpose in the first period, scoring midway through the frame and taking the lead a 1-0 lead into the break.

The surprised Spartans stepped up in the second period, tying the game early. SJSU nearly took the lead on a shorthanded breakaway, but Matt Buttweiler made a great save and the Trojans brought the puck the length of the ice to give themselves the lead instead. The 2-1 lead held up in through the second period. SJSU took control of the game with three unanswered goals in the third. The Trojans clearly tired down the stretch, as six hours of driving finally caught up with SC.

SJSU is the highest ranked team the Trojans have played this season. The two teams will be back in action tomorrow night at 7 pm at Sharks Ice in San Jose. The game will be broadcast on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Trojans Lock Up Second With Win

USC got support from an unlikely source on Friday night, when senior forward, Joe Scialfa, scored the first two goals of his career twenty-seconds apart midway through the first period. The Trojans never looked back, taking the 2-0 lead into the first intermission and adding three more in the second to go up 5-1, before rounding out the scoring at 6-1 in the third. Josh Frazier had a great shorthanded breakaway goal in the second period, and Matt Buttweiler played superbly in his last game at Anaheim Ice.

USC honored nine seniors: Jonathan Stallsmith, Clark McClanathan, Emile Nguyen, Michael Nijjar, Brent Ozaki, Matt Lewis, Ryan Sefidfard, Joe Scialfa, and Matt Buttweiler, who were playing in their last home game at Anaheim Ice. Two other seniors, Tyler McLinn and Mark Koechling, were unable to attend the game. Trojan fans sent them out in style with the biggest attendance of the season, that included four different organizations, and the better halves of the Theta Chi and Sigma Chi fraternities.

With the win, USC clinches second place in the Pac-8 Tournament and will play in the semifinals of the tournament at 12:30 pm on Valentine's Day at Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene, OR. The Trojans will take on the higher seeded team of the winners of Friday's games between the #3 vs. #6 seed and #4 vs. #5 seed. USC won the Pac-8 Tournament in Oregon three years ago, beating Oregon in a shootout, and would likely have to go through the Ducks again (who are the #1 seed, currently with a 12-0 Pac-8 record).

Before USC heads to Oregon, it heads up to Nor Cal for a final non-conference test against the #8 team in the ACHA West: San Jose State. The Trojans snapped San Jose St's two-year home winning streak early last season, but the win was the only one USC has had against the Spartans since February 2004. Both games will be played at Logitech Ice Center in San Jose, Friday's game will be at 8 p.m. and Saturday's at 7 p.m.

USC Closes Out Pac-8, Home Season Tonight

Saturday's Game Cancelled

Sitting just in front of ucla in the standings, the Trojans will close out the Pac-8 tonight against their archrival. USC currently sits in second place, and the top two teams get a first round bye in the Pac-8 Tournament. Tonight, will also be the last home game for USC's senior class. The game will faceoff at 7:30 at Anaheim Ice.

Also of importance, earlier this week, ucla cancelled its home game against the Trojans on Saturday night. The game would not have counted for Pac-8 standings, because only four games can count for the standings against one opponent; traditionally, the teams play five times to determine the Crosstown Cup, but with the Trojans winning the first three games, they already claimed the Cup.

Trojans Claim Fourth Straight Cup

USC won its fourth consecutive Crosstown Cup against ucla with a 4-0 win on Friday night. The shutout was the first in an illustrious career, that includes a Pac-8 Tournament MVP award and Pac-8 First Team recognition, for senior Matt Buttweiler. Buttweiler and the rest of the seniors have now won the Crosstown Cup in every season at USC.

USC won Thursday night 7-2. bruins goaltender, Dylan Ramos, held the Trojans in check at the start of the game. USC took a 1-0 lead in the first period, and the Trojans scored midway through the second period, but ucla responded with two late goals to tie the game at two. USC came out with a vengeance in the third period and reeled off five unanswered goals to run away with the 7-2 victory late.

On Friday, USC played one of its most consistent games of the season, rarely giving the bruins a good scoring opportunity. The Trojans scored once in each of the first and second periods, before popping in two in the third for the 4-0 victory, and the opportunity to raise the Cup (again).

The Trojans enter finals this week, but will have study breaks on Friday at 9 pm at Long Beach and Saturday at 10:45 at LMU. Those two games will be the last two of the 2008 calendar year before the Trojans take a Holiday Break until mid-January.

Thursday ucla Game Location Change

Thursday's game at ucla has been moved from the Pickwick Ice Arena to the Valley Ice Center in Panorama City. Faceoff is still slated for 11:30 PM.

SC Heads to China Near the Top of the Pac-8

Beijing Schedule

The Trojans headed for China on Friday, where they will spend a week in Beijing. The team will play three games in between touring many cultural landmarks. USC will take on Beijing Dragons on November 23 at 4:30 AM (PST), Hosa on November 25 at 2 AM, and the Beijing Emperors on November 27 at 4 AM. All three games will be broadcast on USC Ice Hockey Radio by Alex Goldsmith.

Nov 14-15: SC Splits at Stanford

After taking a 3-1 lead into the third period and expanding it to 4-1, USC collapsed defensively, giving up five goals in the third period and falling 6-5 on Friday, Nov 14. USC avenged their first loss to the Cardinal since 2001, with a hard fought 5-4 victory on Saturday.

Nov 7-8: Trojans Clobber Undermanned Bears

USC proved to be too much for a Cal team that only had two lines for a three game swing through Southern California. The Trojans raced to a 12-2 victory on Friday, Nov. 7 and followed it up with an 8-1 win on Saturday.

Oct 31-Nov 1: Huskies Haunt Trojans

USC scored three goals in the first eight minutes on Friday, Oct 31, but Washington was not scared by the early deficit. The Huskies tied the game at 5-5 by the end of the second period and scored the only two goals of the third to win 7-5. On Saturday, the Trojans got back on track with an 8-4 win.

SC Loses Shootout in Shootout

The Trojans lost what might have been the game of the Pac-8's regular season on Saturday night, but not before fighting on. USC scored first and took a 1-0 lead into the first break. Oregon tied the game early in the second period, but USC responded within in a minute to take the lead back. The game unraveled in the second period when Oregon knotted the game in the second and an Oregon player took a major penalty for charging USC goaltender, Matt Buttweiler, on the same play. However, even after another Duck went to the box, USC was unable to score, and Oregon responded by killing the 5 on 3 and scoring to take the lead immediately after getting back to full strength. The Ducks opened that lead with a power play goal late in the second period.

The third period exemplified the battles that the two teams have had throughout the recent years. USC fought back for two goals with less than ten minutes left to tie the game. Oregon took the lead back with five minutes remaining and looked ready to sweep the series until the Trojans scored on the power play with a minute left.

After five minutes of scoreless overtime (which is played 4 on 4), the game went to a deciding shootout. USC shot first in the five man shootout, but Ducks goaltender Wren Arbuthnot came up big, stopping the first three Trojan shooters, while Oregon converted all of their shots and took the shootout 3-0 and the game 6-5. The Trojans have now lost five straight to the Ducks since beating them for the 2007 Pac-8 Championship, and both teams are eyeing the 2009 Pac-8 Tournament for a possible rematch.

Coming Home For Homecoming

USC continues Pac-8 play next weekend against the Washington Huskies. The Trojans did not play Washington last season and beat them in two lopsided games in January 2007, however, the Huskies are much improved since then and took Oregon to overtime last weekend. Friday night's game will faceoff at 7:30 PM at Anaheim Ice, but Saturday night's game will have a special 10 PM faceoff due to the football game.

USC Loses Heartbreaker

In a battle of what has become two of the Pac-8's perennial front runners, USC suffered a tough loss to the Oregon Ducks on Friday. Oregon scored twice in the first six minutes, afterwhich USC turned the tide for the rest of the period, scoring a goal and finishing with a significant shot advantage. USC kept that momentum and scored twice in the second for a 3-2 lead before the Ducks tied it late in the frame on a power play strike. Defense was at a premium in the third period with neither team letting the other score. However, Oregon was able to trap USC in its own end in the last minute and scored on a tip in with 46 seconds left; they held on to win 4-3.

The two rivals will be back at it in Eugene at 7 PM on Saturday. The game will be broadcast live on USC Ice Hockey Radio. USC and Oregon have had some epic battles over the past four seasons. The Trojans took the Pac-8 Championship game against the Ducks in 2006 and 2007 before Oregon beat USC in that game last season. USC has not beat Oregon since that 2007 Championship and is currently in a four-game rut against the Ducks.

Oregon Injury

There was a scary moment in Friday's game as Oregon's Kevin Keeland went into the boards at an awkward angle in the first minute of the second period. Keeland was pursuing a USC defenseman in Oregon's offensive end, when he lost his footing and hit his head into the boards. He was able to move all accessories, but the game was delayed nearly half an hour as he was removed from the ice on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Keeland's status is unknown, and the Trojan family wishes him well.

Trojans Rolling In So Cal

USC pulled out two tight wins this weekend against Southern California rivals. On Thursday, USC opened up the Crosstown Cup Series against ucla. The Trojans put the pressure on the Bruins, but ucla goaltender Dylan Ramos played strong through the first period. Michael Nijjar managed to crack Ramos midway through the second period, but the Bruins tied the game before the end of the frame. In the third period, the Trojans' Michael Joyce and Jay Roth netted goals 21 seconds apart, and later Alex Lofthus tallied an empty netter in response to a Bruins goal. SC went on to win 4-2 and take a 1-0 lead in the best of five series. The teams will meet again in a home and home series on Dec 4 and 5.

On Saturday, USC took on Long Beach State in another defensive battle. Alex Lofthus broke a scoreless tie in the first minute of the third period, and after Long Beach tied it up with less than three minutes left, Michael Joyce put the Trojans ahead with fifty-one seconds left. However, the 49ers weren't done and, with their netminder pulled, tied the game with twenty seconds left. That sent the game to overtime, which is now played in a 4-4 format. With less skaters on the ice, the game went back and forth before Dante Carvaggio netted the game winner with a slap shot off a Michael Joyce face off win. The Trojans won 3-2 to improve to 3-2-1 on the season.

Sun Devil Summary

The Trojans opened up Pac-8 play against Arizona State two weeks ago. USC took the first game in a low scoring 3-1 affair. The second night featured much more offense, and USC saw a 6-4 lead vanish in the third period. Nothing was decided after a 5 minute overtime, and the game ended at 6-6. There was some confusion at the end of the game, because new ACHA rules mandate a shootout to determine a winner, however, that shootout never took place. It is possible that the two teams could conduct the shootout when USC visits Tempe in January.

Onward to Oregon

The Trojans fly north this coming weekend for an extremely important series against the Oregon Ducks. Oregon defeated USC in last year's Pac-8 Championship after the Trojans ousted them in the finals the previous two seasons. The two teams always have competitive battles and have split the last four Pac-8 Championships and combined for nine of the conference's total thirteen titles. The games on October 24 and 25 will both faceoff at 7 pm at Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene. The games will give the Trojans some experience in the rink where the 2009 Pac-8 Tournament is scheduled.

Trojans Roughed Up By Aztecs

San Diego State proved why they were the runners-up in the ACHA Division 3 last year and showed they can certainly compete at the Division 2 level. Playing less than a week after the team was announced, the Trojans fought hard in a 3-1 Friday night road loss. Alex Lofthus tied the game at 1-1 with a first period breakaway goal, but the Aztecs scored once each period to walk away with the win. Matt Buttweiler played superbly against the SDSU attack and kept the Trojans in the game throughout.

On Saturday, USC trailed only 1-0 after the first break, but their lack of time together on the ice showed through in the final two frames as SDSU scored four times in each to open the game up. Mitchell Landsinger broke up the shutout late with a goal while the Trojans were two-men down.

USC will have a brief training camp this coming weekend, and will open up Pac-8 play the following weekend at home against Arizona State.

Schedule Released As Trojans Approach Tryouts

The Trojans have officially released the 2008-09 schedule. USC will start off with a home and home series against San Diego State on Sept. 26/27, with the second game (a 6 p.m. faceoff) being the home opener for the Trojans at Anaheim Ice.

Most game times are posted, although some road games are still TBD. With the exception of the opener, the Trojans start most home games at the traditional 7:30 p.m. time slot, although two games have been moved back to 10 p.m. due to the Trojan football schedule.

USC will have two road trips to northern California and will take on Pac-8 rivals Oregon and Arizona State on the road during the season. USC expects to hotly contend for its third Pac-8 title in four seasons.

Tryouts

USC opens tryouts tonight and will have a second tryout next Monday. Both take place at Lakewood Glacial Gardens at 10 pm. The roster will be updated shortly after the tryout process is over, before the Trojans head to SDSU the following weekend.

Ducks Swamp Trojans in Final

The third time proved to be the charm for the Oregon Ducks, who beat the Trojans 5-1 in the Pac-8 Championship Game on Friday. SC had beat Oregon in the Championship Games in 2006 and 2007. Oregon came out strong and significantly outshot the Trojans in the first period, taking a 2-1 lead in the process. In the second period, the Trojans were hurt by a slew a penalties that left them on the defensive most of the period. Oregon scored just tweleve seconds into the frame and later during a 5 on 3 late in the period to take a 4-1 lead after two periods. The teams reversed roles in the third period, with USC putting on much of the pressure, while Oregon killed multiple penalties, but the Trojans were unable to find the back of the net. Oregon rounded out the scoring with a final tally late in the third.

USC and Oregon have established themselves at the top of the competition in the Pac-8. Oregon's win gave them their second Pac-8 title in four years, while USC has won the other two in that time period. The Trojans have won seven of the thirteen Championships in the Pac-8's existence, but the Ducks hold a six games to five lead over USC over the past three seasons. Both teams should be in the hunt again in 2009 and will battle in Eugene, OR, in late October.

Honors and Farewells

Junior defenseman Matt Lewis and sophomore forward Michael Joyce were named to the Pac-8 Second Team on Friday night. They were the only two Trojans to win awards in what was a discombobulated season for USC. Goaltender Matt Buttweiler, a perennial award winner, missed most of the first half of the season with a groin injury, while many other key Trojans missed time for a various other reasons.

USC says goodbye to some longtime Trojans. Captain Justin O'Neil, assistant captain Ryan Farias, Matt Carter-Tracy, Bryan Price, Mark Koechling, Abraham Padilla, Michael Nijjar, and David Foley will all graduate in the spring. All eight played crucial roles for the Trojans this season both on and off the ice, and their presence will be missed next season.

Trojans Headed to Pac-8 Finals

The No. 3 Trojans scorched the No. 2 Arizona State Sun Devils 9-2 on Thursday afternoon in the Pac-8 Semifinals. ASU and USC battled to 1-1 tie through the first period and the Sun Devils took a 2-1 lead early in the second. The Trojans took over after that, launching twenty-two shots and scoring six goals before the period ended. USC scored two more goals in the third to round out the scoring. Matt Buttweiler played strong in net for the Trojans, and Ryder Fyrwald and Alex Lofthus were named players of the game.

For the third consecutive year, the Trojans will take on the No. 1 Oregon Ducks in the Pac-8 Championship on Friday at 3 pm. USC beat Oregon in a shootout in 2006 and overtime in 2007 to claim Pac-8 titles and look to win their third consecutive title. Oregon beat host Washington State 16-2 in the second semifinal on Thursday. Over the last three seasons, Oregon and USC are 5-5 against each other, but Oregon did sweep the Trojans in a two-game series in Anaheim in October. The game, guaranteed to be an instant classic, will be broadcast live on Pac-8 Ice Hockey Radio.

Rams Batter Trojans

After playing with the No. 1 and No. 4 teams in the West on consecutive nights, the Trojans looked road weary on Saturday night. Playing for the third consecutive night with only fourteen skaters, USC battled No. 6 Colorado State throughout the first period, but gave up two goals in the last minute and trailed 3-0 at the first intermission. Alex Lofthus scored on a shorthanded breakaway early in the second to give the Trojans hope, but the Rams scored three before the second intermission to take a 6-1 lead.

David Foley came in to back up for Matt Buttweiler in the third period and played well before he was inadvertently cut on the neck with eight minutes left in the game. Foley will be ok, but was unable to continue playing due to the severity of the cut. Worried about their rankings, Colorado State tried to keep the game going, but the Trojans had no goaltenders left and the game was called early at a 9-1 final.

Trojans Go For Pac-8s Next Weekend

It was a difficult trip to Colorado for USC, but the battered Trojans return home as a more experienced and conditioned team ready to make a Pac-8 Tournament run. The Trojans host Crosstown ucla next weekend on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm at Anaheim Ice. The Trojans currently hold a one-point advantage over Washington for the final spot in the Pac-8 Tournament. USC will need to win both games to guarantee a trip to Seattle for the tournament. Both games will be broadcast live on USC Ice Hockey Radio and the Trojans expect their biggest crowds of the season.

Trojans Fighting On!

USC Silences WSU (Last Weekend)

The Trojans beat Washington State twice last weekend at home, 7-1 and 8-3, to move closer to clinching a berth in the Pac-8 Tournament. Matt Buttweiler returned to net for the first time since an injury during the first series of the season in September. Buttweiler held the Cougars scoreless for the first 57 minutes of the first game before WSU managed to break up the shutout; it would have been Buttweiler's first shutout as a Trojan. The wins moved USC (7-3 Pac-8, 13 pts) well in front of Washington (7-3, 8.5 pts) in the standings. Washington swept ucla in two 6-5 games down the road, all but eliminating the bruins from Tournament contention. SC fans should closely monitor the Washington-Oregon series this weekend because if Oregon sweeps UW, the Trojans will control their own fate going into the last week of Pac-8 play against ucla next weekend (Oregon beat Washington 5-3 on Friday night).

Shorthanded Trojans Making Statements in Losses (This Weekend)

Despite flying only fourteen skaters and two goaltenders to Colorado, the Trojans held their own on Thursday and Friday night. On Thursday, the Trojans took on No. 4 Denver with only thirteen skaters. Despite the high altitude, the Trojans stuck with the Pioneers and had SC converted a couple of near scores, the score might have been closer than the 6-2 final.

Friday, the Trojans took on No. 1 Colorado, but entered the game undaunted by the Buffaloes lofty ranking. Brent Ozaki joined the Trojans after flying out earlier in the day and helped backbone a stout defense. Meanwhile, Jonathan Stallsmith was called on to play center after an early Trojan injury; it was the first time Stallsmith had played forward in a Cardinal and Gold uniform. The Trojans led the Buffaloes halfway through the game at 3-2, before giving up three goals to end the second period. However, the defense locked down in the third. Colorado stacked the ice late in a blatant attempt to save face against the unranked Trojans and open a lead, but the final score stayed at 5-3 after a scoreless third. Last season, the Trojans tied then No.1 ranked Colorado 6-6 and have played well against the Buffaloes over the years.

USC heads to Fort Collins, CO, on Saturday to take on No. 6 Colorado State. The Rams battered the Trojans 9-2 in Anaheim in November, but after sticking with Colorado's other top teams, the Trojans have nothing but confidence heading into Saturday night's game. USC Ice Hockey Radio broadcaster, Alex Goldsmith, will broadcast the game live at 7:30 pm MST (6:30 pm PST).

Trojans Back On Ice Tonight

USC (8-9, 5-3 Pac-8) will be back in action tonight at Anaheim Ice against Washington State (3-5 Pac-8). It will be the Trojans first game in over a month since they went on Holiday Break. The games will begin what Coach Mark Wilbur refers to as the "Spring Dash," which the Trojans hope to cap off with an appearance in the Pac-8 Tournament. USC currently sits in third place with 9.5 points but is followed closely by ucla and Washington. Oregon and Arizona State have locked up the top two spots in the Pac-8 and Tournament Host Washington State is guaranteed a third. The Trojans will need to finish strong to claim the last spot in the tournament and have a shot at their third consecutive Pac-8 Championship.

Trojans Battle But Lose Two, Head to Holidays

USC (8-9) played with the No. 3 team in the West for a half the game on Friday. The Trojans were in a 2-2 battle with the Long Beach State 49ers before the 49ers blew the game open in the third period to skate away with their second 8-2 win over the Trojans this season.

Saturday, the Trojans put up a valiant effort for three periods. A battered USC had only three lines and five defensemen and held the 49ers to a scoreless period in the first. The Trojans fell behind 2-0 early in the second, but battled back with three straight goals and took the momentum and a 3-2 lead in to the locker room. At the start of third period, the game's referees decided they'd had enough of the Trojans potentially manipulating the ACHA Rankings. USC was called for an unheard of delay game penalty for not getting onto the ice fast of to start the third period; Long Beach State tied the game on the ensuing power play, and the Trojans were called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in relation to the delay of game. The 49ers were able to ride their newly found momentum to take a 4-3 minutes later. The Trojans battled Long Beach the rest of the way, but were called for a roughing penalty with two minutes left and a one-goal deficit. The 49ers were able to put the game away on that power play and finished the game with an empty net goal for the 6-3 victory.

The wary and injured Trojans will take a month off for the Holiday Break in hopes of getting healthy. USC has played most of the season without injured starting goaltender Matt Buttweiler and many other players, including starters Ryan Farias, Mike Joyce, and Matt Lewis, among others, missed Saturday's game with various injuries. The Trojans hope to get back to 100% for the first time this season when they take on Washington State at Anaheim Ice on January 18/19. The Trojans will need to put together a strong showing to make a run at the Pac-8 Tournament and a chance at their third consecutive Pac-8 Championship. The Trojans will likely be in a neck-and-neck battle for the last spot with the Washington Huskies, and, with games left against USC and Washington, ucla still stands a chance at taking that spot. The Trojans will cap their Pac-8 schedule on Feb 1/2 with two home games against ucla.

Dyer Ends Heralded Career With Good Showing

Rich Dyer started both games in net for the Trojans and ended the his career with an impressive game on Saturday. Dyer was a leader both on and off the ice for the Trojans. He played goal for USC throughout his career and also appeared at forward during the 2006-07 season. Dyer served as the Team President the last three seasons and put in countless hours for the Trojans. He will graduate with a degree in aerospace engineering this December. The Trojans wish Dyer the best of luck and thank him for his contributions to the team.

SC Claims Los Angeles

The Trojans (8-7, 5-3 Pac-8) won their third consecutive Crosstown Cup with a 4-3 win on Friday night against ucla. Winning has become customary for the Trojans in the rivalry, but as always, the bruins refused to fold easily for the USC. SC scored first, but ucla fought back for a 2-1 lead before the end of the first period. USC then reeled off three consecutive goals in the second period, but the bruins responded to close the game to 4-3 before the end of the period. Led by goaltender Phil Adams, the USC defense shut down ucla throughout the third period. USC controlled the last two minutes of the game and would not allow the bruins the opportunity to pull their goaltender, and the Trojans held on for the win. It is USC's eleventh Crosstown Cup in the thirteen year existence of the trophy.

USC will take on No. 3 Long Beach State next weekend. Friday's game will face off at Anaheim Ice at 7:30, and Saturday's game will start at the same time at Lakewood Glacial Gardens. Long Beach swept the Trojans in a series earlier this year with 8-2 and 6-3 victories. Both games will be broadcast on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Trojans March Closer To Crosstown Cup

Playing late Thursday night or, for most of the game, early Friday morning, the Trojans inched closer to a third consecutive Crosstown Cup with a 3-1 victory over ucla. USC scored two goals in the first ten minutes of the game and again midway through the second to take a 3-0 lead. The Trojans spent much of the third period killing penalties but were able to hold the bruins to only one goal. Phil Adams had another strong start for the Trojans after posting a shutout in his first career game two weeks ago; he held opponents scoreless through the first five periods of his career. SC played strong in front of him and dominated the bruins physically throughout the game.

USC now leads the Crosstown Cup two games to none and takes on the bruins this Friday night at 7:30 pm at Anaheim Ice. The home ucla game during Conquest Week is always the biggest draw of the season for SC. A win would give the Trojans their third consecutive Crosstown Cup against ucla and eleventh in its thirteen years of existence. For those that can't make it to the game, it will be broadcast live on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Trojans Down In ACHA Rankings

In the eyes of ACHA voters, two dominating wins against Cal could not overcome the Trojans shellacking against No. 6 Colorado State and the Trojans dropped further in the second ACHA West rankings of the season. USC is not in the Top 13, but received enough votes for seventeenth (falling from sixteenth in the first rankings). USC was in the Top 13 throughout 2005-06 and 2006-07, finishing the seasons at ninth and seventh (respectively) and making the ACHA West Regional Tournament both seasons. USC (6-7) has started off with a difficult schedule, but has only gone 2-7 against ranked opponents. The Trojans will have plenty of big games to work their way up with two games left against No. 3 Long Beach State and No. 7 San Jose State, as well as games during a January Colorado trip against No. 1 Colorado, No. 4 Denver, and a rematch against No. 6 Colorado State.

Crosstown Cup!

In the meantime, however, the Trojans have a big series against ucla this coming weekend. USC leads the Crosstown Cup series 1-0 and would win the Cup with a weekend sweep. The Trojans face off against the bruins at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo at 11:45 pm on Thursday and at Anaheim Ice at 7:30 pm on Friday. Both games will be broadcast live on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Rams Headbutt Trojans

USC struggled in its biggest test of the season against No. 5 Colorado State in a 9-2 loss on Friday. The Trojans started off strong with the first two goals of the game in the first ten minutes. The goals woke up the Rams, who scored three goals in each period to win the game in dominating fashion. CSU took nearly 70 shots on Trojan goalie Rich Dyer, who played much better than his stats would indicate. USC will have a chance to improve against the Rams when they travel to Colorado in late January.

USC will have a break for Thanksgiving before playing two crucial games against ucla on November 29th and 30th. The Trojans lead the series with the crosstown rival one game to none and hope to build on that lead and their quest for their third consecutive Crosstown Cup on Conquest Weekend. The wins would also give the Trojans a much needed boost in the Pac-8, where they are currently in fourth place with a 3-3 record.

Washington State Games Rescheduled

Due to confusion, the Washington State games have been rescheduled from January 11/12 to January 18/19 at Anaheim Ice. This change will be reflected in the schedule soon.

Trojans Sunburn Bears

USC (6-6, 3-3 Pac-8) lit the lamp twenty four times in two games against the Cal Bears (3-7 Pac-8) this weekend. The Trojans battled the Bears in the first game and the Bears responded, tying the game at 6-6 early in the third before the Trojans scored six unanswered goals for a 12-6 win. Tyler McLinn netted a hat trick for the Trojans. David Foley picked up his first career win for USC in between the pipes.

Saturday night was a different story as the Trojans dominated the game from start to finish. Three defensemen (Jason Bush, Justin O'Neil, and Jonathan Stallsmith) all scored power play goals in a six-goal second period that opened the game up to 9-0. The Trojans put up three more in the third to win 12-0. The biggest story of the night was goaltender Phil Adams. Adams had not practiced with the Trojans and was rostered Friday as a back-up. He joined the trip on a last-second phone call to dress a healthy back-up and, in his first career start, backstopped to the Trojans first shutout victory since January 17, 2004.

The Trojans play a big home game next Friday against No. 5 Colorado State (4-6). The Rams beat Arizona State 10-1 the day before USC began a two-game series split with the Sun Devils. The game will faceoff at Anaheim Ice at 7:30 pm and will be broadcast live on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

ACHA Rankings

The ACHA recently released their first rankings of the season and the Trojans have some work to do. USC is ranked sixteenth; the first time they've fallen from the Top 13 in over two years. Of teams that USC has played this year: (0-2 vs) Long Beach State is fourth; (1-1 vs) San Jose State is ninth; (0-2 vs) Oregon is eleventh; and, (1-1 vs) Arizona State is twelfth.

USC Ice Hockey Updates

The Trojans opened up Pac-8 play recently and the injury bug affected the Trojans early in their conference campaign. The Trojans lacked offense in being swept by the rival Oregon Ducks at home on October 19-20. USC dropped the first game 4-2, giving up an empty net goal late. The second game was close throughout, with the Ducks up 1-0 going into the third, but the Trojans were unable to find the net and suffered their first shutout since January 2005 in the 3-0 loss. James Carcich played well in goal for the Trojans against Oregon in replacing regular starter Matt Buttweiler, who missed the majority of October with a groin injury. However, shortly before the Ducks second goal in the Saturday match, Carcich dislocated his knee on a play, and Oregon was able to score before the whistle was blown for the injury.

The following weekend saw two new goaltenders make their debuts for the Trojans. On October 25th, USC played a back-and-forth battle at the Staples Center against Crosstown Rival ucla. The Trojans held a shot advantage throughout the game, but couldn't separate themselves from the bruins until late, leaving with a 5-4 win. Andrew Clark was the winning goaltender for USC in his cardinal and gold debut.

The Trojans hit the road for Tempe, AZ, the following morning to play a two game series against Arizona State on October 26 and 27. The Trojans came out strong against the Sun Devils, who swept Oregon earlier in the month, and Clark backstopped the Trojans to a 5-1 win. Clark had to fly back to Los Angeles early Saturday, and his departure paved the way for long-time Trojan broadcaster, David Foley, to make his debut. Foley played roller hockey goalie throughout high school, but the start was his first in such a high level ice hockey game. It was apparent the Trojans had played three games in as many days when they fell behind 6-1 after two periods, but USC regrouped and closed the gap to 7-4 by the end of the game.

The games leave USC with a 1-3 record and sixth place in the Pac-8 standings (oddly, the ucla game did not qualify as a Pac-8 match), before they head to Cal this coming weekend to take on the Bears (3-5 Pac-8/fourth place). The games will be broadcast live on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Battle for the Crosstown Cup begins at Staples

Come support your USC Trojans (2-3) as they take on the UCLA Bruins (1-3) for Game 1 of the Crosstown Cup at the Staples Center on Thursday, October 25. The game will take place immediately following the ending of the Los Angeles Kings game.

Tickets can be purchased through the AEG website.

Lions Roar, Trojans Win

The Trojans (2-3) gave their parents an exciting game to watch against LMU (3-2-1) on Friday. USC fell behind 3-1 in the first and 4-1 early in the second before USC fought back to knot the game at four at the end of the second. Coming out of the locker room confidently, the Trojans broke the tie early, but the Lions tied it halfway through the third. USC dominated late, but Lions' goalie Chris Marks held off the Trojans through regulation.

The game appeared headed for a tie, but with the Trojans killing an overtime penalty, Mike Joyce stole the puck at the point, went the length of the ice, and flipped a pass across to Alex Lofthus, who finished the game with only 10 seconds left in overtime.

USC will have Saturday off to celebrate Parent's Weekend, before they open Pac-8 play next weekend in a big home series against rival Oregon.

Goal Rushed

USC (1-3) was swept this past weekend by a good Long Beach State 49er team. Beach (3-1) started off strong against the noticeably lethargic Trojans Thursday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the first period and 5-0 lead in the second, before the Trojans finally broke the shutout in the third period.

The Trojans recovered some on Friday night in their home opener. After Long Beach jumped to a 2-0 lead the Trojans responded with a goal of their own and hit a post as time expired in the first period. However, the USC broke down in the second and fell behind 5-1, before recovering in the third to keep the game close at a 6-3 final.

USC will host Loyola Marymount (2-1-1) at Anaheim Ice on Friday at 7:30 pm. LMU beat ucla last weekend and the Trojans hope to get back on track before a big weekend against Pac-8 rival Oregon on October 19-20. USC dominated LMU last season, winning 13-1 and 8-1; this will be the only game of the season between the two teams.

Radio Broadcast Ready For Long Beach Series

USC Ice Hockey Radio is officially back on the air this week after technical difficulties prevented last week's San Jose State series from being broadcast. Tune-in both nights to hear the internet broadcasts.

The Trojans open up their Southern California campaign at Long Beach State on Thursday night at 8:50 pm. The game will be played at Glacial Gardens in Lakewood. On Friday, the 49ers and the Trojans will finish the home-and-home series with USC's home opener at 7:30 at Anaheim Ice.

USC split with Beach last year, losing 6-2 in October, before winning 7-4 a month later. Beach returns its top five point scorers from last year and its starting goaltender, and the 49ers come off a split with Division 1 Arizona State last weekend. The Trojans will face Long Beach a total four times this year.

Trojans Defeat History

In the historic battle of Troy, the Spartans defeated the Trojans, and such was the case in the hockey rivalry between the San Jose State Spartans and the USC Trojans. It appeared much of the same when the Trojans faced off their season in San Jose on Friday. USC fell behind 2-0 in the 1st period, and despite an early response in the second, trailed 5-1 by the end of the period. However, USC buckled down and fought to keep the final score at 5-1.

The momentum the Trojans gained from that third period carried over to Saturday. The game was a defensive battle midway into the second until the Trojans went up 2-0 and the Spartans promptly responded to knot the game at two headed into the third period. USC opened the scoring in the third, but SJSU again responded. However, with less than five minutes in the game, USC took yet another lead and called timeout. USC won the faceoff out of the timeout and went directly down to make it a 5-3 game. The Trojans killed a 6 on 3 late in the game and held on for their first win of the season.

Saturday night's win snapped a twelve game losing streak and thirteen game winless streak against the Spartans. USC's previous last win against SJSU was Feb. 7, 2004, and the current senior class had never beaten the Spartans. San Jose State had not lost at home in over two season, a streak that dated back to the 2004-2005 season.

Trojans Head To San Jose For Opener

USC to San Jose State this weekend for their season opener. USC will faceoff at 7:45 pm on Friday and 7 pm on Saturday at Logitech Ice in San Jose. Despite recent strong seasons, the Trojans have struggled against the Spartans, dropping the last eleven games between the two teams, and USC has not beat SJSU since Feb. 7, 2004.

Trojans Back On The Ice

The Trojans finished their last of three tryouts Monday night. USC has a good new group of guys while being anchored by several veterans. Despite the loss of two-time captain Ryan Seals, the Trojan defensive wall boasts a lot of talent and experience; while the offense gets younger but will not lose any talent. 2006 Pac 8 MVP Matt Buttweiler will see most of the time in goal, and Team President Rich Dyer will return to the net after a few years at forward to back up Buttweiler.

USC will open the season on the road at San Jose State on September 28/29 at Logitech Ice. Friday's game will face off at 7:45 pm and Saturday's game at 7 pm.

USC's first game in Southern California will be a home-and-home series with Long Beach State. The first game will Thursday, October 4th at Glacial Gardens in Lakewood (Time TBD) before the Trojans play their first home game on October 5th at 7:30 pm at Anaheim Ice.

2007-2008 Schedule

The 2007-08 schedule will be posted soon. To preview through 2007, USC will play home: Oct 5 (vs Long Beach), Oct 12 (vs UConn), Oct 19-20 (vs Oregon), Oct 25 (AT ucla), Nov 15 (vs Colorado St), Nov 16 (vs Stanford), Nov 29 (AT ucla), Nov 30 (vs ucla), Dec 7 (vs Long Beach), Dec 8 (AT Long Beach). Other than SJSU, the Trojans will travel to Arizona State (Oct 26-27), Cal (Nov 9-10), and will do a Colorado tour near the end of January 2008. Sorry for the delay on the schedule.

Trojans Send Prayers To Hokies

The USC Ice Hockey team would like to send its thoughts and prayers to the friends and families of the Virginia Tech victims. The Hokies field a Division 2 ACHA team and their website reported Wednesday that all Hokie hockey players were safe. USC Ice Hockey has never played Virginia Tech, but did play its ACCHL rival Duke in January of 2006. The Trojans would like the Hokies and their entire community to know that they support them in dealing with this terrible tragedy.

Captain Highlights Team Awards

The USC Ice Hockey team held its banquet Friday night. Captain Ryan Seals was among the recipients for the various team awards. The team and its staff voted on many of the awards:

Most Outstanding Player (tie): Ryan Seals, Ryan Farias
Best Offensive Player: Shon Smith
Best Defensive Player: Ryan Seals
Rookie of the Year: Michael Joyce
Trojan Spirit Award: Rich Dyer
Most Improved Player: Mark Koechling
Best Individual Performance (tie):
Shon Smith-December 7, 2006-For his three goals and two assists in a 6-6 tie against #1 Colorado.
Ryan Seals-February 10, 2007-For his performance in a 4-3 overtime win in the Pac-8 Championship, after which Seals was named the tournament's MVP.

Coach Wilbur also handed out a few awards of his own choosing:
Coach's Award: Chris Dralla, Mark Farrish, Matt Carter-Tracy
Rob Yanez (for service and citizenship): Mark Gangloff
Mike Fratto Trojan Award: Rich Dyer
Mike Fratto played goalie for the Trojans in the late 1990s before he died tragically of cancer. His father handed out the award to the player that exihibited the characteristics that Mike exemplified: Faithful, Skillful, Scholarly, Courageous, Ambitious.

The Trojans elected Justin O'Neil next year's captain, and Ryan Farias, Tyler McLinn, and Michael Joyce the assistant captains.

USC bid a final goodbye to Rich Dyer, Matt Carter-Tracy, Mark Farrish, Chris Dralla, Mike Mariani, Shon Smith, Ryan Seals, and Mark Gangloff.

No Final Wilbur Show

As fans might have noticed, the final Mark Wilbur Show did not air last Wednesday as expected. The final show has officially been cancelled due to investigations based on the on-ice incident in Utah. Among potential other organizations, the USC Judical Affairs committee announced last week it would be investigating the team. At this point, the Trojans are trying to let the investigations run their course and do not want to discuss the issue in a public setting while the investigations are being conducted. Sorry for any inconvience. Fight On!

Final Wilbur Show

USC broadcasters David Foley and Andrew Samel will air the last Mark Wilbur Show of the season this Wednesday at 4:45 pm. The show will do a thorough wrap up of the 2006-07 season and discuss both the successes and disappointments of the season. The show will also address the national attention USC Ice Hockey has received as a result of an on-ice incident in Utah. Foley and Samel will also look ahead to the future of the program and give a final tribute to the outgoing Trojans. Tune in for the final take on the season.

Flat Finale

Maybe it was the five hours of sleep the Trojans got after playing in the last of four games on Friday and the first of four on Saturday. Maybe it was the uncharacteristic 10 am start time. Maybe it was the deflation from having gotten knocked out of ACHA National contention in a tough loss the night before. For whatever reason, the No. 7 Trojans put up a lackluster effort in their final game of the season against No. 10 BYU. USC struggled defensively in giving up five goals and an empty netter. The Trojans jumped to a 2-0 lead and remained close throughout the game. However, USC hurt themselves with a series of penalties midway through the third period and was unable to close the season with win. Seniors Chris Dralla and Matt Carter-Tracy both scored in their final game in cardinal and gold.

Other ACHA West Regional Scores:
#3 Colorado 5, #6 Utah State 1
#4 San Jose State 6, #5 Denver 5 (OT)
-Colorado and San Jose State advance to ACHA Nationals.
#8 Long Beach 4, #9 Oregon 0

Aggie-tated Trojans

No. 7 USC lost a tough 3-1 decision to No. 6 Utah State on Friday. The Trojans played hard, but could not manage a goal against the Aggies until five minutes left in the game. The goal cut the USU lead to 2-1, but the Aggies scored minutes later to put the game out of reach for the men of Troy. USC will faceoff on Saturday morning at 10 am (MST) against No. 10 BYU. SC split a series with the IceCats in late January. The game will be broadcast live on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Other ACHA West Regional scores:
#3 Colorado 6, #10 BYU 5
#4 San Jose State 3, #9 Oregon 2 (OT)
#5 Denver 5, #8 Long Beach 2

Trojans Roll Into Utah

The Trojans took a 13-hour bus ride Thursday in preparation for the ACHA West Regional tournament this weekend. The Trojans left campus at 8 am (PST), stopped an hour for lunch in Las Vegas, and rolled into Salt Lake City at 10 pm (MST). The No. 7 Trojans will open the weekend against tournament host, No. 6 Utah State on Friday. The game will face off at 8 pm (MST) [NOTE: 7 PM PACIFIC TIME] in Logan, UT. The Trojans hope to continue their tournament success after winning the Pac-8 Championship last weekend. The Trojans will play Saturday regardless of Friday's outcome. A win on Friday would give USC the opportunity to play for a berth in the ACHA Nationals on Saturday. Opponent and game time for Saturday will be determined based on the outcome of Friday's games. USC Ice Hockey Radio will broadcast both games on the internet. Tune in at your local time (7 pm PST) to here the Trojans play in enemy territory.

Twice As Nice!

"Fight On!" is the Trojan motto and that is exactly what the Trojans did on Saturday evening against the Oregon Ducks. The Trojans trailed the Ducks 3-2 with 2:31 left in the game and had a two-minute powerplay. SC put the pressure on but was forced to pull goaltender Kevin Kliman after the first minute of the powerplay ticked away. Finally, with less than a minute left in the game, the Trojan powerplay came through when Shon Smith scored to send the game into overtime. SC beat Oregon 4-3 in a shootout of the 2006 Pac-8 Championship and the 2007 game appeared headed in the same direction until Jake McKee picked up a loose puck high in the offensive zone with 45 seconds left. McKee turned around and fired a wrist shot at the Duck net, the puck bounced off Jason Filantres and into the net. For the second year in a row, the Trojans were able to hog pile for a Pac-8 Championship.

Although the Pac-8 season is over, both SC and Oregon still have some postseason left to go, when the travel to Utah to play in the ACHA West Regional next weekend. No. 7 USC will play No. 6 Utah State on Friday at 8 pm, and an undetermined opponent on Saturday. If the Trojans win both games, they will advance to the ACHA Nationals in Colorado in early March.

Four Trojans Take Pac 8 Honors

After scoring two goals in the championship and one in the semifinal and putting up a solid defensive effort to win the Pac-8 Tournament MVP, Trojan captain, Ryan Seals gave an encore performance later Saturday night when he received First Team All Pac-8 honors. Along side Seals on the first team was Trojan goaltender Matt Buttweiler, who was the 2006 Pac-8 Tournament MVP. Forward Shon Smith was named Second Team All Pac-8 and defenseman Brent Ozaki was named Honorable Mention All Pac-8. Ryan Farias, who led the entire Pac-8 in ACHA scoring, was noticably absent from the All Pac-8 selections.

Washington State coach, Chris Soriano, was named the Coach of the Year after rebuilding a Cougar team that should compete for the Pac-8 Championship next season. Also in the hunt next season will be Arizona State, who beat ucla 13-9 in the consolation game on Saturday. This season was ASU's first season back in the Pac-8 after an extended absence. ASU was knocked out of championship contention in a 5-2 loss against SC on Friday but did hand the Trojans one of their three Pac-8 losses earlier this season.

ACHA Regional Radio

USC broadcasters David Foley and Andrew Samel will be on the road with the Trojans for USC Ice Hockey Radio after broadcasting this past weekend for Pac-8 Radio. The entire tournament is archived and the broadcasters would greatly appreciate any feedback on their broadcasts, please send emails to radio@pac8hockey.com. The Mark Wilbur Show will air this week at 5 pm on Wednesday. Listen in to hear the Pac-8 Tournament summmary and a regional preview.

Trojans Set Sun Devils

The Trojans punched their ticket to the Pac-8 Final with a 5-2 win against Arizona State on Friday evening. The Sun Devils scored early in the game, but the Trojans responded with three goals before the end of the first and extended it to a 4-1 lead by the second intermission. The Sun Devils came out strong in the third period, but goaltender Kevin Kliman and the Trojans were able to hold ASU back and Ryan Seals sealed the game with a shorthanded breakaway late in the third. It was the third of three breakaway goals for the Trojans, who also got breakaways from Matt Carter-Tracy and Cory Adler. Carter-Tracy added a second goal, and Ryan Farias scored for USC.

The win advances the Trojans to Saturday's Pac-8 Final at 4 pm at the Toyota Sports Arena in El Segundo, CA. The Trojans will face the Oregon Ducks, who beat ucla 6-4 in the other semifinal. USC and Oregon have been evenly matched as the top two teams in the Pac-8 over the last two seasons. Oregon won the Pac-8 in 2005, before the Trojans beat them 4-3 in a shootout to win the 2006 Championship. USC and Oregon split two 3-2 decisions in late October. They also split the 2005-2006 regular season series two games to two. USC is currently ranked seventh in the ACHA West and Oregon is ranked ninth.

Both the ASU-ucla consolation game at 1 pm and the championship game will be broadcast on Pac 8 Radio.

Healthy Trojans Ready For Pac 8s

The Trojans held their final practice before the Pac 8 tournament on Wednesday night and most of the the injured Trojans were back on the ice. Ryan Seals, Ryan Farias, Jason Bush, Jonny Baron, Michael Joyce, and Shon Smith were all back near 100% after missing time last weekend due to injury. The Trojans are still without freshmen Zach Porter and Josh Frazier. The banged up Trojans lost three of their last four regular season games and look forward to skating a full lineup this weekend. Wednesday's practice was crisp and quick and SC looks ready for the tournament. The Trojans will play the Arizona State Sun Devils at 5:30 pm on Friday at the Toyota Sports Arena in El Segundo, CA.

Pac-8 Radio Broadcast

USC broadcasters David Foley, Andrew Samel, and Alex Goldsmith will discard their cardinal and gold this weekend to broadcast the full Pac-8 Tournament. Similar to USC Ice Hockey Radio, the tournament will be broadcast through Audio Sports Online, but will be broadcast at the Pac 8 Radio site. Friday's Trojan-ASU game will feature David Foley on play-by-play and ASU's Kyle Glaser on color. Glaser will likely broadcast Saturday's Sun Devil game as well. Tune in all weekend for coverage of all games.

Stumble Doesn't Result In Fall

Despite dropping three of their final four games, the Trojans 19-10-1 campaign was strong enough for them to retain the number seven ranking in the ACHA West. The final ranking means the Trojans will face No. 6 Utah State in the ACHA West Regional on February 16. The regional tournament will be held in Logan, UT, and hosted by Utah State. The Trojans will need to beat Utah State and their February 17th opponent to advance to the ACHA Nationals in Colorado in early March. Elsewhere in the rankings, San Jose State jumped to number four after drubbing SC this past weekend. Upcoming potential Pac-8 tournament foes, Oregon, Arizona State, and ucla, finished ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth, respectively. The Trojans will make their second appearance in the ACHA West Regional in as many years, while Oregon will be the only other Pac-8 representative to make the regional in its two year existence. Despite the upcoming regional, all of the Trojans' attention is on the Pac-8 Semifinal at 5:30 pm against Arizona State this Friday.

Trojans Battered In San Jose

The undermanned No. 7 Trojans were thumped on the road this weekend by No. 5 San Jose State. SC dropped the first game 8-1 and the second game 9-1. The Trojans headed to San Jose without many of their regulars, and then lost Ryan Farias and Jason Bush in the first game, and captain Ryan Seals early in the second game. Shon Smith also played sparingly due to injury in the second game, but came through to score the only Trojan goal in Saturday's loss. The Trojans hurt themselves by giving up four goals in the second period of each game. True to the Trojan spirit, SC fought on in each third period despite the games being out of hand.

The Trojans return to Los Angeles for the Pac-8 Championship next weekend. ucla will host the tournament at the Toyota Sports Arena in El Segundo, CA. The first seeded Trojans will face off against fourth seeded Arizona State at 5:30 pm on Friday, while second seeded Oregon plays third seeded ucla at 8:30 pm. On Saturday, the consolation game will be at 1 pm and the championship at 4 pm. Depsite a rough weekend, the Trojans hope to get healthy and will be ready to defend their 2006 title. Tune into the Mark Wilbur Show this Wednesday at 5 pm for a regular season wrap-up and a Pac-8 Tournament preview.

Trojans Turn Off Lights With Style

The Trojans sent their seniors out of Anaheim Ice on a high note Friday night. USC played a solid game against the BYU IceCats in a 5-2 win. The Trojans controlled the tempo both offensively and defensively, recovering from a dissapointing 6-4 loss the night before. Ryan Farias netted a hat trick for the Trojans and, late roster addition, Jonathan Stallsmith had a solid defensive game. It was the final home game for eight Trojans: Richard Dyer, Matthew Carter-Tracy, Mark Farrish, Chris Dralla, Michael Mariani, Shon Smith, Ryan Seals, and Mark Gangloff. The players were honored in a short pregame ceremony.

Ahead on the schedule, the Trojans travel to No. 5 San Jose State this weekend. The Trojans and Spartans will go to war at 7:45 pm on Friday and 7 pm on Saturday. Both games will be played at Logitech Ice in San Jose, CA and will be broadcast live on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Trojans Alone In Rankings

In the fourth set of ACHA Rankings, which were released Friday, the Trojans were ranked seventh. USC had been tied at seventh with current No. 8 Long Beach. USC's 54 voting points puts them only one point behind No. 6 Utah State. The Trojans will need a strong showing in San Jose to move up after this weekend's split with No. 10 BYU.

Mark Wilbur Show on Wednesday

The Mark Wilbur Show has officially been moved to Wednesdays at 5 pm. Tune in to hear the current state of the Trojans with broadcasters David Foley and Andrew Samel.

Friday: Senior Night

Friday night will be USC's last home game at Anaheim Ice. It will be Senior Night for USC. The Trojans will honor the careers of Rich Dyer, Matthew Carter-Tracy, Mark Farrish, Chris Dralla, Shon Smith, Ryan Seals, and Mark Gangloff. It will also be the last home game for graduate students Michael Mariani, Jason Filantres, and Jake McKee. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

SC Slips vs IceCats

The Trojans struggled defensively Thursday night against a rough BYU team. SC dropped a 6-4 decision against the IceCats. The loss could hurt the Trojans in the ACHA West Rankings. USC will likely need to beat #10 BYU on Friday to keep from dropping too far in the rankings. Friday's game will be broadcast on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Big Or Small...SC Still Wins

USC swept a road series against Cal this weekend. However, the Trojans played two different types of games to beat the Bears. On Friday, USC led 2-1 after the first period before scoring eight unanswered goals in a second period slowed down by penalties. In the third period, the team tried to get team president Rich Dyer his second goal of the year. Dyer played most of the period and was not allowed off the ice during a five-minute power play. Dyer was unable to find the back of the net, but the Trojans still managed two goals before the refs called the game a minute early after a scuffle. The Trojans walked away with the 12-1 win.

On Saturday, the Bears did their best to ruin the Trojans' picnic. Despite controlling the play, USC managed only two goals against Cal goalie Brian Yates in the first two periods. At the same time, the Trojan wall held the Bears scoreless. However, Cal opened the third with three straight goals to take its first lead of the weekend. USC responded with a Ryan Seals goal late to send the game to overtime. Nine seconds into overtime, the Trojans appeared to have won on a Jonny Baron goal, but it was called back. Minutes later, Tyler McLinn knocked home a power play rebound and the Trojans escaped with a 4-3 win.

SC finishes Pac-8 play with a 15-3 record and an 11-game winning streak. The Pac-8 tournament will be played in El Segundo, CA on February 9-10. USC will hope to keep up their Pac-8 success and repeat as champions. The Trojans have won six of the eleven Pac-8 Championships, including the 2006 Championship.

USC has a big home series against Brigham Young this weekend. The games will faceoff at 7:30 on THURSDAY and Friday (there is no Saturday game). BYU is ranked tenth in the ACHA West and has come on strong late in the season. SC lost 4-3 at BYU last January, but beat them 6-3 in the 2006 ACHA Regional Tournament. Both BYU games will be broadast on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

The Mark Wilbur Show at 5 pm

The Mark Wilbur Show has changed times from 8:30 pm to 5 pm on Tuesday. Listen this week as broadcasters David Foley and Andrew Samel breakdown this past weekend and the Pac-8 season and preview the BYU series. All future broadcasts of the show this season will also be at 5 pm.

Trojans Rollin' To Cal

USC extended its Pac-8 winning streak to nine games with a win at the Staples Center against ucla last night. The Trojans dominated early outshooting the bruins 21-5 early into the second period and taking 3-0 and 4-1 leads before the close of the second. However, SC let up in the third, and ucla was able to close the game to 4-3 before the Trojans pulled away with an empty netter and a 5-3 win. Mickey Meyer had the play of the game when he stopped a floating puck with his head while on his knees. The save came with the ucla goalie pulled and less than a minute left.

USC will head to the Berkeley Iceland to take on the Cal Bears this weekend. Cal has struggled to a 3-10 record in the Pac-8 this season, and the Trojans already beat the Bears 12-4 in November. Friday's game will start at 9:30 and Saturday's will faceoff at 8:30. Both games will be broadcast on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Trojans Return to Staples Center

The Trojans swept the Washington Huskies this weekend by scores of 22-2 and 14-4. The 36-goal weekend was the highest since November 2005, when the Trojans also scored 36 in a series against Stanford. USC is now 15-7-1 and 12-3 in the Pac-8.

This Thursday, the Trojans play their first varsity game at the Staples Center since before the NHL Lockout. USC will take on ucla. It will be the fifth time the teams meet this season. The Trojans are 3-1 against the bruins and already skated the Crosstown Cup against them in December. The game will face off following the Kings-Blues game (somewhere around 10 pm).

The following morning, the Trojans will caravan to Cal for a weekend series against the Bears. Friday's game will be at 9:30 pm at Berkeley Iceland, and Saturday's will be at 8:30 pm. The Trojans already beat Cal 12-4 in November. The Staples Center game as well as both Cal games will be broadcast on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Trojans Open 2007 With Fireworks

The Trojans posted their highest goal total since November 2002 last night in a 22-2 win over Washington. Michael Joyce, Ryan Farias, Jonny Baron, and Shon Smith all managed hat tricks for the Trojans. USC will take on the Huskies again tonight. The game will be broadcast throughout the Los Angeles area on COX TV. The team will honor late Trojan kicker Mario Danelo and promote the Mario Danelo Scholarship Fund at the game. For those outside the LA area, the game, as always, will be broadcast on USC Ice Hockey Radio. The puck will drop at 7:30 pm.

Trojans Begin Run Tonight

The spring sprint to the playoffs starts tonight for the Trojans. USC is currenlty first in the Pac-8 standings with a 10-3 record and 21 power points. The Trojans will host the University of Washington (Pac-8: 3-8, 5 pts, T-6th). The Trojans only have four weekends of games before the Pac 8 Championship in El Segundo, CA on February 9-10. The following weekend, the Trojans hope to qualify for the ACHA West Regional in Salt Lake City, UT. The Trojans are currently ranked seventh in the ACHA West and must finish in the top ten to qualify. The Trojans need to put together a strong month to prepare themselves for postseason play. The puck will drop tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 at Anaheim Ice. Both games will be broadcast on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

Trojans Climb Rankings

USC climbed to a tie as the seventh ranked team in the ACHA West. The Trojans are tied with CSU-Long Beach, with whom the Trojans split two matchups this season. BYU, who the Trojans face at home on Jan. 25 and 26, moved up to tenth; the Ice Cats made a similar climb last year and should challenge the Trojans. Meanwhile, ucla fell to eleventh after losing the Crosstown Cup to the Trojans. Only the top ten teams will qualify for the Regional Tournament. USC and ucla will meet at the Staples Center on Jan. 18. Before that game, however, USC has a home series against the University of Washington on Jan. 12 and 13. Both games faceoff at 7:30 pm at Anaheim Ice and will be broadcast online on USC Ice Hockey Radio.

SC Stumbles Into Holiday Break

One night after the No. 8 Trojans and the No. 1 Colorado Buffaloes battled to a 6-6 tie, Colorado proved why they are ranked higher than USC. In a lackluster performance, the Trojans dropped the second game of the series, 6-3. Colorado scored the first four goals and led 5-1 after the second period. The Trojans capitalized on a two-man advantage with two goals midway through the third, closing the game to 5-3. However, they could generate little offense afterward and the Buffs finished the scoring with 18 seconds left.

USC heads into their holiday break and will not play again until January 12, when they host the University of Washington. The Trojans head into the break in first place in the Pac-8. ACHA rankings will be released shortly before Christmas, and the Trojans will hope to move up with their tie against Colorado on Thursday.

The Trojans would like to wish all their supporters a Happy Holiday season!

Trojans Halt Buffalo Stampede

No. 8 USC showed the ACHA West that there's more in them than an eighth seed. Thursday night in Anaheim, the Trojans tied the No. 1 Colorado Buffaloes 6-6. Colorado struck early, opening up a 3-0 lead in the first period. However, the Trojans fought back with a Ryan Farias goal. In the second, Shon Smith took over for the Trojans. He scored two goals to tie the game at three, and completed his hat trick to counter a Buffs' tally. Justin O'Neil gave the Trojans a brief 5-4 lead in the second period, but Colorado tied it up at five before the intermission. Farias netted his second goal of the game late in the third period, but Colorado scored a powerplay goal in the final minute to send the game to overtime. After five minutes of OT, both teams skated off the ice after a hard fought 6-6 tie. Despite giving up six goals, Kevin Kliman did well in net for USC, keeping them with in striking distance all game.

USC was missing many players Thursday night and hope that a full roster will be the difference maker against the Buffaloes on Friday. That game will face off at 7:30 pm and will be broadcast live. Colorado has played a very tough schedule so far to earn thier number one seed, and a good showing by the Trojans could move them up in the rankings.

Trojans Win Crosstown Cup

The No. 8 Trojans wrapped up the Crosstown Cup series with their second 3-2 win in as many nights. USC kept the pressure on No. 10 ucla throughout the game. After a scoreless first, Shon Smith scored shortly into the second for the Trojans. USC penalites allowed ucla to fight back and take a 2-1 lead, but Josh Frazier closed the second period with a game tying goal. Frazier's goal set the tone for a dominant third period by the Trojans. Ryan Farias capitalized midway through the third and the Trojans fought on for the victory. Kevin Kliman played a solid game in goal for the Trojans.

The series win marks the second consecutive year the Trojans have won the Cup and the tenth in its twelve year existence. The Crosstown Cup series has been decided but the series is not over, the Trojans take on ucla one more time at the Staples Center on January 18.

Trojans Take Cup Lead

Could Skate Cup Friday

Behind the leadership of captain Ryan Seals, the No. 8 Trojans took a 2-1 lead in the Crosstown Cup over No. 10 ucla on Thursday night. Seals provided a physical boost for the Trojans throughout the game by knocking bruins around all over the ice. He also provided the necessary boost on the scoreboard for the Trojans. Playing a man down halfway through the first period, Seals cleared the puck from his own end onto the ucla net. The clear stunned the bruins by finding the back of the net to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead. However, the bruins got the momentum late in the first by depositing two goals on Trojan turnovers. In the second period, Seals decided to skate the puck the length of the ice instead of shooting it. He went on a coast-to-coast breakaway, finishing a backhand deke to tie the game at 2-2. With time running down in the third, Shon Smith redirected a Daylin Ackerman (back from a shoulder injury) slap shot into the goal. The goal proved to be the game winner in the 3-2 final. As usual, Matt Buttweiler had a solid game in net for the Trojans.

USC now leads the best of five series against ucla two games to one. The win gives the Trojans the opportunity to skate the Crosstown Cup at Anaheim Ice on Friday, if USC can win the game. The puck will drop at 7:30 pm. The two teams have had three even games so far. SC took game 1, 4-2, before ucla fought back in game 2, 3-2. The game will also be broadcast live with Audio Sports Online.

Trojans Retain Eighth-Seed

The Trojans are still seeded eighth in the ACHA West. The ACHA released its second of five rankings this season, and the Trojans did not budge from their ranking in the first poll. USC is tied for the eighth-seed with Oregon. Oregon is currently first in the Pac-8 with a 10-2 record; USC and the Ducks split two 3-2 games earlier in the season. USC beat No. 6 Long Beach two weeks ago, but the 49ers were able to maintain a sizable lead on the Trojans; thanks to their 11-3 record and an earlier win against USC. USC was not able score two decisive victories against Stanford for ranking consideration, but the games likely would not have made a difference.

The Trojans have ranked foes on the horizon when they return from the Land of the Rising Sun on Sunday. Next weekend, USC battles against No. 10 ucla. The best-of-five Crosstown Cup series against the bruins is tied at a game each. Thursday, the Trojans head to El Segundo to play ucla at 9 pm, then host the bruins in Anaheim at 7:30 pm on Friday. The following weekend the Trojans host No. 1 Colorado. Don't miss the breakdown about the Crosstown Cup rivalry on the Mark Wilbur Show, this Tuesday at 8:30 pm.

Trojans Silence Bears' Growl

USC (11-6, 8-3 Pac 8) treated fans to an offensive display Thursday night, beating Cal 12-4. Ryan Farias scored four goals and two assists. Linemates Mark Koechling and Cory Adler teamed-up to mark the scoresheet as well. Koechling got a goal and four assists, while Adler got two goals and an assist for the Trojans. The Trojans are flying high on a six-game winning streak as they take off for Japan today. USC will be gone for a week and a half, but will have some important games soon after they return.

The Crosstown Cup, currently knotted a one-game apiece with ucla, could be decided on Nov 30 and Dec 1. The following weekend, the Trojans will host ACHA West No. 1 Colorado.

The Mark Wilbur Show will not air this Tuesday, but will return next Tuesday (11/27) at 8:30 pm.

The Trojans would like to wish a Happy Thanskgiving to all their fans, since they will be gone during the holdiay.

Tuesday Night: Mark Wilbur Show

Episode Four of the Mark Wilbur Show will air Tuesday night at 8:30. USC Hockey broadcasters, David Foley and Andrew Samel, will break down this past weekend's victories and preview Thursday's game against Cal. Coach Wilbur will give his State of Troy address during the show. Last week's show with Samel and Alex Goldsmith is archived at Audio Sports Online. Thursday's 7:30 home game against Cal will also be broadcast at this address.

In other USC hockey news, the Div III Junior Varisty Trojans beat Redlands Monday night 7-4 at the Staples Center. It was the third time the JVs beat Redlands this year. They are 3-1 on the season and have a 10:30 pm game this Wednesday at Anaheim Ice. The game marked the first game at the Staples Center for the Trojan program in three years. The varsity will play ucla at the Staples Center on January 18, 2007.

Trojans Slow the Gold Rush

Each time No. 6 CSU-Long Beach rallied against the Trojans, USC responded in a 7-4 victory on Friday. USC took a 2-0 lead in first period, but the CSULB 49ers tied it before the first intermission. The Trojans again took a two goal lead in the second period, only to see the 49ers tie it at 4-4 before the second intermission. Shortly after the start of the third, Shon Smith scored the eventual game winner. Michael Mariani followed it a few minutes later for the final goal of his hat trick. From there, Kevin Kliman held the lead for the Trojans. Mariani had five goals in two games on the weekend for USC.

It was a big win for the eighth ranked Trojans (10-6), after they fell to Long Beach earlier in the season. The Trojans have one more game before the second rankings period ends on November 19. Next Thursday, USC takes on Nor-Cal and Pac 8 rival California. Cal is currently sixth in the Pac 8 with a 1-7 record. The puck will drop at 7:30 at Anaheim Ice. It will be the last game before the Trojans take a week and a half long trip to Japan.

Trojans Tame Lions

Loyola Marymount gave the Trojans a battle early on Thursday night, holding USC to one goal in the first period. However, the Lions rolled over in the second portion of the game and the Trojans cruised to an 8-1 victory. In his first game back from a shoulder injury, Jonny Baron lit the lamp twice for USC and tallied an assist. Michael Mariani popped in two goals of his own for the Trojans.

USC (9-6) takes on No. 6 CSU-Long Beach Friday night in Anaheim. After pulling out the last spot in last year's ACHA West Regional Tournament, the CSULB 49ers have been hot this year. They enter the game with a 10-2 record and already beat the Trojans 6-2 a month ago. The game will be a chance for USC to show that they are one of the stronger teams in the West. The puck will drop at 7:30.

Thursday's game was not broadcast due to technical difficulties at the LMU rink. However, Friday's game will be broadcast live at Audio Sports Online.

SC Dominates Stanford

The Trojans put up two solid games against the Stanford Cardinal this weekend in Palo Alto, CA. Rich Dyer, ordinarily a goalie, got the opportunity to skate out as a player. He did not dissapoint the Trojans. Dyer scored the second goal of the game Friday, and along with Ryan Seals, fell an assist short of a Gordie Howe hat trick. With Dyer's help, the Trojans opened a lead quickly and ran away with the game in the third, winning 13-2. On Saturday, Stanford goalie, Otis Chodosh put up a valiant effort early against the surging Trojans. Despite dominating, USC only led 2-0 halfway through the game. Similar to Friday, however, the Trojans ran away from the Cardinal late. Jonathan Stallsmith scored his first goal of the season for the Trojans in the third period, propelling USC to an 8-1 victory.

USC stays in Los Angeles for Homecoming this weekend. On Thursday (10:45 pm), the Trojans head to Culver City to take on Loyola Marymount. Then on Friday (7:30 pm), USC is at home in Anaheim against No. 6 CSU-Long Beach. Earlier in the season, USC beat LMU 13-1 and lost to CSULB 6-2. There will be no game on Saturday.

The Trojans received the eighth ranking in the ACHA Division 2 West. The first polls came out late last week. The ranking is currently first in the Pac-8, in front of No. 9 Oregon, No. 10 ucla, and No. 11 Arizona State.

The Mark Wilbur Show

All Even in Oregon

USC and Oregon proved why they are viewed as the teams to beat in the Pac 8. The Trojans headed to Eugene, OR, this weekend and split two 3-2 games with the Ducks. USC started the first game slowly, but fought back from a 2-1 defecit in the third period. However, despite a dominant third period, the Trojans gave up a goal halfway through and dropped the game 3-2. The Trojans brought their third period momentum from Friday into Saturday's game. On Saturday, not the six opponents wearing Ducks uniforms, nor three more in black-and-white striped uniforms could stop the Trojans. After falling behind in the first, Micheal Joyce tied the game for the Trojans at the end of the second. After the Ducks scored early in the third, the Trojans fought back with two Josh Frazier goals for the win. Matt Buttweiler had two more excellent games in net for the Trojans. USC is now 5-3 in the Pac 8. The Trojans head to Stanford next weekend to take on the Cardinal. They play at the Ice Oasis at 4:30 on Friday and 2:30 on Saturday.

Trojans Drop Game 2 of Crosstown, Head to Oregon

The Trojans dropped the second game of the Crosstown Cup Saturday night to the ucla bruins. Michael Joyce gave the Trojans a two-goal lead with two early goals, but the offense was shut down offensively after that. The bruins scored once in each period and beat the Trojans 3-2. Mickey Meyer played well in goal for USC. The best of five Crosstown Cup series is now knotted at one game apiece. USC and ucla continue the series on Nov 30 and Dec 1.

The Trojans head to Oregon this weekend to take on the Ducks. USC defeated Oregon in a shootout last season to win the Pac-8 championship. Both games will faceoff at 7 pm at Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene, OR. The games will likely NOT be broadcast via internet.

Trojans Take Game 1 of Crosstown Cup

Trojans Look to Rebound Against Sun Devils

After three straight losses this past weekend, the Trojans hope to rebound at home next weekeknd against Arizona State. The Trojans were beat 6-2 on Thursday at CSU-Long Beach. They took a tough 5-4 loss Friday to San Jose State, giving up a game-winning break away with five seconds left in the game. After a long weekend and hot day at the football game, the Trojans came out flat and dropped the second game to San Jose State 7-1.

Crosstown Cup Returns To Troy

Trojans Force Deciding Game

Trojans To Take On Bruins, Sellout Crowd Expected

The Trojans take on ucla tonight at the Toyota Sports Center (formerly Healthsouth) in El Segundo at 8 pm. It will be game four of the best-of-five series tonight in the Battle for the Crosstown Cup; USC currently trails 2-1 in the series. ucla won the Cup for only the second time in its existence last season and the Trojans have no plans to let them win it for a second consecutive season. In a game that did not count toward the Cup, USC eliminated ucla from the Pac 8 Championships by way of a shootout in February. SC hopes to spoil the bruins' Senior Night and bring the series back home on Saturday for game five, which will faceoff at 7:30 pm in Anaheim. Both games will be broadcast over the internet through USC Ice Hockey Radio.

USC Makes Showing At Regionals

The Trojans played well in the ACHA West Regionals, but not well enough to advance to the National Tournament. USC needed to win both games to qualify for the tournament. On Friday, #9 SC took on #4 Colorado. The Trojans jumped to a 1-0 lead on the first shift, and later took a 3-2 lead in second, but the Buffaloes tied it up in the third. The game remained tied at 3-3 until overtime. Despite putting pressure on the Colorado net in the extra session, the Trojans were unable to capitialize and the Buffaloes notched the game winner eight minutes into the overtime. The following night, USC came out trying to prove themselves in the consolation game against #8 BYU. SC trailed 2-0 after the first, but tied it at 2-2 in the second and scored four goals in the third period to pull away for a 6-3 win. USC still has its two most important games left when it takes on the crosstown Bruins for the Battle of the Crosstown Cup on March 3 and 4. The first game will be played at Healthsouth in El Segundo at 8 pm; the second game will be back home at Anaheim Ice at 7:30 pm. The Trojans currently trail 2-1 in the best of 5 series with the Bruins, but did eliminate ucla from the Pac-8 Tournament earlier this month.

USC Heads to ACHA West Regionals

Fresh off winning the Pac-8 tournament, No. 9-seeded USC faces No. 4 Colorado in the ACHA West Regionals this Friday at 7:45 p.m. from San Jose. USC announcers Rob McPherson and David Telly will broadcast all the action from the ACHA West Regional via http://www.hockeyradioonline.com/ACHA/Broadcast.htm.

USC CAPTURES PAC-8 TOURNAMENT WITH TWO EXCITING SHOOTOUT WINS

USC goalie Matt Buttweiler named MVP

The USC ice hockey team won the Pac-8 ice hockey tournament with two exciting shootout victories against UCLA and Oregon over the weekend in Eugene, Ore.

In the championship game Saturday against Oregon, the Trojans once again entered the third period with a 3-1 lead, but Oregon, backed by a rowdy home crowd, managed to tie it. Despite taking a penalty in overtime, the Trojans survived to force a shootout. In the sixth round, Mark Farrish, last year's most valuable player for the Trojans, scored to clinch the Pac-8 Championship for USC with a 4-3 win.

Next stop for the Trojans will be the ACHA Reginal Tournament in San Jose where the No. 9-seeded Trojans will take on the No. 4 Colorado Buffaloes in the first round on Friday.

USC Qualifies for ACHA Regional Tournament

The USC ice hockey team learned Sunday that the team has qualified for the ACHA Division 2 West Regional Tournament, which will be played one week after next weekend's Pac-8 Tournament. The Trojans received a No. 9 ranking in the ACHA Division 2 West rankings released Sunday and will face No. 4 Colorado in the first round of the West Regionals on Feb. 17 at Logitech Ice in San Jose. Colorado defeated USC, 5-4 and 5-3, in their two meetings this season last month.

Trojan Broadcasters Will Make the Trip to Pac-8 Tournament

Senior broadcasters Rob McPherson and Dan Page are making the trip to Eugene for exclusive full coverage of the 2006 Pac-8 Championships. All four games of the tournament will be broadcast along with a special edition of the Mark Wilbur Show live from the lobby of the Eugene Hilton on Friday, Feb. 10, at 1:15 pm, just hours before the Trojans battle the UCLA Bruins. To contact Rob or Dan please e-mail uscicehockey@hotmail.com.

Trojans Turn Attention to Pac-8 Championships

After a grueling schedule of ranked ACHA opponents in the spring, the Trojans now focus on the Pac-8 Conference Championship Tournament. The tournament will be held in Eugene, Oregon, this season. The Trojans head into the tournament with the No. 1 seed and are scheduled to play UCLA this Friday, Feb. 10, at 4:00 pm. For more information on the tournament visit www.pac8hockey.com.

USC Suffers Setbacks to No. 1 San Jose State

The San Jose State Spartans, ranked No. 1 in the ACHA Division 2 West Region, swept No. 6 USC with a 4-2 victory Friday and a 6-3 victory Saturday at Anaheim.

In Saturday's game, USC was playing without leading scorer Remy Bickoff, and the Spartans got on the board first with Adam Dekeyrel and Logan Martinez scoring in the first ten minutes of the contest to build an early 2-0 lead. USC was able to respond when Jonny Baron scored a goal assisted by Mark Farrish and Shon Smith on a 5-on-3 power play.

The Spartans added to their lead with tallies by Aaron Scott and Sean Scarbrough in the opening minutes of the second and third periods, respectively, to build a 4-1 advantage. The Trojans were able to claw back midway through the third when Smith put a shot through the legs of Spartan goalie Ryan Lowe on a 5-on-3 power play to make the score 4-2. However San Jose State was able to kill off three subsequent power plays to keep USC at bay. Overall the Trojans were only 2 for 12 in man-advantage situations while the Spartans went 2 for 5 on power plays. Lowe stopped 25 of 27 shots for San Jose State. USc goalie Matt Buttweiler made 32 saves on 36 Spartan shots.

Trojans First In Pac-8 Bracket

Undermanned Trojans Struggle In Eugene

Trojans head to Oregon for final Pac-8 play

Trojans suffer setbacks against Buffaloes

The Trojans are bound to drop in the ACHA West rankings after two tough losses to the Colorado Buffaloes this weekend at Anaheim Ice.

In the first game on Friday night, USC fell 5-4 despite two goals by Remy Bickoff and two more by Ryan Farias. The Trojans fell behind in the first period 2-0, but managed to tie it. USC then gave up three unanswered goals, but fought back late in the third period, coming up just short.

Saturday night was a completely different story. In that game, USC jumped out to a 3-1 lead. Colorado fought back, however, to tie the game at three heading into the third period. The first six goals of the game for both teams came on the powerplay. The Bufs took control of the game in the third, scoring the go-ahead goal early in the period and adding another with less than two minutes to play.

Next weekend, the Trojans will head to Oregon to take on the Ducks. The Friday night game starts at 7:30 pm, while the puck will drop on Saturday at 10 p.m. Unfortunately, neither game will be broadcast on the USC Internet Hockey Network.

Jan. 21 game archived

Correction of a previous note: The Saturday night game, USC vs. Colorado, was broadcast and is archived. It was previously stated that the game would not be broadcast due to technical problems. Sorry about the confusion.

Trojans .500 since New Year's

The Trojans have gone 2-2 since returning to campus for the spring semester. On January 8, USC hosted the Duke Blue Devils. Duke proved to be a formidable opponent for the Trojans, who hadn't skated as a team for a month and seemed out of rhythm, but pulled out a 3-1 win late thanks to two Shon Smith goals in the third period. The Trojans then flew to Utah on January 12 were they visited BYU and #8 Weber St. The team suffered two heartbreaking loses when they saw one goal leads evaporate in the third periods against BYU Thursday (3-4), and Weber St. Friday (7-8 ot). After a spirited team meeting on Saturday afternoon, USC fought back from a 3-2 deficit with one of its best periods of the season, scroing four unanswered goals in the third period to split with Weber St. 6-3. The Trojans are back home this weekend in an important series against #4 Colorado. The Trojans are currently ranked sixth and this weekend will play a large role in determining the regional rankings. Seeds 3-10 will go to the regional tournament in San Jose, while seeds 1 and 2 will automatically qualify for the nationals in Rochester, NY. The puck drops at 7:30 in Anaheim both Friday and Saturday night.

USC starts off 2006 against Duke

After almost one month off for winter break, the USC ice hockey team will take to the ice for its first game in 2006 against the Duke Blue Devils on Sunday, Jan. 8. The game will be played at Lakewood Glacial Gardens at 9 p.m. and will be broadcast on hockeyradioonline.com.

A new addition to the schedule, the game will count as a regular season ACHA game and affect the national rankings.

Every four years, the Duke ice hockey team takes what they call a "dream trip," and this year the team will be playing four games in Northern and Southern California against California, San Jose State, USC and UCLA.

USC is ranked No. 6 in the ACHA Division II West Rankings. Duke has received votes in the ACHA Division II Southeast Rankings but is currently outside the Top 13.

USC gets back on track with 8-1 victory over Long Beach State

The Trojans head into the winter break on the right foot after a dominating 8-1 victory over Long Beach State on Friday at Anaheim Ice.

In a physical game dominated by penalties on both teams, the Trojans capitalized with their speed and physical pressure. USC jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first period and never looked back with stout goaltending by junior Rich Dyer.

Several Trojans had stand-out performances including Shon Smith’s hat-trick, Remy Bickoff and Matt Lewis’s four point games, as well as a pair of goals by assistant captain Mark Farrish.

The Trojans are now off for 30 days before they host Duke University on Jan. 8. at 9 p.m. in Lakewood’s Glacial Gardens Ice House.

Trojans' 13-game winning streak snapped in losses to Bruins

It was a tough weekend for the Trojans, as they had their 13-game winning-streak snapped with two losses to the UCLA Bruins on Friday and Saturday.

In a thriller at Healthsouth in El Segundo on Friday, USC couldn’t hold on to a 3-2 third period lead in a 4-3 loss.

The next day at Anaheim Ice, the Trojans fell, 8-3, after surrendering five first-period goals to UCLA.

With the weekend sweep, it seemed as though UCLA was going to capture their second straight Crosstown Cup. However the Bruins had to forfeit six of their games earlier this season because of an ineligible player. As a result, USC’s 3-2 overtime loss at home to the Bruins earlier this season now counts as a win.

As it stands now, the Trojans trail UCLA two games to one in the Crosstown Cup with two more to go in March to decide who takes home the coveted trophy.

Trojans put 13-game winning streak on the line against the Bruins, the last team to defeat USC

Riding a 13-game winning streak, the USC ice hockey team jumped to No. 6 in the most recent ACHA Division II rankings released on Nov. 20.

USC has not lost since a 3-2 overtime defeat to UCLA on Oct. 13. This weekend the Trojans will renew the Crosstown Cup rivalry against the Bruins in a home-and-home series on Dec. 1 and 2. The two teams are currently tied in the Pac-8 standings. Thursday's game hosted by UCLA will be at Healthsouth in El Segundo, Calif., at 8:45 p.m., and Friday's game hosted by USC will be at Anaheim Ice at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on Hockey Radio Online.

Trojans sweep Ducks

Trojans place 7th in initial West rankings

Trojans extend winning streak to 6

USC improved to 8-3 with an impressive sweep of Washington State, outscoring the Cougars 22-6 in two games.

In the Trojan’s 8-2 win Saturday night, USC scored 6 times in the third period to take control of the game. Goalie Richard Dyer picked up his first win of the season and also recorded an assist while stopping 21 of 23 shots he faced in goal. Senior Remy Bickoff scored two goals and added four assists in a dominating performance.

The Trojan’s six game winning-streak started nearly two weeks ago with a 5-2 win over Weber State. USC then swept Washington in an exciting two-game series on the road, before trouncing Long Beach State, 6-1.

During their streak, USC has outscored its opponents, 44-15, averaging seven goals per game.

The Trojans put their winning streak on the line against the Stanford Cardinal next weekend in a two-game series at Anaheim Ice. Both games start at 7:30 p.m., and will be broadcast live on www.hockeyradioonline.com .

USC ends 3-game losing streak with a big win against Weber State

After suffering an overtime loss to crosstown rival UCLA, the Trojans looked to rebound against an offensive powerhouse in Weber State, and thanks to three points from senior Remy Bickoff and 38 saves by freshman goalie Matt Buttweiler, USC had no trouble beating the Wildcats, 5-2.

In their previous game against Utah Valley State, Weber State put 11 goals on the board and their leading scorer, freshman Anton Volkov, was averaging a goal per game prior to their matchup against USC at Anaheim Ice.

Thursday’s game started out with some early opportunities for each team, but the Trojans were able to draw first blood with an early goal by Bickoff. Later in the period, a great play by Bickoff led to another USC goal, as he fired a quick shot wide to goaltender T.J. Fitterer’s stick side. The puck bounced off the boards behind the net, and ended up right in front of Shon Smith. Smith then capitalized on the opportunity by immediately firing a shot from the left faceoff circle to beat a confused Fitterer and give the Trojans a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

USC was not satisfied with its two goal cushion heading into the second period and wasted no time in jumping all over the Wildcats. Bickoff started a flurry of quick USC goals with an incredible play from behind the net. After being stopped on a point blank scoring chance, Bickoff regained control of the puck, and he banked the puck from behind the goal line off of the Weber State goaltender for his second goal of the game and his eighth of the season to give USC a 3-0 lead. Nine seconds later, Jake McKee took the puck off the faceoff, sliced between two Weber State defenders, and beat Fitterer five-hole to extend the Trojan’s lead to four.

About midway into the second period Fitterer lost his composure after USC’s Mark Koechling crashed into him when he came far out of his crease to play a puck. Fitterer, clearly angry by the play, chased Koechling and jumped on him. From that point forward, the Weber State goaltender was never the same.

The Trojans took advantage of Fitterer’s frustration, as McKee scored his second goal of the game to give USC a commanding 5-0 lead. Ryan Turpin took over between the pipes for a Fitterer, and it appeared as though USC had the win sealed heading into the third.

The Wildcats were not heading back to Ogden, Utah, without a fight, however, and scored two goals in the third to give the Trojans a bit of a scare, but the USC lead was safe thanks to a tremendous game from Buttweiler, who made 38 saves on 40 shots including numerous glove saves. After posting a .842 save percentage and a 6.00 goals against average (GAA) in his first two stats, Buttweiler rebounded to post a 2.00 GAA and a .950 save percentage against Weber State.

Unfortunately the Trojans will not have much time to enjoy their victory. Friday morning they flew to Washington for a two game series against the Huskies starting Friday night at 10 p.m. USC will then face the Huskies again on Saturday at 8 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on the USC Hockey Network as Dan Page and Rob McPherson bring you all the action.

For more coverage of USC hockey, listen to the Mark Wilbur Show on Wednesday nights at 9:15 p.m. on the Network for all the latest news, insight, and analysis about the team.

Trojans come from behind in final minute before falling to Bruins in overtime

In an exciting, physical game at Anaheim Ice, the USC Trojans ice hockey team fell to crosstown rival UCLA, 3-2, in overtime. UCLA drew first blood early in the first period, putting the pressure on a young USC team. The Trojans responded however, as Remy Bickoff tied the game at one midway through the first period.

The second period saw sloppy offensive play from both sides, with goalies Adam Kubalski (UCLA) and Mickey Meyer (USC) shining between the pipes. Heading into the third the game was still tied at one.

The third period had a much more up tempo pace, as UCLA took the lead with just over three minutes to go. USC looked overwhelmed and struggled to produce shots on goal in the last minute, but with 11.5 seconds remaining Matt Lewis fired a beautiful shot past Kubalski to tie to the game once again. Heading into overtime it appeared as though USC had all the momentum.

The Bruins quickly answered in the extra period, as Martin Galstyan set up Scott Frechet for a perfect one timer that just beat Mickey Meyer to end the game. UCLA pulled off an impressive 3-2 win to take game one of the Crosstown Cup.

USC next faces Weber St. at Anaheim Ice at 7:30 p.m., before traveling to Washington on Friday and Saturday to face the Huskies. Game times are 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m respectively. Every USC ice hockey game will be broadcast live on Hockey Radio Online.

Extensive Coverage of USC Ice Hockey This Season

Starting with this Thursday's game against UCLA, every USC ice hockey game will be broadcast on Hockey Radio Online. This year's broadcast team will be Rob McPherson, Dan Page, Jonathan Horowitz, David Telly and Andrew Samel. Thursday's game against UCLA begins at 7:30 p.m. from Anaheim Ice.

On Wednesdays from 9:15 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. is the Mark Wilbur Coaches. The show, which will feature Coach Mark Wilbur, a USC ice hockey player spotlight, and a player or coach from USC's upcoming opponent, will begin airing this week.

Informational Meeting: 5 p.m. Wednesday, August 31 in the Heritage Hall Auditorium

Trojans Falter, Look Forward

Crosstown Cup on the Line

Spartans hand Trojans two more Losses

Trojans look for a win in San Jose

Trojans Dominate, Lose to Cal

USC Delivers First Third-Period Win

USC Sends Crosstown Cup to Deciding Game 5

'SC Loses a Pair to Eastern Washington

Trojans Follow Old Form

UCLA Takes Game 2 of the Crosstown Cup

USC on web radio starting this Friday Dec. 3!

USC Slips to #8 in West

USC Faltering, Looking to Improve

New Rankings

The Trojans find themselves in the hunt for a bid to the National Tournement once again. USC is ranked 7th in the west after a slow start and only look to move up in the standings in the coming weeks. 'SC has crucial games against Utah St. (#3), SJSU (#4) and BYU (#5) in the next two weeks. The hunt begins this Friday and Saturday with a pair of games against the rivals from Northern California, San Jose St. University.

Trojans Take Step Back

USC faced the best the West has to offer this past weekend in Colorado and came home winless. The Trojans lost to Colorado University 7-3 and 8-2 and to Colorado St. 4-2 in their three game series. The lone bright spot ‘SC will take out of the weekend is their performance against Colorado St.

Goalie Rich Dyer stood on his head for 60 solid minutes to keep USC in the game. While Cardinal and Gold did not come out with a victory, they did put forth one of their best performances of the season. The team now must be able to take their game to that level for 60 minutes of every game now to elevate themselves to the next level of competition.

The Trojans will be fired up this Thursday as they face the cross-town rival UCLA Bruins. Puck drop is 8:45 p.m. at Healthsouth Arena.

Trojans Keep Rolling in Washington

After playing three games in just over 24 hours, 'SC traveled a long way home with three hard-earned victories. The Trojans opened up play with two games against the Washington St. Cougars, defeating them handily 11-6 and 7-1. Junior Remy Bickoff got things going in the first game with a six-goal outburst.

The second game, played a short 6 hours after the first at the Pee-Wee hockey hour of 7:30 a.m., featured strong goaltending from sophomore Rich Dyer.

The last game, and most crucial for Southern California, was played against Eastern Washington University, the team USC knocked out of nation contention last year. The game was fast, physical, and highly skilled. The Trojans picked up their lackluster efforts from the two previous victories on all lines to defeat Eastern Washington 4-1. Grad student Justin Treitz sealed the game with his first goal as a Trojan on a shifty move in front of the net.

The win will provide USC will important momentum going into their toughest weekend of competition this year. The Trojans will depart to Colorado later this week to face off against the University of Colorado and Colorado St. University.

Schedule Update

On The Road

The Trojans will head up to Washington this weekend for a brutal 3 games versus Washington St. (twice) and Eastern Washington University (once). USC will play 3 games in 26 hours time before heading home to Southern California.

New Photo Gallery!

Finally, the USC Men's Ice Hockey Team has a new and improved picture gallery. Click on this link or the link on the left to go there. At the moment there are a lot of old pictures already up, but now since it is much easier to post new pictures, expect to see more recent pictures appearing on a regular basis. Enjoy! If you have any questions, comments or concerns, or any pictures you would like to submit for posting please contact the webmaster by following the link at the bottom of this page.

Make sure to thank our Webmaster, Nels Beckman, for all his hard work and tireless efforts in getting the new picture gallery up and running!

Circus in Full Force

Where do I begin? In a penalty riddled game, the Trojans found the back of the net 13 times to finish off the weekend 2-0 and send home the Weber St. Wildcats back to Utah winless. The game featured 37 penalties from both teams, something USC hoped to avoid before the game. Over the past 23 goals, all four lines have effectively rolled through the opposition’s defense. The line of Remy Bickoff (2 g, 2 a), Mark Farrish (1 g, 5 a), and Cameron Kojima (3 g, 1 a) dominated play throughout the evening. Goaltender Jeff Langille broke out of retirement and backstopped the Trojans to the 13-2 victory. With their early season tuneups behind them, the Trojans will rest up next weekend to heal any bumps and bruises before heading north to Washington to face the Washington St. Cougars and Eastern Washington.

Notes: 'SC outshot the Wildcats 61-29...the Trojans' powerplay unit followed up the previous games success with 7 goals on the man advantage...USC's next home game will be against San Jose St. on Nov. 12 (Homecoming Weekend) at Disney Ice (7:30)

Trojans Rebound from Loss

USC’s offense jumped out to an early lead Friday night scoring 6 first-period goals before finishing off the Weber St. Wildcats 10-5. Dustin Mann continued his rapid goal scoring pace with a hat-trick to lead the Trojans in offensive production. While the Trojans dominated play in the first period, penalty trouble in the following two stanzas allowed for the Wildcats to get back into the game. Sophomore forward Shon Smith registered his first points as a Trojan tallying 2 goals and an assist. Freshman defenseman Bryan Price also netted his first goal in the Cardinal and Gold after finding the back of the net on a two-on-one with David Markus. USC must come out with a stronger showing tonight at Disney Ice to show the hockey world that the Trojans are just getting started. Puck drop is at 7:30

Other notables: USC scored 3 power play goals after struggling for most of the season on the man advantage...Junior Ryan Seals played his first game as team captain for the Trojans...SC outshot Weber 44-29...Brothers Chris and Jeff Dralla put up 3 assists each for playmakers.

Trojans Suffer Setback

After bringing forth their strongest first-period effort Saturday night, the Trojans seemingly gave up in the final two stanzas and let the Cal Bears take over the game and take home the victory. USC found themselves leading 1-0 after strong puck control and hard hitting in the first period that kept Cal Bears' star center Sean Haq off the board. However, USC failed to keep up their strong efforts and let go of the game to a fast skating California Golden Bears team. Cal rallied for 5 straight goals before defeating the Trojans 6-2. The lackluster performance in the second two periods should serve as motivation for USC in this weekend’s upcoming series with perennial western force Weber State. Both games will be at Disney Ice at 7:30 p.m.

Trojans Breakout for 1st Win of the Season

After a third straight slow start, the Trojan offense started clicking, and click it did. Down 3-2 heading into the third period, team Cardinal and Gold erupted for 4 unanswered goals and proved to the California Golden Bears a second consecutive Pac-8 title will be far more difficult than anticipated. Junior winger Dustin Mann scored two goals, including the game breaker that dropped the minds and spirits of the defending champs. Freshman center Cameron Kojima scored his first goal as a Trojan, the game-winner, and played both a solid defensive and physical game. The Trojans hope to use the momentum from their first victory of the season to send the Cal Bears home winless tomorrow night at Disney Ice. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.

USC Ice Hockey Merchandise, Now Available Online

You can now buy USC Men's Ice Hockey merchandise online. You can reach the merchandise page here or you can click the link on the menu bar to the left.

New Articles Posted

Two articles on the USC Men's Ice Hockey Team have been posted in the recruit page. The first article is on Coach Mark Wilbur. The second article was printed in USC's student newspaper The Daily Trojan on September 24, 2002. Both make for an interesting read.

Trojans Falter in Season Opening Series

USC opened its 2004-2005 with a pair of disappointing losses to Cal State Long Beach this past weekend. The Trojans lost to the 49ers on Thursday 3-1 after digging themselves in a hole with a slow start. Freshman goalie James Carcich played strong game in net in his Trojan debut, however the team lacked the intensity needed to overcome the 49ers' solid defensive play.

The next day faired worse for 'SC as they lost their home opener 4-1. The Trojans lack of discipline resulted in many unnecessary penalties that forced them to play much of the game shorthanded. Sophomore center Chris Dralla had the lone tally for USC in Friday nights game from a defection in front of the net. The Trojans had little offensive pressure in both games, something that will need vast improvement before the 2004 Pac-8 champion Cal Bears come to town this upcoming weekend.

2004-05 Season is just around the corner!

Upcoming events include a team meeting for all returning and new players, as well as a club sports sponsored involvement fair. Also note that the schedule has been finalized and will be posted soon so that friends, family and fans can start making their travel plans.

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Event: RCC Involvement Fair
Time: Wed, August 25 from 11am to 2pm
Location: Trousdale Parkway
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Event: Meeting for New/Returning Players
Date/Time: Wed, September 1 @ 5pm
Location: Cardinal Room at the Lyon Center
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Make sure to stay tuned to the website for future event/meeting/tryout information. Any questions can be directed to Coach Mark Wilbur or Jeff Dralla.

USC Gets Wake Up Call

More PAC-8 Championship weekend can be found in Monday’s Daily Trojan article: Honeymoon’s over for USC.

The Trojans unprecedented streak of 4 straight PAC-8 Championships came to a screeching halt on Saturday night at the hands of a hungry Cal team. After easily moving by the Washington St. Cougars on Friday night by a score of 10-3 the Trojans may have entered the Championship game a little overconfident in their play, and Cal took the opportunity to demonstrate this flaw. USC went up 1-0 early in the second on a Brandon Krikorian goal, though Cal quickly retaliated 43 seconds later. Then with 5 minutes remaining in the second Jeff Dralla deflected a shot from John Blair that slide in just past Cal goaltender Brad Buss, putting the Trojans up 2-1. This stalemate would continue deep into the third period, where SC’s aggressive play finally caught up with them. The close officiating of the game focused around undisciplined play by SC, and the Trojans received a double-minor penalty with 10:04 remaining in the game, signaling the beginning of the end. With 21 seconds left in the second penalty Cal forward Chris Moulton jammed home the game-tying goal. Then, three minutes later, with USC still in shock of the comeback, Cal forward Jason Katzen went wide down the ice and found linemate Sean Haq for the game winner. USC tried feverishly to tie the game in the final minutes, but even an amazing shot by senior forward John Blair was stopped by Cal’s goalie. In the end, the Trojans could not convert for the tie, and Cal broke USC’s streak of 4 straight PAC-8 Championships.

Trojans Advance to National Tournament!!!

Congratulations to this years USC Ice Hockey team who has been invited to the National Tournament in Laurel, MD (Hosted by University of Maryland) on March 3,4,5 and 6. The final rankings can be viewed by Clicking Here and any info regarding the National Tournament can be found at the National Tournament Website . Seeding for the initial pool play should be updated soon.

For all the Trojan family, friends, and fans that reside on the East Coast, you now have the chance to support the team without making a 3000 mile trip out West, and anyone in the rest of the country, we would still love your support, especially the “Thundering Herd”.

Latest News: Trojans rebound from loss with two powerful wins

Latest News: USC Hockey improves to 22-1-1

Attention Trojan Fans!:

Building a Powerhouse!:

Strength of Schedule !?!

2nd annual SoCal Shootout

2nd ACHA RANKINGS ARE OUT: USC #3 in West!

The Trojans, now 10-1-1 ACHA (6-0 PAC-8), will aim to continue both their 10 game ACHA and 22 game PAC-8 winning streaks this weekend versus UCLA for a home-and-home series. With a win at home Thursday evening USC gains the potential to hoist the Crosstown Cup, yet again, on Friday evening in El Segundo.

Attention Alumni, Family, Friends, Fans, and all USC Ice Hockey supporters!

RANKINGS are here...or at least they should be...so Click Here

Free Admission! Meet the New Team! Easy Player Access! Autograph Signing!

Trojans Begin New Semester With Whirlwind Series in Utah

In their first game against BYU, the Trojans came out blazing, with Sophomore Assistant Captain Dante Caravaggio scoring the first goal less than a minute into the game. 10 minutes later, the Trojans struck again, with Sophomore Noah Comisar taking a beautiful pass from Sophomore Adam Zacuto and burying it to put the Trojans up 2-0. They would add 2 more before the end of the period and controlled the game the rest of the way, winning 8-2. Caravaggio ended the game with 4 goals, and Zacuto had 2 goals and an assist.

Saturday night the Trojans travelled to Ogden to Play Weber St., who is ranked 8th in the west. This team was much better than BYU, and they struck first. But the Trojans battled back when Comisar set up Zacuto to tie the game. Unfortunately, the Trojans were only able to muster one more goal in the period, while Weber St added 3 more, taking a 4-2 lead into the break. The second period saw a back a forth battle between the two teams, with the only goal coming from Weber St. halfway through the period. In the third, the Trojans took control, making a valiant comeback, but to no avail. Weber St. took the game 6-4. Zacuto lead the Trojan attack, with 2 goals and 2 assists.

Monday morning the Trojans travelled to Las Vegas to battle UNLV, who is ranked 4th in the West. Unfortunately for the Trojans, fatigue finally caught up to them, and the Rebels took full advantage of that, scoring 3 in the first period. In the 2nd period, adrenaline took over for the Trojans, who scored 2 unanswered goals to start the period, the first from Senior Assistant Captain Jason Bush, and the second from Senior Assistant Captain Cory Adler, both within a minute of each other. However, within two minutes of Adler's goal, UNLV scored two to put the game out of reach for the Trojans. The Rebels would go on to win 8-2.