This past weekend, the Division I Ice Hogs (8-17-0) were on the road in Colorado playing three games against the University of Colorado- Boulder and Colorado State University. On Thursday the 17th the Hogs faced the Buffs from Colorado-Boulder. The Hogs were kept scoreless in the first two periods as the Buffaloes scored one goal in each to enter the third period up 2-0. A little over two minutes into the third period, Alex DeGuire scored to put the Hogs on the board. He was assisted by Josh Staenz and Alex Kueser. Colorado answered back with two goals of their own to go up 4-1 on the Hogs. With under four minutes to go, Matt Lasky scored to cut the Buffs lead to two (assisted by Luc Gradisar). The Buffs would go on to score an empty net goal with under two minutes left and win the game 5-2.
The night of the 18th the Hogs faced the Rams of CSU with revenge on their mind after the Rams came to the Jones Center in November and beat the Hogs 3-2. Halfway through the first period, the Hogs got on the board first as Matt Lasky scored (assisted by Collin Young and Cory Delisle). The Rams tied the game up early in the second period. Two minutes later the Hogs regained the lead thanks to a goal by Josh Staenz (assisted by Alex Kueser). Two and a half minutes later the Rams tied things up again. Eight minutes into the third period, Cam McAtee scored the go-ahead goal for the Hogs (assisted by Collin Young and Cosimo Yapello). Matt Lasky scored the insurance goal three minutes later and the Hogs went on to win 4-2.
The next night the Hogs faced the Rams looking to do something they had not done yet this season: win a season series against a conference opponent. The first period was a quiet one as neither team was able to get on the board. Three minutes into the second period, Luc Gradisar took the puck coast to coast to score an unassisted goal and give the Hogs the lead. Five minutes later, the Rams tied things up. The Hogs got on the board early in the third to break the tie thanks to a goal by Josh Staenz (assisted by Evan Kerr). Two minutes later, Luc Gradisar scored another unassisted goal to put the Hogs up 3-1. The Rams would score with under a minute left in the game, but were unable to defeat the Hogs as the Hogs won 3-2.
This weekend the Division I Hogs will be back at home to host arch-rival Alabama. The Crimson Tide enters the weekend with an over 10-11-0 record. The Hogs lead the Division I version of the series all time at 5-4 and Arkansas will be looking for revenge as the Tide beat them twice in Alabama earlier this season. Puck drop is set for 7:30 PM on the Friday the 25th and 5:00 PM on the Saturday the 26th at the Jones Center in Springdale.
The University of Arkansas fields two hockey teams. The Division I team’s 2018-19 schedule is here. It has, since 2015, competed in the Western Collegiate Hockey Conference (learn more here). All home games are played at The Jones Center for Families in Springdale.
