Aggies look to control penalties, power plays

According to the most recent ACHA computer rankings, the Utah State Aggies are No. 14 in the D-II West; this is four spots down from where they were before the Beehive Showcase tournament two weeks ago.
Today they face off against a Division I team: the Utah Skatin’ Utes.
While the Utes are ranked No. 28 of the entire division, they’re 7th-ranked among their conference.
Head coach of USU’s team, CJ Westlake — along with the players — thinks the Aggies will come out on top at an exciting rivalry game on Friday.
As long as they minimize penalties.
“The game will be a good match-up as our systems are similar,” Westlake said. “Even though the showcase didn’t go the way we wanted, we learned a lot as a team.”


Power plays and penalty kills will be key, according to Westlake.


“All we need to do is stay out of the box,” Westlake said.
In the 17 games they’ve played, the Aggies are averaging 22 minutes of penalties. The Utes' average is 18 minutes per game.


The Aggies’ starting goaltender, Colter Pritchard, thinks the Utes will have more penalties in the game, “as long as we don’t retaliate.” Especially critical, according to Pritchard, will be how the Aggies perform on power plays.
Visualizing the win alone won’t be enough for the Aggies. Even with Westlake’s systems and drills on penalty kills and power plays, the team will need to operate on offense. Laziness is not an option.
Chris Cutshall, a power-forward on the team, said: “The U has always been a strong team, so there will be more in-game excitement.”
A defenseman for the team, Brett Fernandez, is hoping to score at least one goal for the team today in order to help the Aggies win.
Not least of the team’s worries is injuries, as the Utes aren’t known to avoid a fight.
“I think both teams will come out firing on all cylinders,” Cutshall said. “It will be within a few goals.”
Staying on the offensive will be critical, according to Pritchard.
“The Utes’ D-core is solid with a good goaltender,” Pritchard said. “We will need to test their D-zone, as well as test their goalie with high quality shots.”
Opportunities to show support for the military will also be present at the game, as it is the Aggies’ Military Appreciation night.
Pritchard said, “Our fans are always very supportive when we do our special game nights, and they always are proud of our team; no matter if we win or lose.”

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