As the UCLA men’s ice hockey team travels north to play
Oregon in a two-game series, they know that ending their season in
a successful fashion starts with a pair of wins after winter
break.
“If we don’t win both games in Oregon, we will have
blown a big opportunity,” junior forward Mike McKinney said.
“These two wins are crucial to us winning the
playoffs.”
The two teams will face off today and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at
Lane County Arena in Eugene, Ore.
Despite UCLA’s losing record (4-11, 2-9 Pac-8), the Bruins
still have hopes for making the Pac-8 playoffs by grabbing the
fourth seed in the conference. But to do so, UCLA needs two crucial
victories against the Ducks.
“It’s got to be the turning point of the season. We
need to start winning some games if we’re going to be in
contention for the playoffs,” said freshman winger Scott
Freschet, who is second on the team in scoring.
“The way the Pac-8 has its rankings allows us a great shot
at the playoffs,” junior winger Eric Allen said.
The Bruins can pile up much needed Pac-8 victories against
Oregon (0-14, 0-8 Pac-8) this weekend. They will also face Stanford
at home, who they beat twice previously this year, at the end of
January. However, Pac-8 rankings are heavily reliant on strength of
schedule; thus, UCLA may have to beat either California or USC in
its remaining games in order to seize a playoff spot.
The Bruins cannot assume that two wins against Oregon are
automatic, however. The Bruins haven’t played a game since
their 12-2 loss to USC on Dec. 4, and rust may be an issue.
“There will be some rust after the layoff and some new
line combinations, but at least we’ll have a full roster,
which should help,” Allen said.
The coaching staff has changed up the roster by shifting players
to different positions. Freschet and junior transfer Paul Medina
have been a part of UCLA’s potent first line this season, but
they have been practicing as defensemen this week in preparation
for the Oregon series. Sophomore captain Carlos Cazares is moving
from defense to forward, and Mike McKinney, who now plays forward,
was one of four goaltenders for the first half of the season.
The Bruins need to fortify a defense that has often given up far
too many shots on goal, so if there is any time to experiment, it
is now. The winless Ducks aren’t a great test for UCLA, but
this series will allow the Bruins to test out their new makeup in a
game situation.
“I always expect us to win ““ this is no different.
Oregon may not have a great record; however, they have played some
close games with good teams,” Allen said.