After dropping the first game 9-6 to the Arizona State University Sun Devils on Friday, the UNM Ice Wolves wanted Saturday's game to bring redemption -- something they could not make happen.
Getting out to a one-goal lead early in the first period, the Sun Devils forced the Ice Wolves into an unfamiliar rhythm. UNM forwards were given a bounty of shots, but all were from areas of very little yield. It was not the style of hockey the Ice Wolves like to play.
"Our style is not to take a lot of shots," UNM center Nick Hoffman said. "We take a lot fewer shots than a lot of clubs, but we score more on those shots."
With the Wolves struggling to get into a rhythm, a costly penalty at 8:33 gave the Sun Devils a power play that would lead to a second ASU goal. As time expired in the first period, UNM trailed ASU 2-0.
The second period began much like the first, with the Sun Devils getting a quick goal just minutes after the puck dropped. The scoring continued unmercifully from ASU's side of the puck. So much so that after the Sun Devils got out to a five-goal lead, UNM goalie Tom Medcof was replaced by Josh Kinnunen with 5:58 left in the second period. Unfortunately for Kinnunen, the worst was yet to come.
But it was not the array of goals on the ice that was the real story in the second period, it was the birth of a good old-fashioned, bad-blood rivalry being born right there on the ice.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Several Ice Wolves players had tooth-rattling collisions with their respective opponents. With each thunderous symphony of helmet, stick and boards, the two teams began a battle of wills.
"We wanted to pick up the intensity," Hoffman said. "We really wanted to make them think about holding the puck for too long, if at all."
With the intensity level visibly rising and the time on the clock silently dwindling, the Ice Wolves struck. In the midst of a power play, Anthony Martinez put a shot past the ASU goal tender by way of a Hoffman assist. It was UNM's only goal of the period and at the end of the second session, it trailed the Sun Devils 7-1.
The fierce hitting continued into the third period -- the scoring did too. The ASU Sun Devils would amass 12 goals in all against UNM's young hockey club.
The Ice Wolves did get two goals in the third period. The first one came by way of left winger Billy Cottle's goal from Edgar Solis' assist. The second and final UNM goal came off the stick of Oscar Solis courtesy of a Todd Wehner assist.
"We didn't score as much tonight as we did last night and it would have made the difference," Hoffman said. "Last night, we scored on about 50 percent of our shots. That would have helped us tonight."
The Ice Wolves are traveling next weekend to take on the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo. UNM returns home to the Outpost Ice Arena, Friday, Feb. 28, at 9:15 p.m., and Saturday, March 1, at 5 p.m., for its final home games of the 2002-03 season.
