:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47417976/huskies.0.0.jpg)
CenturyLink Arena in Downtown Boise, Idaho was the site for the University of Washington Huskies hockey team this past weekend where the first game was down to the nail-biting final minutes, while the second game was pretty much something to forget about.
Boise State 6, Washington 4 (Friday)
The Huskies' first non-conference game of the season was against a Broncos team that advanced to last season's ACHA Division 2 Nationals tournament, and Washington make sure Boise State was prepared for the challenge.
Lucas NukayaHeady scored 47 seconds into the opening contest for an early 1-0 Bronco lead before Huskies team captain Bradyn Kawcak tied things up at 1 with his first goal on the season at 8:35. Boise State would score two more goals within the next 2:45 to go ahead 3-1, but after a hooking penalty on the Broncos' Matt Sanford, Tavin Jackson tapped in a Christian Cinderella slap shot from near the right wing blueline with 2:08 remaining in the period pushing the deficit to one, as the Huskies went to the locker room down 3-2 after one period.
It would be one of three unanswered goals that Boise State goaltender Josh Benton would give up as the Huskies controlled the majority of the second period. Mason Friedman tied the game at three with Troy Gasser earning the assist at 6:31. It would only take 71 seconds later to get the Huskies ahead for the first time of the evening at 4-3 when Devin Garg scored from Cinderella and Alex Black. But Boise State would close out the period with the game-tying goal when Justin Beverlin scored with 3:23 left in the period with both teams going into the locker room tied at four after 40 minutes.
Both teams played tight throughout the first half of the third period before Broncos team captain Justin Videen would score the game-winning goal with 8:32 remaining in regulation to give the Broncos the 5-4 lead. He would net the empty-netter unassisted with only six seconds left sealed the game as Boise State remain undefeated at 7-0.
Boise State outshot Washington, 30-19.
Huskies goaltender Jeff Miles stopped 25 of 30 shots to take the loss and drop his record to 1-1 on the season.
Benton stopped 15 of 19 shots improving to 3-0.
Montana Tech 16, Washington 2 (Saturday)
A night to completely forget started out with miscommunication between the on-ice game officials on the scheduled start to the game. The start to the 6 pm Mountain Daylight Time puck drop was delayed close to 35 minutes and from there, it seemed like the delay drained the UW team from there. After already down 4-0, Washington would see Jackson repeat the same thing he did the previous night by scoring a late first period power play goal, this time with two seconds remaining, and the Orediggers went into the locker room up 4-1.
Montana Tech would take Miles out of the crease with 13 minutes remaining in the second period after adding more four more to go up 8-1 before backup goaltender Debbie Chen would come in to see herself on the ice for the first time this season. She would only play those final 13 minutes of the period by also seeing four goals go by her as Montana Tech were up 12-1 through 40 minutes. Miles would resume his post for the entire third period giving up four more goals. Garg would also score in the third period at 9:06 from Black and Jackson.
Orediggers goaltender Alex Caravaggio would only stop 16 of 17 shots in 40 minutes for the win, while Dave Rathgeber played the entire third period stopping seven of eight shots in Montana Tech's first game of the season.
Miles took the loss (1-2) stopping 9 of 21 shots in 47 minutes. Chen would stop one of five shots after replacing Miles for the remainder of that second period only.
The Huskies are back home and will see four Pac-8 games during the next five overall games beginning with the home portion of the I-5 Cup against their rivals, University of Oregon Ducks. The series begins on Thursday night at 10 pm, with Game 2 set for Friday at 9 pm, at Olympicview Arena in Mountlake Terrace.