Here We Go Again?

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I was pleasantly surprised earlier in the month when I went to watch the USD hockey team play SDSU in Yankton. It seemed that the Coyotes were dominating them much of the game and came out with an easy 5-3 win.

 

This is the same Coyote team that lost all four games they played against the Jackrabbits by a combined score of 9-31 last year. The team’s record of 5-18 was due mainly to the fact that many of the players either didn’t show up to games or had other things that they needed to attend to, leaving the team very shorthanded on most nights. From my point-of-view, the team would generally come out strong and hang with opponents in the first period, but wear down and eventually be blown out because of having less than three lines most of the time.

 

Head coach David Benson had me drinking the USD club hockey Kool-Aid at the beginning of this season, saying that the team added a bunch of new young talent and the returning players were showing more dedication than ever. It certainly appeared things were turning around.

 

Well, I talked to Benson again on Monday and things don’t appear to be much better than last year. They traveled to play St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. on Oct. 19-20 and were only able to suit up 11 players. They lost 7-2 and 10-1. You just can’t win when you only suit up 11 players for a game, especially when you are playing a team from Minnesota where hockey is life.

 

The team traveled to Ames, Iowa on Oct. 26-27 to take on Iowa State University. This time they brought 16-17 guys, Benson said. The team won their first game 3-2 when Pat Klotzbach scored in overtime. They put up a good fight but lost the next day 5-4. It just goes to show what an extra six players can do when they travel with the team.

 

USD had its second home game on Tuesday against Dordt College. They lost the game 8-6. That puts the team at 2-4 on the year.

 

After a promising season opener it looks like the Coyotes might be right back to where they were last year. I know it’s hard for players to make every game with schoolwork and other obligations, but if this team wants to be taken seriously by other teams in the region they need to send more than 11 of 25 players to away games.

 

The season is young and things could turn around, but this team needs to be more dedicated if players really want to make the playoff run that they were talking about at the beginning of the year.

 

There’s no football this weekend so I encourage all students and faculty to head to Yankton to watch the Coyotes in a rematch against St. Olaf College. They play at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. You should be in for a couple of great games if more players decide to make the commitment to show.

–Matt Dahlseid

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