USC was back in Southern California after a split in the desert. I'd speculated that last week's 5-4 win was a turning point in the season. With Coach Wilbur back behind the bench, the Trojans looked to keep it going against the rising Loyola Marymount Lions. Here's what happened:
Period 1
The Trojans night got off to a simply crazy start. Although 4 lines of forwards and every skating player but Mike Gawlik was present and accounted for, USC was missing a major piece... Goaltenders. Just like during "The I-5 Game", Adam Kwon was the only goaltender to make it to the arena to start the game. Phil Adams was out sick. Zach Keith's car broke down, delaying him 2 hours. Kwon started the game, his second EVER as an ice hockey goaltender. USC rallied in his defense this time. Just under 4 minutes into the game, Nick Helmer intercepted an errant pass and beat Lions goalie Collin O'Malley for a 1-0 Trojan lead. 18 seconds later, Charlie Mach hit Joshua Frazier on a backdoor play in front of O'Malley to make it 2-0. The Lions came roaring back. On a scrum in front, David Morris shoved a puck behind Kwon. Then, blueliner Bobby Arnold shot a puck from the far boards that snuck by Kwon to tie the game. The third string netminder rallied, however, making an unbelievable skate save on a shot from the slot. He let in 2 goals on 10 shots. Score tied 2-2 after 1.
Period 2
Keith arrived a little ways into the second period and dressed as fast as he could. The Trojans held for 11 and a half minutes and were about to make the switch during the next stoppage of play as Keith had just gotten ready. But he was just a little too late... Off of a shot wide of the near post, the puck rebounded in front to Jim McDonald, who made no mistake and sent it behind Kwon. Enough was enough for the Trojans and Kwon left the ice with USC in a 3-2 hole. The Lions would extend that. During the late stages of a USC powerplay, a puck passed to the point was intercepted and taken on a breakaway by Chris Mallaber. He juked around a cold Keith, and doubled the Lions' lead heading into the second period break.
Period 3
With more security behind them in goal, the Trojans rallied back. On a 5-on-3, Matt Lewis sent a shot on goal. O'Malley made the save, but the puck somehow popped up over his head and landed behind him before squirting over the line. A weird goal, but a crucial one that gave the Trojans more than 7 minutes to find the equalizer. That tying goal came on another interesting play down low. Under two minutes to go and the makeshift Cardinal line on the ice (Adler, McClanathan, and Helmer), with the puck tangled up down low. Adler tried a wraparound on the near post. O'Malley stoned him, but was caught up in the play. The loose puck was pulled away by McClanathan and passed for Helmer. "Handy" Nick Helmer then scored a wraparound goal inside the far post to tie the game up late. McClanathan was so fired up that he acted like he had scored (confusing me after I initially said Helmer scored it). The game went into overtime.
Overtime
Chances for both teams, but both netminders were strong. Read about an interesting refereeing play in the news/notes section. Still deadlocked, the game went into a shootout.
Shootout
The Trojans chose Adam Zacuto, Joshua Frazier, and Nick Helmer as their three shooters (NOT FIVE as I erroneously said on the broadcast). The Lions countered with David Morris, Chris Mallaber, and Jim McDonald. Zacuto proved again why he is USC's best penalty shot taker. Working in slowly, he pulled the puck back towards the goaltender's glove side and sniped the top corner. It's worked every time I've seen it and Zacuto says he is 7-7 lifetime with that move. Morris beat Keith with his move, but lost the puck off of his backhand before he could stuff it home. Next up, Frazier pulled a sweet move on O'Malley. He faked the wrist shot to freeze the goalie, then dragged it towards the near post before sliding the puck 5-hole between O'Malley's pads. Mallaber kept the Lions in the shootout by juking Keith and scoring on a sweet move in from the far boards. Helmer missed his chance to finish the game as the puck rolled off of his stick last second. Mcdonald's final chance hit the side of the net. USC mobbed Keith (even though he didn't have to make an actual shootout save) and the Trojans had sealed their second in a row in dramatic fashion.
Some news/notes from the game:
- "Handy" Nick Helmer added to his great season with bookending goals. Both showed his fantastic hockey instincts and clutch play. His second saved the day for USC. Helmer has regained the team scoring lead from Zacuto. On the scoresheet, he was credited with the winning shootout goal (incorrectly).
- Officially, this may go in the books as a tie. Any of these non-conference games are technically supposed to end in a tie, but both teams agreed to play it out for the fans. Strangely (and against ACHA rules), both teams skated the overtime session with 5 skaters instead of 4. On the official scoresheet, it gives USC a 3rd period goal with 1 second remaining. Bizarre, but I'm sure the Trojans at least feel like it was a win and LMU feels like it was a loss and that may be what counts.
- An interesting play came late in the overtime session. While Trojan forwards were offsides but retreating, Alex Hite blasted a puck from outside the blue line on goal. O'Malley made the save and left the puck for his defenseman who skated ahead. But the whistle blew with the linesman signalling intentional offsides. The draw initially came deep in Trojan territory, before the officials conferred and moved it to center ice (known in some referee circles as "The Circle of Shame" because blown calls faceoff from center). Although Lions fans were absolutely furious, this was absolutely the right call. The NCAA rulebook (the same one used in the ACHA), states in Section 36, A.R. 6 that play should continue without the offsides being called. If Hite had scored, the goal would have been disallowed. Everyone seems to criticize the officials for doing a bad job, but this was great refereeing.
- Coach Wilbur is back and you can see the difference. USC's forechecking was unbelievable in this game. LMU's breakout went nowhere and the Trojans created a lot of chances through pressure. The energy Wilbur brings is a huge X-factor and should inspire the team to keep playing well.
- I'm still loving what I'm seeing from that Gold line, but it may be broken up for a period of time. Late in the first, Noah Comisar took a hit in his own zone and hobbled to the bench. He skated a couple of more shifts during the course of the game, including one as late as the third, but couldn't continue. The Trojans shuffled everything around, moving McClanathan up to the Cardinal line and moving Zacuto down to the second. Not sure on Comisar's status.
- Scott Mason is frustrating the coaches by taking stupid penalties. Tonight's came in the offensive zone off of the play. It looked like Mason got caught retaliating. One of the coaches told me a couple of weeks ago that Mason seems to take a penalty every time he touches the ice. Hard to disagree.
- These two clutch wins back to back make it clear to me that USC is back, has turned the corner, and the rest of the Pac-8 should be scared. Under most circumstances, including the San Jose state and Pac-8 semifinal game last season, the Trojans would have folded and failed if they had to play Kwon for half of a game. Instead they rallied behind him tonight and won the first overtime/shootout game since Dante Caravaggio beat Long Beach State in Anaheim Ice early last year. Watch out, this Trojan team is finding it's stride on the ice and in the locker room.
Tune in tomorrow as USC looks to get it's second straight Pac-8 win against Stanford at home.
OFFICIAL TROJAN SCORING
1st Period
Helmer -10
Frazier - 3 (Mach)
2nd Period
NONE
3rd Period
Lewis - 2 (Hite, Mach) PP
Helmer - 11 (McClanathan) NOTE: I'd give Adler the second assist, but the referee didn't
SHOOTOUT
Zacuto - SCORED
Frazier - SCORED
Helmer - MISSED
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