Homecoming Heartbreaker: USC Drops Wild One to LMU 9-7

Hey everyone,

Trojans are finally back at home for the first time this semester. With a significantly easier opponent, significantly more talent on the team (Lofthus, Fyrwald, Schauffhausen, Helmer, O'Neill), and a significantly more friendly home rink, a win against LMU should be a slam dunk right? Wrong.

Period 1

Notions of a USC blowout died early Thursday night. Within two and a half minutes, a pair of Dylan Milo rebound goals stunned the Trojans and gave LMU an early advantage. They followed that with Jim McDonald punching in a shorthanded goal on a crazy scramble in front of USC netminder Zack Keith. Finally, after half of a period to shake off a little rust, the wheels on the Trojan bus gained traction. Immediately following another power play, Scott Mason followed up another blast from Dante "the Inferno" Caravaggio with a backhanded putaway tucked into the goal. The momentum continued with a pretty passing play. Fresh out of the box, Ryder Fyrwald cherrypicked by the Lions' blue line. Jason Bush hit him with a pass. The defense collapsed on Fyrwald and forgot all about Adam Zacuto. The Sniper of Troy pulled a Trojan horse maneuver and snuck in behind enemy lines. Fyrwald hit him for a low breakaway. Goaltender Tyler Payne didn't stand a chance. 3-2 LMU. But McDonald seized the momentum back with a breakaway goal of his own to re-extend the lead. 4-2 was the score after a wild first.

Period 2

Whatever locker room speech Coach Wilbur gave USC, it did not appear to have an affect. Minutes into the second, a shot came in from LMU's point. Keith turned it away, but unfortunately for him, two Lions were completely alone, just standing on either side of the crease. Keith made one rebound save before Kevin Keomanee shoveled it home. Two more quick goals had USC in a deep 5 goal hole, down 7-2. With a few minutes left in the second, a great rally began. It started with Noah Comisar punching in his own third rebound. A minute later, Nick Helmer found a Zacuto rebound to bring the Trojans within 3. That's where the period ended.

Period 3

It took until about 11 minutes into the period, but the rally continued. Comisar scored on a sharp angle slapper to bring USC within two. 8 seconds later, Clark McClanathan worked his way into LMU territory. From just inside the near faceoff circle, Clark wristed a seeing eye shot past Payne to bring the Trojans within one. Two minutes after that, Alex Hite sent in a slap shot tipped by Lofthus that appeared to be saved, but just barely squeaked by Payne to tie the game up. Immediately afterward, USC really appeared to take charge. Zacuto and Lofthus came in 2-on-1. Lofthus fed Zacuto perfectly, but Payne somehow kept the puck out of the net. That stopped the Trojans' five-goal rally, and shifted momentum back. With just under 3 and a half minutes to play, Nick Soresi finished off a hat trick on an odd-man rush the other way to get the lead back for LMU. The Lions put the game away with Travis Amick's finish in front with under 2 to go. Despite the 5-goal rally, the Trojans fell short.

Here's some news/notes from the game:

- Looking for a finger to point? The obvious suspect would be Zack Keith. 9 goals allowed on somewhere between 30 and 40 shots.... not a great recipe for success. And certainly Keith had his issues. His rebound control was consistently abysmal and there were a few he'd like to have back to be sure.

- But by and large, the players directly in front of Keith likely had more to do with the loss. The goals LMU was scoring were not unscreened slap shots from the blue line. No, they were mainly odd-man rushes and unattended forwards sitting on the doorstep. On the 5th LMU goal, TWO Lions players were unguarded and unhassled. Keith had his culpability, but where was the defense?

- Part of the confusion may have come from how the defense was organized throughout the game. Returning blueliners Justin O'Neill and Alex Schauffhausen were, until after the second intermission, swapped between defense and forward depending on the period and time. With a mish mash of 5 guys back on defense, there could have been some off chemistry.

- One bright spot was the offense. On a decidedly unlucky night for the Trojan attack, they still scored 7 goals. Lofthus and Fyrwald have not lost a step. Neither has Helmer. The combination of Zacuto, Lofthus, and Fyrwald together is a potent one. Frazier and Adler weren't even in the mix on the night and the forwards were still productive as a group.

- A clarification on what I meant by unlucky in the previous paragraph. Robbed. At least in the second period, and on one occasion, not by the goaltender. On a wide angle shot at net, it appeared the puck crossed the line with the puck under Payne's glove. In sliding to attempt the save, Payne bumped the near post out of place, well after the puck was across. To make it especially clear, Payne lifted his glove and left the puck sitting across the line. Referee waved it off. Even LMU representatives in the booth with me were shocked the goal didn't stand.

- Despite the potent offense, no goals were technically scored on any of the numerous Trojan power plays.

- Zack Keith appeared injured during the second period when a Lion and two Trojans collided on the doorstep. It's a chest injury, but trainer Cindy Bailey deemed Keith fit to play. He'll get a break tomorrow night when Phil Adams steps in.

- 3L-2T-4L-5T-2L. That's not a locker combination, that's the momentum swings of this game in terms of the goals scored in a row.

- Special thanks to Izzy Wilbur for helping me out during the third period. Always a welcome guest.

- USC may have gotten caught looking ahead to Friday and Saturday's games against UCLA. Trojans need both to stay alive in the hunt for the Crosstown Cup.

That's all for me!

OFFICIAL TROJAN SCORING

1st Period

Mason - 5 (Caravaggio, Szentveri)

Zacuto - 18 (Fyrwald, Bush)

2nd Period

Comisar - 5

Helmer - 15 (Zacuto)

3rd Period

Comisar - 6 (Schauffhausen, Lofthus)

McClanathan - 2 (Gawlik)

Lofthus - 1 (Hite, Zacuto)

Right Into a Brick Wall: UNLV Dices USC 8-2

Hey everyone,

Trojans finished off the tail end of a road trip out in Las Vegas against ACHA West-ranked UNLV. The day started at 7 AM and it ended much later. Somewhere in between USC had a game to play.

Period 1

It did not start well. 59 seconds into the contest, leading Rebels' scorer Anthony Vignieri-Greener found a rebound off of Zack Keith's pads and stuffed it home. 90 seconds after that, Christian Bryan beat Keith again to make it 2-0 early. Then things calmed down. Besides Clark McClanathan's ringing crossbar shot, not much happened for USC offensively. The Rebels added a third goal midway through. John Beavers gathered a feed from behind the net and one-timed it home.

Period 2

Then the Trojans seemed to wake up in Vegas. On a powerplay, Jason Bush blasted a puck into the net from the far point. No screen in front, but plenty of daylight behind UNLV goalie Kyle Kimsey. Then Dante Caravaggio struck again..... almost. Skating alone down ice, Caravaggio beat Kimsey, but couldn't quite put it in. It clanged off of the corner of the crossbar and post. Luckily for USC, Cory Adler was sitting on the doorstep ready to finish the goal. That brought the Trojans within a goal, before it all fell apart. Rensmon scored, followed by Vignieri-Greener and two from Michael Zenzola (one of which nearly tore through the net. That put USC down for the weekend.

Period 3

The third period was uneventful goal-scoring wise. Vignieri-Greener finished off his hat trick with a true putaway goal. The teams played to a relative stalemate. But then a little more than halfway through the final period, one of the dirtier plays I've ever seen happened. Adler got in a small shoving match with Zenzola along the far boards. Then Zenzola upped the ante to a level where it simply doesn't belong in the game. He cross-checked Adler in the face. Adler wrapped him up, and the linesmen quickly separated the two. Zenzola got a minor, a major (for unsportsmanlike conduct somehow), and a game misconduct. Adler was fine. Simply uncalled for.

Some news/notes from the game:

- Vignieri-Greener didn't just have a hat trick, he had 6, count 'em, 6 points.

- Player of the weekend honors goes to Dante Caravaggio. He played as one of only four defensemen on the trip, but was still USC's top offensive weapon. He scored 5 goals and nearly added a sixth against UNLV. It also wasn't unusual to see Caravaggio spread out on the ice, making a diving play.

- This Trojan team looks a lot better than they did last semester.

- There's a battle between players and coaches brewing on the bus. Coaches want to watch a selection of movies including "Old School" and "Superbad". The players want to watch "How I Met Your Mother".

- I kept calling the Rebels, Wildcats from time to time. It's not just players who get tired I guess.

- The team is absolutely exhausted from the long trip. They have three games the next weekend. Luckily, they're all in the Los Angeles area.

OFFICIAL TROJAN SCORING

1st Period

NONE

2nd Period

Bush - 3 (Zacuto) PP

Adler - 5 (Caravaggio)

3rd Period

NONE

"Beaten But Not Cowed": Weber State Smothers Trojan Rally 6-4

Hey everyone,

Back in the early days of the Dallas Cowboys when they hadn't won any Super Bowls they had a losing team, but one that would always keep it tight in defeat. The writers at the time would use the phrase "beaten but not cowed." USC fell tonight, but read on and you'll see why this applies.

Period 1

Coming into the game it would be reasonable to expect an offensive shootout with Weber State. Their goalies give up a little under 5 goals a game, but they're still a top team. The shootout was on early. 6 minutes in, Wildcat forward Chris Deitsch beat Zack Keith short side from the near faceoff circle. Adam Zacuto didn't take long to respond. Working into the zone, Zacuto snapped a laser to blocker-side high corner just underneath the crossbar. Another sniper shot, but not gloveside like just about every other one. Leading Weber State scorer Chris Roberts responded on the powerplay. He slapped a shot from the same place Deitsch did earlier in the game. This time, Keith was a good 2 feet out of position. Zacuto tried to top it on the Trojans' powerplay. Right off of a faceoff, he stole the puck, split the Wildcat defense and pulled it forehand to backhand. Zacuto finished it with a lofted backhand that tied the game at 2. Then USC fell behind in the shootout. Off of a blast from the point, Keith gave up a short rebound and slid out of the crease. Szentveri dug it out but gave it right to Deitsch. All Deitsch needed to do was tap it forward just across the line to give Weber State the lead. Then Dane Ludolph came down ie on a break. He made a quick deke and wristed it behind Keith for a 4-2 edge. Not the best period for Keith or the Trojans.

Period 2

Both teams muddled their way through half of the period before the Trojans got caught back on their heels. After two minutes trapped in their own territory, USC got it clear and tried to change. It didn't work. Ludolph brought the puck right in and fed it over to Avery House. He found daylight between Keith's legs and made it 5-2. Besides Zacuto, the Trojan offense stalled. Keith got back in the game though. After Tim Brownell drew a penalty shot, Keith shut him down cleanly. Given the altitude, lack of skaters, and lack of offense, it would've been understandable if USC folded like an old tent.

Period 3

They didn't. The Trojans slowly started waking up. Although they failed to register a chance on a 5-on-3, the play improved. The small amount of momentum built up from USC's solid play seemed to evaporate after a perfectly executed Weber State 3-on-2. Roberts one-timed a cross-ice feed into the net. But then the effort started paying off. On a 4-on-4, Dante Caravaggio (aka The Inferno) ripped a slap shot through a Cory Adler screen into the back of the net for his 5th goal of the trip. Three minutes later on the powerplay, Zacuto struck again. Working from right next to the near post, he slung a pass across the middle of the crease to an eager Noah Comisar. He wound up and one-timed it into the goal. 6-4 Weber State and USC is now officially on the comeback trail. But despite a healthy amount of chances, the Trojans couldn't break through and finished with a moral victory and an actual loss.

Here's some news and notes from the game:

- This Weber State team beat San Jose State. The Spartans demolished USC last semester. Do the math and you'll see why this was an impressive performance in defeat. It also gives the Trojans optimism for their series against the Spartans later this semester.

- Part of USC's success could be credited to the Wildcats essentially using only 6 forwards for the vast majority of the game.

- Zacuto truly carried the offense on his back. He scored two and assisted on the two he didn't score. The Sniper now has 4 goals on the trip and extended his team lead.

- Max Szentveri had an up-and-down performance. His giveaway in the first that gave Weber State the lead was deadly (and he threw his stick in frustration). After the game, Szentveri said "at least I had an assist". It looked like he was going to fade into the background until the third period came around. Szentveri egged on the booing crowd as USC took the ice for the final frame. He then nearly finished off a low break but drew a penalty in the process. Later in the period, while killing off a penalty, Butters jumped on a point-to-point pass and rushed on a breakaway. Roberts caught up from behind and mugged him. No presence on the scoresheet but another solid performance.

- Scott Mason, for the first time in recent memory, did not take a penalty. Wow. Coach Langille was absolutely shocked and demanded a penalty be added to the scoresheet after the game. No luck.

- Packed arena and a professional-style public address announcer for Weber State. A great atmosphere for college hockey.

- The team will wake up and head out at 7:30 AM. They've got a 4:30 PM start against a juggernaut UNLV club. They are by far the best opponent out of the three. To say USC will be a big underdog is an understatement. However the Trojans do add Justin O'Neill to the lineup as he joins the team in Nevada.

OFFICIAL TROJAN SCORING

1st Period

Zacuto - 16 (Comisar)

Zacuto - 17 PP

2nd Period

NONE

3rd Period

Caravaggio - 7 (Zacuto, McClanathan) NOTE: Frazier had the assist, but Zacuto got credit.

Comisar - 4 (Zacuto, Adler) PP

Roll Out the Welcome Mat: Trojans Thump BYU 8-2

Hey everyone,

The Trojans made their way out to Utah and Nevada without a good chunk of skill guys. 9 forwards, 4 defensemen, 2 goaltenders, but a lot of heart. Considering the brutal three games in three cities schedule, the brutal road 12-hour drive, and the brutal competition (two teams ranked in the ACHA West Top 8), it was tough to know exactly what to expect. USC kicked things off in Provo against BYU. It didn't take long to silence the doubts and possible excuses....

1st Period

51 seconds. That's the amount of time it took for the Trojans to prove themselves. Cory Adler fed Dante Caravaggio at the point. Caravaggio wound as far back as he could, and fired a laser clean through everything except the back of the net. 1-0 USC. What a great way to start the semester. The dominant play continued. The defense clamped down on the Cougars' opportunities, and it didn't take long for Adam Zacuto to make his presence known. On a 2-on-1 rush, Zacuto sent a perfect saucer pass over the defender's stick and onto Noah Comisar's. A beautifully placed one-timer later, Comisar had doubled the lead. Just a few minutes later, the Trojans struck again. Frazier moved in one-on-one. A wrist shot was saved by Cougar netminder Brent Taylor. A short rebound popped out and Adler stuffed the puck into the net milliseconds before plowing into it. Then BYU gave USC a man advantage. Big mistake. Caravaggio pinched in by the far faceoff circle and received a feed from Comisar. He pulled the trigger from a wide angle and the puck slipped in for his second of the night. 4-0 Trojans in a statement.

2nd Period

BYU clawed back after the intermission when USC got complacent. But one part that didn't suffer was the amazing defensive play from the four blueliners and goalie Zack Keith. The Trojans killed 3 penalties and another one that carried over from the first period. Keith played great positional hockey and frustrated the Cougar forwards. Then BYU gave USC another man advantage. Same big mistake. Same player making them pay. Caravaggio finished the hat trick with another blast from the point. It deflected off of a BYU defenseman into the net. That was the only goal that period, and it was enough for a gaping 5-0 USC lead.

3rd Period

I mentioned Zacuto made his mark early. He did more than that late. Zacuto was incredibly close to scoring all game. He finally pulled through with a wraparound inside the near post. Heard enough of Dante Caravaggio's name? Too bad. He notched number four with another cannon from the blue line that deflected in traffic. Keith held onto the shutout until 7 minutes left in the game. The Cougars' leading scorer Nick Bartholomew ended it on a scramble in front. A low shot somehow snuck under Keith's pads. The crowd erupted, even though it only trimmed the Trojan lead to 6 goals. USC extended that again when Zacuto finished off a bobbled puck in front for his second of the night. BYU trimmed the lead again on a Mio Aura shot that came through a screen and surprised Keith, but the result was unchanged. An 8-2 final score and a great start to the semester.

Some news/notes from the game:

- Dante Caravaggio had one productive game on both ends of the ice. His effort was apparent in every shift he was on the ice. He shut down the Cougars at every turn and led the team with his hustle. One thing he needs to work on (and maybe the only thing) is his post-goal celebrations. After his third and fourth, he simply shrugged. C'mon Dante, where's the creativity?

- Some players stand out in certain games whether or not they end up on the scoresheet. Despite 8 Trojan goals, Max Szentveri did not end up getting a point. But that's not a reflection on his play. Szentveri received a promotion to the Cardinal line and played with purpose. He nearly scored on several occasions and worked well with Zacuto and Comisar. There just seem to be some games where the switch flips and something clicks for Szentveri. This was one of them.

- There's a new goals leader in town and his name is Adam Zacuto. His two-goal performance leapfrogged him over Nick Helmer 15-14. With Helmer out for the weekend, Zacuto can take a commanding lead in the intra-team rivalry.

- USC's penalty kill was near-perfect, allowing BYU to go 1/8.

- Adler's 3-point performance was impressive given his condition. His injured shoulder kept him from being as physical as he usually is, but Adler fought through it for a solid night.

- Luckily for Cory, his other fight in garbage time at the end of the third period didn't result in a major penalty. Tangled up on the end boards with the Cougars' Mitch Facer, Adler got frustrated and started brawling, getting in a few shots without dropping the gloves. Facer retaliated after Adler landed a good 3 or 4 punches. Both were escorted off the ice. Coach Wilbur breathed a sigh of relief when Adler only received a double minor.

- Elliot Dawson tallied his first career point as a USC Trojan with an assist on Caravaggio's fourth goal. It's great to see someone a player who shows up to so many games to just ride the bench or serve penalties get rewarded for his dedication. Congratulations Elliot!

- The Trojans were aided in this game by the absence of the Cougars' top netminder, who was injured the previous night in a 3-1 against Cal State Fullerton.

- Guess who took another minor penalty for yet another consecutive game? Scott Mason. This one was a roughing call for dumping a Cougar player into his own goalie. I desperately need to find out how many games in a row he has taken a minor in.... Besides that one blip, Mason's play was remarkably solid, generating scoring chances with his power and balance. One BYU player broke a stick on Mason's arm. Ouch!

- The 12-hour bus ride from Los Angeles to Provo consisted of lots of napping and in-ride DVD's like "Team America: World Police", "Don Cherry's Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Hockey", and "How I Met Your Mother".

- Many of the players remarked after the game at how nice everyone in Provo was. Zacuto mentioned that the opposing players and referees were among the nicest he'd ever seen. The penalty box attendants were wishing USC luck in their game tomorrow against Weber State. One parent was kind enough to bring me some water during the second period. Great people.

- Their fans are also incredibly dedicated. Even though the Cougars were down 7-0, the building erupted when Bartholomew broke up Keith's shutout and were just as loud for the second meaningless goal scored by their team. They all sang the school's fight song too. Dedication...

The hard part starts tomorrow, but for now USC can bask in a big win.

OFFICIAL TROJAN SCORING

1st Period

Caravaggio - 3 (Adler, Frazier)

Comisar - 3 (Zacuto)

Adler - 4 (Frazier)

Caravaggio - 4 (Comisar, Bush) PP

2nd Period

Caravaggio - 5 (Adler, Zacuto) PP

3rd Period

Zacuto - 14

Caravaggio - 6 (Anderson, Dawson)

Zacuto - 15 PP

Second Half Preview

Hey everyone,

So 6-11 wasn't what USC expected for the first half of its 2009-10 campaign, but championships aren't won in November. The Trojans have a challenging schedule ahead, but one that just might prepare them to hoist the Pac-8 trophy in late February.

The Basics

Here's the remaining schedule, plain and simple:

Jan. 15-17 - @BYU, @Weber St., @UNLV

Jan. 21-23 - LMU, @UCLA, UCLA

Jan 29-30 - @Washington

Feb. 5-6 - San Jose State

Feb. 11 - UCLA

Feb. 15 - @Long Beach State

Feb. 18-21 - Pac-8 Tournament (Anaheim Ice)

That's 2 big road trips, 12 games total, 5 at home, another 5 against the Pac-8, and one tournament to regain the title.

Out-of-Conference

BYU (8-14)

Common Opponents: ASU (0-2)

USC's easiest game of a grueling 3-game road swing in Utah and Nevada

Weber State (10-8)

Common Opponents: SJSU (1-0)

ACHA West Ranking: 8

If the Trojans played the schedule Weber State plays, they'd be a lot worse than 6-11...

UNLV (19-2)

Common Opponents: SJSU, LBSU, ASU (5-1)

ACHA West Ranking: 5

Gulp! USC is 2-5 against the common opponents it shares with UNLV.

LMU (9-11)

Common Opponents: Cal, Stanford, ASU, CSUF, SJSU (6-4)

The Trojans prevailed in a comeback 5-4 shootout win on the road last semester.

SJSU (11-8)

Common Opponents: LMU, LBSU (2-1)

ACHA West Ranking: 7

10 & 8. That's the number of goals SJSU beat USC by in two games earlier in the season.

LBSU (6-15)

Common Opponents: CSUF, SJSU, Stanford, LMU (2-4)

49ers have the 2-1 season series edge. The game is on a Monday.

Pac-8 Play

Washington (5-9)

Pac-8 Wins: WSU (3), Oregon, UCLA

Pac-8 Losses: ASU (2), Oregon, UCLA

This series is especially meaningful for USC. In their last meeting they were knocked out by the Huskies in the Pac-8 semifinal.

UCLA (7-7)

Pac-8 Wins: Stanford (3), USC (2), Washington, Cal

Pac-8 Losses: ASU (2), Oregon (2), Washington, Cal

Two of the Trojans' most painful losses came in tight single-goal losses to their arch-rival.

Semester Prediction

Disclaimer: This prediction is my best guess and represents how I personally expect the team will do based on last semester. It is not what they're capable of doing. Injuries, attendance, and roster changes will have a major impact on the trajectory of this second half.

The Trojans face an absolutely brutal road trip to start off the semester. They'll squeeze out a hard-fought win against BYU before dropping the next two to Weber State and UNLV.

But the long drive won't shake up USC's semester. After returning home, they will beat LMU and sweep UCLA, with all wins by at least 2 goals.

That momentum will stop short in Seattle, where the Trojans will fight hard, but split two close contests with the Huskies.

San Jose State will sweep USC at home, but not run them out of the building like they did earlier in the season. A 3-goal beating and a tight 1-goal loss for the Trojans.

Game 5 of the Crosstown Cup will be dramatic, intense, and in all likelihood, chippy. With a tie game entering the third, the Trojans will finish like a champion and put away a scrappy Bruin team in the third.

In their final tuneup against the 49ers, USC will win in a close one and set up a run for the title.

Can they break Oregon's title run on home ice? I'll leave that prediction for, well... never.

Burning Questions

3) How will the USC blueliners handle the loss of Matt Lewis and only 4 rostered defensemen?

Many possibilities have been kicked around, but a concrete answer hasn't been found yet. The best option may be recruiting more defensive players from campus.

2) Can the Trojans find a winning combination on the Cardinal and Gold lines?

Absences and scoring balance dictated a shuffling of the Adler-Helmer-Zacuto and the Comisar-Mach-Frazier combinations. Expect some tinkering in search of the pairing with the best chemistry.

1) Who will be the starting goaltender for the Pac-8 Tournament?

If the tournament started today, it would likely be Phil Adams, but his lead is not huge. Zack Keith closed the semester strong, and it could easily go either way.

That's all for now. Tune in for the start of the semester January 15th against BYU!

First Half Recap

Hey everyone,

It was a rough first semester for USC, no doubt about it. The Trojans faced a number of challenges with injuries, attendance, and occasionally bizarre circumstances and ended up 6-11.

Here are some high notes, low notes, players, and goals to remember from the first semester.

Best Game of the Semester

This was a difficult decision to make. USC had two imperfect, but truly exhilarating back-to-back road victories. One was a 5-4 slump buster against ASU and a come-from-behind 5-4 shootout win against LMU.

Thinking back on the two games, the Sundevils win gets the edge for a few reasons. One, it was a critical Pac-8 win. Two, it snapped a five-game losing streak. Three, ASU is, with all due respect, a significantly better team than LMU. Four,

Worst Game of the Semester

This was an easier decision. Although the back-to-back losses against UCLA were disappointing to watch as a Trojan, and USC never really seemed present in either SJSU game, none of those 4 losses had as big of an effect on the first half as the clear winner..... the dreaded I-5 Game.

Let me be clear, the result of this game wasn't the Trojans' fault in any shape or form. For those of you who forgot, a jacknifed semi truck blocked the interstate, allowing only the broadcasters and 6 players to make it to the game on time. Cal scored 10 goals in the first period, on the road to an unimaginable, unavoidable upset.

USC got their revenge a few weeks later at home with a 6-1 performance, but the loss threw the Trojans for a loop the rest of the way. They lost 7 of the next 8 games that followed and seemed out of rhythm. The game was jarring and frustrating more than anything else.

Best Goal of the Semester

There were a few candidates for this award.

Nick Helmer's off-the-endboards rebound goal against Stanford was great. Any of Adam Zacuto's penalty shot/shootout goals could count. Alex Hite's goal from outside the blue line in a losing effort was ridiculous.

But none of them were as spectacular as the only USC goal that didn't make it onto the broadcast. Against LBSU, Noah Comisar fed Adam Zacuto as he broke in down the right wing inside the faceoff circle. Zacuto was hauled down from behind, but it didn't affect his shot. From his knees, the "Sniper of Troy" picked his favorite corner - top shelf inside the near post (also known as glove-side high in this case). A spectacular goal.

Offensive MVP

"Handy" Nick Helmer. The freshman leads the Trojans in points and goals (14 scores, I'm too lazy to tally the points but just trust me). He's fantastic with the puck on his stick, but his nose for the back of the net is what really sets him apart. USC is simply better when he's on the ice.

He can't do it alone though. I'm hopeful to see how he fits into the offense when all of the top 6 Trojan forwards are back in action.

Honorable mention goes to Adam Zacuto.

Defensive MVP

Phil "Crazy Legs" Adams. The wily senior is not your typical butterfly-style goalie. He does whatever he has to in order to keep the puck out of the net. Arms, legs, helmet, stick, skate. Sometimes it looks like he's flailing a little bit, just throwing himself in front of whatever he can. Although it might look unconventional, the results don't lie. Adams often faced a barrage of shots from the doorstep, and came through big. He kept USC in games that the Trojans should have been blown out of.

The starting goaltender job is still up for grabs, but Adams made a strong case during the first semester.

Honorable mention goes to Dante Caravaggio.

Check the blog soon for a new poll and the second half preview!

Tumbling Into the Break: Trojans End Semester With 4-2 Loss to LBSU

Hey everyone,

The Trojans had a rough semester. In 16 games to that point, the team had gone 6-10. But there were signs of hope following a 4-game win streak towards the end. Could this USC team turn things around? A good measuring stick is always the intra-city rivalry against Long Beach State. After splitting the first two, the 49ers and Trojans duked it out Friday to break the tie. USC missed leading scorer Nick Helmer and energy forward Clark McClanathan. So how did things shake out?

Period 1

Simply put, this was a bad period of hockey. Not for any one particular team (although the Trojans didn't look great) but just as a whole. The two teams combined for a modest 15 shots during the period. The 49ers failed to convert on 3 powerplay opportunities, but did make starting netminder Phil Adams work a little bit. Adams was solid and occasionally spectacular in shutting down the 49ers attack. For its part, USC's offense struggled to find any sort of rhythm.

Period 2

But then things heated up in a flash. Both teams left the locker room and skated hard. The 49ers struck first. Following a shorthanded USC rush that fizzled, LBSU broke back the other way. Defenseman James Robelotto set up his fellow blueliner Tanner Woodbury with a pass to the doorstep outside the far post. Woodbury made no mistake and beat Adams to make it 1-0. The Trojans struck back in relatively ugly fashion. LBSU keeper Alex Miklovic made a tight save off of USC center Mitchell Landsinger . The rebound sat in a scrum in the low slot underneath a bunch of bodies including Trojan Zane Claes. First-year Trojan Max Ernst dug the loose puck out and barely got it across the line to tie the game. It was his first career goal and point. Although USC kept the pressure on and outplayed LBSU, the 49ers would have the last laugh in the period. Robelotto sent a big slapshot from the near point that went cleanly through traffic and into the net. Adams never saw it as 49er forward Joe Nalley was standing completely in front of him. 2-1 LBSU after 2.

Period 3

Early in the third, the 49ers tried to douse USC's hopes of a comeback. Blueliner Nick Kemp blasted a shot past Adams to double their lead. The Trojan offense hearkened back to its performance in the first period and looked stuck in the mud. Adams continued to play remarkably and finished the day with 37 saves. With under 3 minutes to go in the game, though, Adam Zacuto and Cory Adler lifted Trojan aspirations with a well-timed goal. Zacuto worked his way out of the far corner boards and nearly stuffed home a low shot. The rebound settled on Adler's stick in the slot and he roofed it into the net. The newfound momentum soon collapsed though. USC pulled Adams with 1:42 remaining, lost the ensuing faceoff, and gave away the clear that followed. That allowed Joe Nalley to finish off the game with an empty netter into the middle of the goal. Game over, 4-2 49ers.

Here's some news/notes from the game:

- Shots tell the story of this contest. USC was outshot in the first period, held the edge in shots in the second period, and was demolished in the third period. 40-28 was the final count in favor of LBSU.

- Adams had another solid performance in the losing effort. I was surprised to see him starting over Zack Keith as they'd consistently taken turns all season. However, Coach Wilbur cleared up any depth chart concerns during his first intermission interview. Keith sat because his new, legal, pads were not quite broken in yet. Wilbur is pleased with both keepers and I have to agree.

- The consistent problem for USC wasn't necessarily what it did to get into the offensive zone, but what it was trying to do to get out of their own defensive zone. A sloppy breakout muddled things all night for the Trojans. The forwards and defensemen were consistently not on the same page when it came to getting the puck out. LBSU's edge in physical play didn't help either.

- Dante Caravaggio played one of his best games of the season in a losing effort. He was solid positionally, and sparked the team with his hustle. The assistant captain provided at least a quarter of USC's shot total for the game, and used his speed and hard shot to get draws deep in 49er territory, even when he entered the zone 1-on-3. His worst play of the game came following Adler's goal. When asked by the referee who assisted on the tally, Caravaggio forgot Zacuto's number (18) and told him Max Ernst's (16) instead. I guess that shows you how tenuous of a thing stats are in the Pac-8.

- A fond farewell goes out to Matt Lewis. This was the Trojan defenseman's last game in a USC uniform. In addition to being solid defensively, Lewis was also never afraid to show some offensive skill and versatility this season. As a converted forward for one of the games this year, he tallied a pair of assists. He's a classy individual and a champion player. I'm sorry he couldn't go out on a win.

- Scott Mason received a promotion onto the Gold line with Zacuto and Adler. He responded by, well, doing what he always seems to do... taking a penalty. This one came in the first period on a hit from behind in front of the Trojan bench. Coach Wilbur expressed his frustration with Mason's propensity for heading to the box during the first intermission. If he can keep out of the box, he is one of a handful of physical USC forwards that can make an impact on the game.

- 49er captain Joe Nalley is a pesky, pesky player. He's a big-time talker, who loves to stir things up after the play is over. His skill, though, is undeniable. Nalley scored the empty netter and got an assist on the first goal of the game. He practically earned a second for his work in front of the net on Robelotto's goal.

- I appreciate all of the kind words and congratulations from everyone on receiving the Chick Hearn Memorial Scholarship.

- Andrew Magne made his play-by-play hockey debut during the second period with former Trojan broadcaster Dave Foley looking on. Past, present, future, perhaps? Andrew did well despite some initial butterflies.

That's all for this game recap. Look for a semester summary to be posted at some point during the winter break. USC starts back up again in the middle of January on a road trip back to Utah for the first time since the Mickey Meyer incident.

OFFICIAL TROJAN SCORING

1st Period

NONE

2nd Period

Ernst - 1 (Landsinger, Gawlik)

3rd Period

Adler - 3 (Ernst, Caravaggio) NOTE: Ernst wasn't on the ice, it was Zacuto's assist.