Arizona Hockey: Ice Cats swept by Utah in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – In their first action since the 2019-20 season, Arizona Hockey fell to Utah twice in Salt Lake City to open the season. 

It has been a long time since the University of Arizona’s club Hockey team, aptly named the ‘Ice Cats’, last competed in any games, but in their first action since the 2019-20 season, the Arizona Hockey team traveled to Salt Lake City, to compete against the Utes.

Taking part in a two-game weekend series, the Wildcats kicked off their 2021-22 season and the American Collegiate Hockey Association action on Friday evening as they took on Utah.

Things looked promising in this one too, especially as the Wildcats return quite a few players from that talented 2019-20 team. However, from the start, this would be a competitive one.

Exchanging multiple goals, the score would be knotted at 2-2 after Arizona’s Brody Selman, and Alex Johanson would score equalizing goals in the first period.

However, a goal by Utah’s Alexander King 5:34 into the second period would make this one 3-2. Unfortunately, Arizona’s offense wouldn’t seemingly be able to recover from there, falling in game one of the weekend series by a 3-2 final.

Utah would close out the weekend action with a two-game sweep over Arizona Hockey.

Returning to action on Saturday with Nolan Bivolcic in the net, the Wildcats would start hot, scoring a goal just 1:13 into the first period when the Wildcats’ defenseman Ben Jones would sneak one right past to keeper to make it 1-0.

However, that was the biggest highlight in this one for Arizona as Utah would respond by scoring three goals in the first period to make it 3-1.

The Utes would add two more in the second period to make it 5-1, and eventually paced themselves to the four-point win over the Wildcats, earning the weekend sweep.

With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 0-2 on the season and will return to action next weekend at home when they take on Colorado State in a two-game series.