Icecats, Ice Devils renew bitter rivalry
One of college hockey's most bitter rivalries will be rekindled this weekend when the Arizona Icecats, ranked fifth in the American College Hockey Association, face No. 13-ranked Arizona State tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 at the Tucson Convention Center.
The Icecats (9-0-1) are the only undefeated team in the ACHA, with sweeps against Colorado, Rhode Island and Wisconsin-Whitewater at the TCC paving the way for an impressive first half of the season. Victories against the Ice Devils this weekend would help lock in an undefeated streak going into a month long hiatus. Arizona will not play again until defending national champion Penn State comes to town Jan. 4 and 5.
"The ASU series is always a war," Icecats head coach Leo Golembiewski said. "It's no secret that these two teams just plain don't like each other, just as you'd expect."
The Icecats have dominated the series over the years, but the wins have never come easily for Arizona. Last year ASU actually swept the season series, only to have forfeit two of its wins because of an ineligible player. Those forfeits knocked the Ice Devils out of the playoffs and helped the Icecats squeak in as the No. 8 seed.
This year's games will be no different as the two teams are again highly ranked.
"The ASU game always means something," freshman left-wing Kevin Meehan said. "We fill the arena and it's always an intense rivalry."
The games are also a perennial coming-out party for casual Icecat fans.
With an average attendance of 12,000 people at the TCC for the rivalry, the game proves to be an annual interstate war between the teams and their respective fans.
"Icecat fans are loyal, loud and into these games for every second," Golembiewski said.
Keys to victory this weekend include the kind of scoring that helped the Icecats score six goals in five minutes against Wisconsin-Whitewater on Nov. 20.
Sophomore co-captain Paul Dorn has been complimented by a varying crowd of players, including sophomore center Hunter Cherenack and Meehan. Cherenack, who scored a hat
trick against Wisconsin-Whitewater, has been coming on strong lately since recovering
from knee problems. Meehan has played to his potential, backing up Dorn on the second line, ever since his hat trick at Southern Cal on Oct. 17.
Junior goalie Mark Meister has been a brick wall all season and, despite a Nov. 21 benching in favor of freshman Jason Morgan, will start in the net tonight and tomorrow night.
"It felt good to finally put a team away," Cherenack said after the Nov. 20 game against the Warhawks. "We haven't done that much this year."
Ryan Finley can be reached via e-mail at Ryan.Finley@wildcat.arizona.edu.
|
