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PAC-8
Championship game: UW vs. USC
Away Game
February 17th, 2001
The 2000-2001 PAC-8
Championship game came down two teams: the undefeated PAC-8 leaders and
1999-2000 champions, the University of Southern California Trojans, and
the PAC-8 regular season 2nd place team, the University of Washington
Huskies, their first appearance at the PAC-8 dance.
USC beat Oregon in the semi-finals 10-0 to advance, while the
Huskies beat UCLA in an overtime shootout to advance to the finals.
The PAC-8 Championship
started off with a bang and anyone watching could tell it was going to be
a rough one, with one penalties for each team within the first 23 seconds
of the game and then one penalty each within the next 2 minutes. In the
first period each team jockeyed for position with great battles both
offensively and defensively. Both teams tested each other as the play
rushed back and forth, penalties were handed out and things heated up. USC
went up on the board first at 6:53 with a 3-on-2 rush, which they
converted on. The Huskies then found themselves down two players, and on a
5-on-3 power play, USC scored again at 2:53. The first period ended with
USC up by 2, both scored by Sophomore Nick Nickson and assisted by Eric
Kahnert. USC also out shot the Huskies 16-11.
The second period was
all about the Huskies. They really turned it on both offensively and
defensively, with all units clicking together. Both teams took penalties
and both teams killed them respectively. Fewer penalties were taken as the
game went on and the momentum continued with the Dawgs. The Huskies could
not put the puck home until 1:24 left in the period when Freshman Matt
Carlson scored with a backhand shot, from a pass from Clay Josephy. The
2nd period ended with the Huskies taking 12 shots to USC's 10 shots on
net.
Feeling the momentum,
the Huskies took to the ice in the third period to get back into the game.
There was every bit of confidence that they would succeed as they had done
in the past. But the momentum was soon squashed when USC stunned the arena
by scoring within the first fifteen seconds of the period. The goal was by
USC's Nickson and assisted by Kahnert. To add salt to the wound, at 10:43
Nickson and Kahnert connected again to put USC up 3-1. And then at 9:22
Nickson this time set up Kahnert, who scored at 9:22. The Huskies
continued to battle back but could not put together organized rushes.
Despite coming back from larger deficits, the USC defense was too stingy
to get any real action going on in their zone. Then, with 5 seconds to go
in the game, Marty Boyd scored for the Huskies from an assist by Brett
Lawrence, but it was too late. USC out shot the Huskies 26 to 12 in the
third period and won the PAC-8 Championship title for the second year in a
row. The Huskies took 2nd place in the PAC-8 regular season and
Championship Tournament.
Husky Hockey would like
to send their best wishes to the seniors who will not be returning next
year. Good luck to Clay Josephy, Steven Hyun, Sam Kim, & Mike Woods!
Good luck boys and thanks for everything!
Click here
to read the semi final game report.
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