In the opening game of the season, senior forward Max Meyers battles for possession of the puck against San Diego State University. The Buffs won 9-2 on Oct. 1. CU faces Weber State Friday in the Rec Center for a pivotal game. (CU Independent file/Ilana Finer)
The Colorado Buffaloes club hockey team knows how important their next game is.
“We know how big this weekend is for us with both games, but especially starting with Weber on Friday,” junior defensemen Scott Cooley said. “This game has a lot of implications and we all want to win pretty badly.”
The Colorado Buffaloes will square off with the Weber State Wildcats in a crucial game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the CU Recreation Center’s ice rink.
The Buffs are 4-2 in Division II of the America Collegiate Hockey Association. Weber State is 3-3.
This upcoming game is similar to the last face-off between these two teams about a year ago.
“We played them once last year and they beat us,” Cooley said. “It was a big deal because they ended up taking the No. 2 seed in the West. It really knocked us out of where we thought we should be. It was a game that we definitely should have won, could have won, but we let it slip away and it ended up biting us the whole season.”
Even though the Buffs lost last year, they are 2-1 against Weber State since the 2006-07 season.
“The first two years we beat them pretty good, but last year they were much better,” senior forward Max Myers said. “Still again, we should have won. So, I think they’re getting better but I’m still confident that we’re a better team and when we play a full game, we’re going to beat them.”
However, there have been changes to Weber State’s team this year, which may work in Colorado’s favor this time around.
“This year, they’ve lost their best goalie and they’re a little short on numbers,” head coach Ken Fikis said. “But they’re a hard working team. They always work hard and they never quit.”
Myers said he agrees with Fikis about the Wildcats’ lack of depth.
“I wouldn’t say they got a full team, but they’ve got a few lines that can play,” Myers said. “They work hard and that’s got to be our big thing. We just got to outwork them. We got the talent and we can beat them.”
The men say they are just doing what they normally do to get ready for Friday’s game.
“I’m trying to get pumped up for the game,” Myers said. “[I’m] trying to get everybody to practice so that we can work hard and just carry that over into the game.”
Fikis, however, said he is ready for this rematch.
“We kind of owe Weber from last year because we played them one time and they beat us,” he said. “So we want to get it back this year.”
The players say they are feeling confident for this game and hope to beat Weber State this year.
“I’m very confident, I feel good,” Cooley said. “We’re going to come out on fire this weekend.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kayla Cornett at Kayla.cornett@colorado.edu.
