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Show DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE 8 Wednesday, December 9, 2009 MEN ICE HOCKEY continued from Page 6 TYLER COBB/The Daily Utah Chronicle Utah's Ian McKelvie takes a shot in a match against BYU. The Utes finished a tournament in Idaho and ended with a 3-2 record for the weekend. Wins bolster team morale in Idaho tournament Jake Bullinger loss to Boise, it quickly reversed its fortune by winning the next three games. The Skatin' Utes defeated Boise 4-I the second time around and downed Washington by scores of 7-3 and 7-6, respectively. The highlight of Utah's tournament was the thrilling second game against Washington. To earn the 7-6 victory, the Utes had to overcome a third-period deficit, scoring five goals in the period to do so. STAFF WRITER Last weekend, the Utah hockey team travelled to McCall, Idaho, to participate in the Rocky Mountain Jamboree with Boise State and the University of Washington. The Utes left Idaho with a 3-2 mark in the tournament, after losing two of three to Boise and beating Washington in each of two contests. Although Utah kicked off the tournament with a 4-3 The victory had a profound effect on the morale of Utah's players. "We walked into the locker room after the second period and decided we had nothing to lose," said goalie AJ Boldan. "That game changed our team." "That was a lot of fun," said forward Michael Vrtis. "I wish that we had our whole team there...because that's the kind of thing that can really pick up a team. We don't quit. We got a lot The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice Since 1890 T"`Daily Utah Chronicle coR -SEE of fight." Sandwiched between the two gratifying victories over Washington was the Utes' sole win against Boise State. As if Utah didn't gain enough confidence from its victories over Washington, defeating Boise provided more opportunities for intra-squad acclaim. "When we beat Boise State, that was the first and only game all season where we had three solid periods of hockey," Boldan said. The Utes' three wins put them in a winner-take-all tiebreaker against Boise on Sunday. Although the tournament went well for the Utes, their success was blemished by the two losses to Boise, a team Utah beat fairly easily in its early-season series. Just as any team must take bitter losses, the Utes were able to criticize and learn from their performance. The goal is to now translate this criticism to future success. "Boise definitely improved since the last time we played them," Vrtis said. "I think that initially they caught us off guard." Friday, Utah will take on Weber State at the West Valley Acord Ice Center at 7:3o p.m. The Wildcats are a fast, offensively talented team. However, the Utes feel that if they take the opportunities Weber presents, they will have a good chance against the Wildcats. "I think we need to work on capitalizing on our scoring chances, especially against a good team like Weber," Vrtis said. j.bullinger@ chronicle.utah.edu The Chronicle is hiring opinion writers, for details contact c.blake@ chr•nicle.utah.edu •1 Here's how: Find coupons in the Daily Utah Chronicle, Campus Deals, or online at www.crimsonbiz.com Show me the money: {A strong foundation, for a solid career.} Bring your recept to Tom Hurtado at the Chronicle offices in the Union rm 321 on Dec. 11 between 8am-5pm. The 2nd and 10th person to show a valid receipt will get a free ski pass to the Canyons. c(g\IIKIN jiffylube Walmart * VISION CENTER GREEN Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. Asian fusion cuisine & sushi bar Back at home for the duration of the preseason, the Utes will start their five-game stretch Saturday when they take on Westminster. The matchup against the local Griffins will be followed by games against South Dakota State, Oregon, SMU and Utah Valley before the Utes take on TCU in their first conference game of the season Jan. 9. Tipoff against Westminster is 7 p.m. Saturday. l.frome@chronicle.utah.edu for details. Use the coupon between 12/2/09 and 12/10/09 and save your receipt. • continued from Page 6 j.peterson@ chronicle. utah.edu Make a purchase: ?122C0111 & 7CitatI011111 WOMEN To write for Arts and • Entertainment. contact Look for coupons: _(V offensive threat in his own right. Sims was named to the John R. Wooden Player of the Year Watch List and is a constant double-double threat with per-game averages of 15.3 points and 7.4 rebounds. "(Sims and Harris) are very skilled," Boylen said. "Both of them can beat you in a lot of different ways. They stretch your defense with their shooting and their athleticism, and so they're very difficult to guard." Michigan will have to play mismatched on defense against the Utes as 6-foot-8-inch Sims is the tallest player in the Wolverines' starting lineup. With only one other experienced big man on the roster in 6-foot-ioinch center Zack Gibson, Sims won't have much bench help either. The size Beilein referred to comes in Utah's three formidable big men, 7-foot-3-inch center David Foster, 7-foot center Jason Washburn and 6-foot-ioinch forward and center Kim Tillie. The trio averages 23.5 points and 15.2 rebounds per game. Additionally, Tillie and Foster posted double-doubles in the Utes' last two games. Tillie had 20 points and io rebounds against Weber State, and Foster had 12 points and io rebounds against Idaho State. Washburn has been sidelined recently because of a concussion sustained before the Oklahoma State game, but he was cleared to practice Monday, and it will be a game-time decision whether he plays. Tonight's game will be only the seventh meeting between the Utes and the Wolverines, with Michigan leading the series so far at 4-2. The last time the teams met was in 1998 in Lahaina, Hawaii, where the Utes won 71-54. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on CBS College Sports Network and broadcast on KALL 700 AM. j.simmons@ chronicle.utah.edu 111112400111 111011% ,ab COLLEGE Learning. Values. PIG DOWR1OWR PhD & Grill I Discover a transfer program to help start your career, visit: |