No. 8 WSU (9-17) faced off against No. 1 University of Washington (27-2) in the Cougars’ first playoff appearance since Feb. 10, 2016 In the end, the Huskies got the better of the Cougs this time with a final score of 6–1. 

WSU struck first, with season-leading scorer and team captain Jake Landers scoring a single goal in the first period. UW did not wait long to strike back, scoring two in the first as well. 

This trend would continue for the Huskies in the form of consistency, with two goals coming in each period. In total, UW had 57 shots on goal, compared to WSU’s meager 25 shots. 

While it may have been a disappointing game as a whole, WSU goalie Kane Paxton finished with 51 saves. On the season, Paxton tallied 752 saves in total. On the offensive side, forward Landers lead the team with 22 goals, more than double the next-highest scorer. 

UW defeated Eastern Washington and Utah to win the Pac-8 Championship. They will now be playing in American Collegiate Hockey Association Western Regional Tournament in Utah, where they are currently ranked No. 7. 

A replay of the live-streamed playoff game between WSU and UW can be watched on the EWU Eagles Hockey YouTube channel.