An in-state rivalry reignites Friday night as Washington State takes on the Eagles in game one of the weekend series.
Despite records and all circumstances in the past two seasons, the Eagles have gotten the better of the Cougars on every count. However, WSU has shown to be a much different team this season.
The Cougars are coming off of their biggest recruiting class this offseason and carry with them a much deeper team than they have shown the Eagles in the past. Both teams share a highly physical identity but are contending in the middle of the Pac.
WSU is sitting at No.4 in the standings with 23 points and a 8-12 record, while Eastern is chomping at their heels at No. 5 with 18 points and a 5-12-3 record.
Washington State has weapons offensively with the all-time school point scorer Cole Carlson, who has averaged a point and a half per game in his career. He has recorded 13 goals and 14 assists in just 19 contests this season.
Van Rayner has also broken out this year, putting up 21 points in 18 games, where he has averaged over a point per game for the first time in his career.
David Bushkin, Keegan Lucas, Lex Ballard and young company continue to make their mark on the year as well, adding the depth factor and contributing at a level that WSU hasn’t seen from their team in years.
On the other hand, the Eagles have showcased a high-power offense, beginning with forward Joel Lusk who has registered 42 points in just 20 games. Lusk started the season with a 10-game point streak and an outstanding 23 points recorded.
Eastern Washington also adds onto Joel Lusk’s illustrious season with four more players with 20 points or more this season.
Although the Eagles’ offense outshines WSU’s on the scoresheet, the stats favor the Cougars in goaltending. Sophomore goaltender Alexei Kuhl is posting a .909 save percentage this season on 550 shots faced. The three Eagles goaltenders on the other hand have not posted anything above a .900 so far this year.
The Cougars will travel to Cheney Friday night to take on the Eagles to begin their two-game weekend affair.
