Washington State men’s hockey came up short Friday, Jan. 23, at Aliso Viejo Ice Palace in Aliso Viejo, California, falling 4–3 to UC San Diego in the opening game of the series. Despite entering the matchup fourth in the Pac-8 standings, the Cougars were tested early by a UC San Diego squad sitting at the bottom of the conference. The Tritons jumped out to a quick start, capitalizing early to set the tone and put WSU on the defensive for the majority of the night.
UCSD struck first, as Tristan Lee opened the scoring in the first period to give the Tritons a 1–0 edge. Despite generating offensive zone time, WSU struggled to convert early opportunities, a theme that head coach Johnny Lupinacci addressed following the first period.
“We’re not taking enough shots,” Lupinacci said. “We’re holding the puck a little too long and trying to make it too pretty. When you do that, the puck bounces around, and it’s not connected. We’ve just got to simplify things and grind.”
The Cougars responded in the second period. Brandon Smith got the equalizer to tie the game at 1–1, followed later by a goal from Max Lazzaro to give WSU its first lead of the night. UCSD answered back, however, as Alex Tatoian found the net in the second to even the score heading into the final period.
Frustration began to creep in for the Cougars, but Lupinacci emphasized composure during the intermission.
“They’re all in their heads,” he said. “They’re frustrated. They want to score more, they want those passes to connect quicker. The message is don’t get frustrated. Adjust and keep going. It’s a long hockey game.”
The third period turned into a back-and-forth battle. David Bushkin put WSU back on top with a goal early in the frame, but UCSD answered quickly. Peter Dukakis tied the game before Saku Sehiguchi delivered the eventual game-winner later in the period, pushing the Tritons ahead 4–3.
Despite a late push from the Cougars, UCSD held on to secure the upset win.
Looking ahead, Lupinacci remained confident in his group’s approach moving forward.
“Stay patient. Stay persistent,” he said. “And get more goals than they do.”
Washington State looks to bounce back in the second game of the series as they aim to even things up and regain momentum on the road.
