Washington State hockey’s postseason run came to an end Thursday, Feb. 6, in Cheney as the Cougars fell 5-2 to USC in the first round of the Pac-8 Playoffs.
WSU came out with energy early and struck first in the opening period. Freshman forward David Bushkin redirected a point shot past the USC goaltender to give the Cougs an early lead. The goal marked Bushkin’s first playoff tally and set the tone for a strong first period from WSU.
Max Lazzaro skates down the rink against University of Southern California, Feb. 6, 2026.
USC responded in the second period with a surge that proved decisive. A burst of Trojan goals over a twenty-minute period flipped the momentum and built a lead of four points that made it difficult for the Cougs to recover from.
Despite the deficit, WSU showed resilience in the third period. Freshman defenseman Keegan Lucas added a goal late in the frame, jumping into the play and burying his chance cutting into the USC lead. The two goals from Bushkin and Lucas highlighted a promising night for the Cougars’ young team.
Head coach Johnny Lupinacci pointed to the second-period breakdown as the turning point of the game.
“About ten minutes into the second, things came apart a little bit,” Lupinacci said. “We stopped playing team hockey, turning pucks over, not covering the front of the net, not getting pucks out. That put us in too big of a hole.”
Lupinacci praised his team’s effort in the first and third periods, noting the impact of line changes and contributions from younger players.
“I loved the first period, and I loved the third. We shook the lines up, dug into our depth, and guys responded,” he said. “[Lucas] and Lex Ballard came to play today. [Lucas]’s going to have a lot of multi-point games in his future.”
Special teams proved challenging for WSU, as limited shot production limited power-play opportunities. Lupinacci emphasized shooting as a key focus moving forward.
“We need more shots, plain and simple,” he said. “This is a great game for us to study.”
Goaltender Alexi Kuhl kept the Cougars within reach, making several key saves to prevent the game from slipping further out of hand.
Following the loss, emotions ran high in the locker room, especially for the program’s seniors, who played their final Pac-8 playoff game.
“This team means everything to these guys,” Lupinacci said. “They love each other. The message from the seniors was to pass the torch and keep this program moving upward.”
Van Rayner watching for a pass from his teammates, against University of Southern California, Feb. 6, 2026.
Team captain Cole Carlson echoed that sentiment, reflecting on the growth of the program.
“This is the highest seed this team’s ever finished,” Carlson said. “In past years we were at the bottom of the standings. This year, we put up a fight. It’s a huge step in the right direction.”
Carlson described the team as a family and acknowledged how difficult the loss was for departing seniors.
“It’s emotional. Guys are in tears because they care that much,” he said. “Those seniors helped build the best season this program’s had, and they’ll always be remembered for that.”
Looking ahead, Carlson emphasized the importance of the offseason.
“The offseason is the most important part of the year,” he said. “That’s where teams get better. We’re going to push each other to take advantage of it and come back stronger next season.”
While the playoff run ended earlier than hoped, Washington State’s performance signals continued momentum for the Cougars heading into next year.
