By Kat Webb | October 26, 2018

Can the Aggies keep control of the puck, and their tempers?

A third of the game.

That’s the average amount of time the Utah State University hockey team is spending on penalty kills each game so far this season.

And that might be the team’s undoing against San Diego State, because the Aztecs don’t take many penalties.

Their average time down? Six minutes a game.

The Aggies will try to control the puck — and their tempers — when they face the Aztecs on Friday in Logan. 

Starting defenseman Trace Farr said discipline is clearly an area of struggle.

“Sometimes, me included, we have been getting wrapped up into all the emotions of the game,” Farr said, “and we are all working to be more disciplined during the play and after the whistle.”

Farr has spent eight minutes in the penalty box so far this season.

He’s tied with team captain Josh Kerkvliet for third in missed minutes. Right ahead of them is Dagen Walton, with nine. Keegan O’Brien leads the team in penalty minutes; he has spent 12 minutes in the box so far.

“We’ve definitely had some stupid penalties,” Aggies head coach CJ Westlake said, “but I think the boys understand that how we’ll win is by staying out of the box. When we play five on five, we dominate.”

San Diego State’s coach hopes his players’ discipline will result in a win against the Utah State on Friday.

“One of the things we’ve tried to instill is discipline,” SDSU head coach Phil Bateman said. “To not chase the game, but keep the game in control.”

Though it’s the youngest team SDSU has seen, the new players have brought a higher skill set, SDSU team president Troy Smith said.

“This year’s team is a lot faster than previous years, with a lot more depth,” Smith said. “Our players are a lot closer in skill between lines without a considerable drop off.”

Speed is critical to a controlling the puck, and therefore controlling the game, according to Bateman.

“You’re either chasing the game, or you dictate the game,” Bateman said. “The new guys’ speed allows us to establish better forechecking and transitioning quickly from our zone to the offensive zone.”