Davis, CA—When asked about the final result of Saturday night’s home opener at Vacaville Ice Sports, an assertive 11-2 victory over the visiting UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs, senior Anthony Goldhawk (#00) remarked, “[a] win’s a win, the margin doesn’t matter. We have a lot of work left to do.” This was a theme that reverberated throughout the locker room after the game. Head coach Niklas Braun, entering his fifth season as bench boss, set the tone early on for the Aggies. “I liked our start, we put up some goals. It’s a good way to introduce a lot of the new players to the league. But there’s another level we have to get to, and the work is only getting started.”
These sentiments are quite remarkable considering the big game they had. Rookies Adam Abramson (#51), Ryan Dawson (#88), and Brent Valentine (#89) all put up multiple points in their first career ACHA games. Grady Jacoby (#54) scored his first career goal and Trevor Ho (#17) got his first point. There was plenty to be excited about. It isn’t often that a home opener could go so well. This all goes to show that this season’s UC Davis Aggies are taking a serious approach to the game, and looking to earn a winning record.
The major losses of veterans Robert Polon, Travis Wood, and Keisuke “William” Teeple, who together led the team in points in the last three seasons, were felt throughout the first set of practices and in the game. However, it seems as though this new crop of young skaters will help make up for the offensive dynamos’ departures. Next weekend, the Aggies will be hosted by Santa Clara University and Santa Rosa Junior College. Davis will not have another home game until November 4th, when they once again host UC Santa Cruz.
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