Just one game after their overtime win at Fresno State last Saturday, the Sacramento State Hockey Team dropped a game in the standings Friday night losing to the University of California San Diego by a score of 5-2.

Over 150 fans were at the Skatetown ice arena to watch the two teams face off.

Junior forward Chase Turner said, “We let this game slip away from us. We were out-shooting them in the first two periods? we hit a post a few times and missed the net. It’s just the way the puck bounces sometimes, we just didn’t get lucky.”

The Tritons scored the first goal of the game, but Hornet graduate, center Stefano Manara tied it up with his first goal of the season. Sophomore forward Sam Danovich and sophomore defensemen Mike Collins were both credited with an assist.

UCSD would answer back with another goal before the first period expired to take the lead into the break.

The Hornets light the lamp ten minutes into the second period with a goal off the stick of Danovich, his second of the season. Assisting Danovich on the goal was junior defensemen Matt Van Atta.

The Hornet celebration would not last long because less than a minute later the Tritons scored the eventual game-winning goal. From that point on, they would control the game by adding a power play goal late in the second period and another goal early into the start of the third period.

The goal scorers for the Tritons were Troy Miller and Michael Frederick. Miller scored four and Frederick scored one.

After the game Danovich said that he thought UCSD was a good team but he can’t wait to play them again later in the season.

Hornet coach Tom Bowen assessed his team’s performance by saying that the players left everything they had on the ice. He said that the difference in the game was the fact that the Hornets had trouble converting on scoring opportunities.

“(It’s) the high and lows of the game, it’s just momentum,” said Bowen. “The only thing we need to work on is putting the puck in the net. We’re moving the puck well out of our end. We need to work a little more on the defensive end?we’re not far off, we’re playing well.”

The Hornets will host San Diego State at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Skatetown ice arena in Roseville.

Andrew Eggers can be reached at [email protected]