Eastlake High School alumnus Aaron Mayer is playing his final semester with San Diego State University’s men’s ice hockey team. As the games start to dwindle before he assumes alumni status with the Aztecs, he admitted his remaining time with the team is obviously becoming special.
“It’s a little nostalgic thinking back to how the team has developed over my five years here,” Mayer acknowledged, “moving the puck more, more speed, everyone contributing,” .
Mayer continues to be a contributor to what could very well be one of the most successful Aztec squads in program history. The team is poised to make history with a 20th win in its final seven regular season games.
Mayer is eligible to play in four of those games before the second semester starts later this month.
SDSU carries a 19-3-1 record into this weekend’s two-game series against the University of Iowa, which is undefeated on the season in 17 games (16 wins and one shootout loss). The teams will meet Friday at the Kroc Center Ice Arena at 8 p.m., then switch venues for a high profile date the following afternoon at Pechanga Arena San Diego in a double-billed game with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League.
Saturday’s SDSU-Iowa game faces off at 12:30 p.m. The Gulls will host the Ontario Reign later that evening at 7 p.m.
The Aztecs, who are tied for second most wins among American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II teams, appreciate the spotlight.
“This is one of the best records in school history,” SDSU head coach Phil Bateman said. “This team has the opportunity to win 20 games and no other team in school history has done that. The guys take great pride in that.”
By the numbers
Though he’s been unable to travel with the team due to work commitments, Mayer still ranks as one of the team’s top point-getters with nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points in 13 games.
His 1.85 point-per-game average ranks second on the team to German import Artem Klein, whose 61 points (16 goals, 45 assists) lead the nation.
It’s elite company.
Bateman has had the privilege of coaching Mayer for more than seven years, starting at the youth level.
“I was fortunate enough to coach Aaron in his minor midget year with the San Diego Jr. Gulls,” Batemand said. “Then again I was his coach for the past four years with the Aztecs program. Over that period Aaron has been a pleasure to coach. Aaron is exceptionally talented, enthusiastic, a student of the game, and a quiet leader for the program. Aaron led the team in scoring this past season after finishing second in 2018, and has thrilled the fans of Aztecs hockey over his four-and-a-half years. Aaron’s calm presence will be deeply missed upon his graduation.”
Mayer, who accumulated 14 goals and 37 points last season, had one of his most productive outings this season by collecting seven points (three goals, four assists) in a three-game weekend series Nov. 1-3 against the University of Washington and UCLA .
Mayer said confidence is rising throughout the roster as the team nears the end of its Pac-8 schedule and next moth’s conference championship tournament in South Lake Tahoe.
“Everyone is moving their feet; everyone trusts each other, playing their position,” the SDSU super senior said. “Especially against the University of Washington, once we started moving our feet, they couldn’t stay with us. If we can continue to do that, not too many teams can hang with us.”
Mayer is joined on this season’s SDSU team by fellow Chula Vistan Daryn Taras, an Otay Ranch High School alumnus.
Taras, who has collected 10 goals and 21 points in 23 games, accompanied the Aztecs on a two-game road swing to Wyoming and Colorado in November. SDSU defeated the University of Wyoming, 5-2, and topped the University of Denver 10-1.
“It was fun, it was definitely cold,” Taras said. “It was nice playing those teams. Denver was more of a challenge but we pulled away. It was difficult to play in Colorado due to the altitude. I didn’t really think it would affect me much but it made a difference. I was huffing and puffing at the end.”
Taras, one of the team’s senior leaders, said the trip allowed the team to better bond in its quest to win this year’s conference title.
“We want to take it all. Last year we came up short,” Taras said. “The guys coming back know that. We want to win the championship.”
Ice chips
The Aztecs host the University of Michigan Jan. 17-18 at the Kroc Center then close out regular season play with a three-game series at Arizona State Jan. 24-26.
Klein, studying abroad for a semester from the University of Mannheim, departed for Germany prior to the Christmas holiday with a lot of pleasant memories.
“It was a great feeling,” Klein said before departing for Europe. “I just tried to give my best every game and help the team win games. We had a great group of guys this year and it definitely feels good to lead the league but I’m more happy about the fact that we have won so many games during the time I was there. Wish I could play the whole season and especially the playoffs!”
Bateman said Klein’s primary contribution to the program was bringing a mature approach to the game.
“He taught so many of the younger players on our roster how to approach the game, and prepare for the game with a certain professionalism, maturity,” the SDSU head coach said. “On the ice he was fantastic. He the nation in points in D2 ACHA at the time of his departure. That clearly will be a hole that others will have to fill.”
Those “others” include Derian Theberge, who takes over as the de facto team scoring leader following Klein’s departure. The Santa Clarita native has recorded 42 points (22 goals, 20 assists) in 23 games. He leads the team with the 22 goals.
Freshmen Ian Stentz (Edina, Minn.), Blake Reed (Aliso Viejo) and Michael Pellegrino (Ladera Ranch) follow Theberge on the scoring ledger. All have made major contributions to the team in just their first season at the ACHA level.
Mayer and Taras, who follow the three freshmen in team scoring, will provide invaluable senior leadership down the team’s sprint to the conference championship tournament.
La Mesan Elisha Reece follows Taras with 10 goals and 21 points in 23 games. He remains a key player on the team following his splash as a freshman last season.
A total of 13 players, including Klein, have recorded double-digit points this season for the Aztecs while 19 players have scored at least one goal.
Brian Milner (eight goals, 19 points), Wesley Varrasso (four goals, 12 points), team captain Reece Breuckman (two goals, 12 points) and Calum McRae (10 assists) all have recorded at least 10 points this season.
Theberge, Reed, Pellegrino, Taras and Sullivan all have notched two game-winning goals. Other game-winners have come off the sticks of Stentz, Reece, Milner, Varrasso and Adrien Wisch.
Backstopping the team between the pipes has been ironman Nick Ilvento, who has played every minute in the net this season to go with a 2.53 goals-against average and .902 save percentage.
PAC-8 Standings
(Through Nov. 25)
South Division
SDSU 9-3, 18 points
Arizona State 6-3, 12 points
California 5-3, 10- points
San Jose State 4-5, 8 points
UCLA 2-9, 4 points
USC 0-9, 0 points
North Division
Eastern Washington 8-1, 16 points
Boise State 7-2, 14 points
Western Washington 7-6, 14 points
Oregon 6-1, 12 points
Washington State 4-9, 8 points
Washington 1-8, 2 points
Note: top four teams from each region advance to the conference tournament.
Beleaguered Gulls taking one game at a time, down visiting Iowa Wild, 4-3, in OT to pick up two valuable standings points
The Gulls snapped a five-game winless streak (0-3-1-1) with a 4-3 overtime victory over the visiting Iowa Wild Friday night (Jan. 10) to improve to 13-15-2-2 as they attempt to make a midseason climb up the AHL’s Pacific Division standings.
The Gulls remain in sixth place in the division but are now six points out of a playoff berth.
The Wild built a 2-0 first period lead before the Gulls rallied to take a 3-2 lead 17 seconds into the third period on a goal by team captain Sam Carrick. The visitors tied the game at the 5:28 mark of the period on a goal by team scoring leader Sam Anas before defenseman Josh Mahura scored 46 seconds into the five-minute sudden-victory three-on-three overtime period on a breakaway.
Mahura, with a goal and assist, earned first star of the game honors while Carrick, with two goals, received the second star award. Gulls goaltender Anthony Stolarz was named third star after stopping 28 of 31 shots.
The Wild managed to rip off seven shots in the opening seconds of overtime before the Gulls scored on their first shot to end the game.
The overtime game-winner was the first for Mahura, a third-round pick (85th overall) by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Carrick picked up his team-leading 14th and 15th goals of the season.
Chris Mueller scored his first goal with the Gulls this season at 8:21 of the second period as the hosts scored twice in the middle frame to knot the score at two goals apiece.
The Gulls, who faced off the season with a 0-6 record and have had difficulty gaining ground on division rivals since then, were given a boost with the return of U.S. Olympian Troy Terry to the lineup. Terry, who had collected 41 points (16 goals, 25 assists) in 41 games with the Gulls during his rookie season in 2018-19, was delivered on assignment to the Gulls earlier in the day. He seemed to pick right up where he left off by netting a pair of assists in Friday’s win.
Terry, a fifth-round pick (148th overall) in the 2015 NHL draft, recorded his 12th career multi-point effort in his season debut for San Diego, including the primary assist on the overtime-winning goal. In 33 games with the parent club this season, Terry, 22, had notched three goals and five assists and has 21 points in 67 career NHL games with the Ducks.
He was itching to get back on the ice after not playing for three weeks due to an injury.
“Any time you don’t play hockey for a while you start to really miss it,” said Terry, a Denver native of University of Denver alumnus. “This is a place I have spent a lot of time at and I’m familiar with. It was fun to come down here and see these guys again. It’s going to take a little bit to work back into it, but I felt better as the night went on. It was fun to play down here again and get a win.
“Last year when I came down here, it was all brand new to me and I didn’t know any of the guys. This year coming down, I’m familiar with the rink and most importantly the guys. System stuff is pretty similar to what we do, so it was easy.”
Terry said he had no doubt that Mahura would score on the breakaway. “I raised my arms as soon as he received the pass,” Terry said.
Stolarz, who will represent the Gulls along with teammate Chris Wideman in the upcoming AHL All-Star Classic later this month in Ontario, recorded his 11th win of the season while picking up an assist on Mahura’s OT winner.
In other club transactions, Anaheim recalled forward Chase De Leo from the Gulls. The 24-year-old native of La Mirada native has collected seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 30 games this season.
A fourth-round pick (99th overall) by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2014 NHL Draft, De Leo has accumulated 72 goals and 175 points in 307 career AHL games with San Diego and Manitoba.
Protect the nest
Despite Friday’s win, the Gulls were unable to gain ground on the Bakersfield Condors, the team immediately ahead of them in the division standings. The Condors (15-14-4-1) remain five standings points in front of San Diego.
The Gulls did gain two points on the Ontario Reign (16-17-3-1) but remain six points behind them. The two Southern California archrivals will face off in a key divisional game on Saturday (Jan. 11) at 7 p.m. at Pechanga Arena San Diego, with valuable standings points at stake for both teams.
“Our season is on the line, that’s the way we have to look at it,” Carrick said. “From here on out these are ‘playoff games’ that we have to look at.”
Friday’s win came after coming up short in the opening three games of the team’s season long five-game home stand that included regulation losses to the visiting Bakersfield Condors (3-2 on Jan. 3) and Iowa Wild (3-2 on Wednesday) and a shootout loss to Bakersfield (2-1 on Jan. 4).
“We believe in our players,” San Diego head coach Kevin Dineen said. “We have a strong belief in our players. We’ve got skill in there; we’ve got some great character. It’s a matter of putting everything together. We believe in this group of players. We just need a consistent effort and it’s a thought process. You’re playing in a good league and every time you step on the ice, it’s a pleasure to play and it’s a hard game to play. Go out and take advantage of it. We haven’t done that enough on a consistent basis.”
The Gulls will close out their season-long five game home stand with Saturday’s game. The Gulls are 1-2-0-1 in four games so far.
San Diego entered Friday’s game 2-5-1-2 in its last 10 games. The Gulls remain 12 standings points behind the third place Colorado Eagles, who are on a current 12-game points streak (9-0-2-1) after topping the division leading Tucson Roadrunners at home on Friday.
The Roadrunners lead the Pacific Division with a 25-8-1-0 record and possess the best wining percentage (.750) among the AHL’s 31 teams while the Stockton Heat (.712) is in second place in the division standings with a 21-7-2-3 record — four points behind Tucson with one game in hand.
Tucson is 21 standings points ahead of San Diego while Stockton is 17 standings points in front of the Gulls.
Fans can but tickets to both the Aztecs and Gulls games at Pechanga Arena San Diego for $18 at SanDiegoGulls.com/SDSUhockey.
The Gulls will host their first “80s Night” on Saturday when the team will wear an all-new specialty 80s’-themed jersey with blue, pink and purple accents throughout the game. All fans in attendance receive a retro Gulls fanny pack.
Select game-worn Gulls jerseys will be autographed and available for auction following the contest on the concourse at Section 10. A game-worn jersey raffle from 6 p.m. to the conclusion of the second period will also take place, with tickets to the raffle available at Section 10.
