Club ice hockey downs Stanford

By Gabe Taylor

In a fashion similar to the San Jose Sharks, Santa Clara rallied to a 5-3 victory in the final period of their hockey match against Stanford Tuesday night at HP Pavilion in San Jose.

Santa Clara students eagerly jumped aboard the Bronco Bus with APB while others accompanied the club hockey team to see an unexpected double header: the San Jose Sharks versus the Phoenix Coyotes, followed by the Broncos versus the Stanford Cardinal.

"It was a great experience being able to play in such a huge stadium where my favorite NHL team plays," said junior Kevin Orlando.

The Sharks suffered early, allowing three goals before snapping out of their slump in the third period to score five straight goals; the fifth coming on an empty net.

When HP Pavilion cleared out, leaving only fans linked to Santa Clara or Stanford, the unpredictable game play started up all over again.

Bronco fans sank in their seats early after Stanford jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The stands slowly saw a greater number of empty seats as the game progressed. But exiting the stadium soon proved to be a mistake.

The third period took on a completely different form. With energy rising up from the ice, the bench, and the stands, the Broncos began their comeback. Jared Mainini triggered the scoring onslaught by sinking the puck into the back of the net.

When Santa Clara scored the go-ahead goal, the once quiet and timid Bronco fans opened up their vocal chords. Stanford heard. Cardinal fans sat helpless, reminiscing over their once hefty lead. And this demeanor carried over to the players on the ice.

"The fans that supported us made it even more memorable," said Orlando.

In the final seconds of the game, junior Jackson Morgus capitalized on an empty-net situation, giving him a hat trick on the night. Just like the Sharks. And why shouldn't it have been? Santa Clara was skating on Sharks ice; they might as well embody the whole experience of San Jose hockey stars.