The WSU men’s club hockey team is off to an even start with three wins and three losses to open the 2008 season. In its first six regular season games, the team has wins over UCLA and Gonzaga, whom they beat twice. The losses came to UCLA, and two to the University of Washington.

Last weekend, the team had an exhibition game against the University of Idaho in Moscow, which it lost 13-7. However, the day turned out positive due to the success of a fundraiser held that day. WSU put together the WSU vs. UI hockey night, and more than 200 people came to watch the game. “It was great. It’s kind of a small arena in Moscow, but it was packed, so we were pleased with the turnout,“ senior forward Mike Fox said.

The Cougars will use some of that fundraising money this weekend as they travel to California to take on the Stanford Cardinal in a three-game series. The series will be a test for the Cougars, where they know they need to perform well if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive.

“The weekend series is really crucial. Unless we come out of there with a sweep, it’s going to be extremely difficult in order to make the Pac-8 tournament,” senior defender Mike Ringstad said. The club will look to step up its game to remain competitive through the final stretch of the season. To do this, the team will also look to its large freshman group to fill the gaps.

“We’ve got five new freshmen on our team this season, which is our biggest freshman class in a while. They add a lot of depth to our roster,” Fox said. “They have a lot of talent and chemistry both on and off the ice.” After the road games against Stanford, the Cougars will come home to take on Washington for a two-game series during Apple Cup weekend at the Eagles Ice Arena in Spokane. The rivalry between the schools is strong in hockey, and some players are already thinking about the match-up.

“They're a pretty good team. We really don’t like them, so it’s always fun to play them,” Ringstad said.

For updated schedules and team information, visit coughockey.com