The Santa Rosa Junior College ice hockey team traveled to Idaho for the Boise State showcase where they played three games Oct. 2-4. During the showcase, the Polar Bears defeated San Jose State University [D2] for the first time in team history.

Following a strong first game where the Polar Bears beat Gonzaga University 7-2, they played against SJSU [D2] for the second time this season. The Polar Bears previously lost to SJSU Sept. 26.

The Polar Bears quickly found themselves behind SJSU, who fired three pucks into the back of the net in the first two periods, giving them a three-goal lead. It wasn’t until the end of the second period that Polar Bears forward Matt Katicich knocked the puck into the back of the net to make it 3-1 SJSU. “The goal in the last seconds of the second period really helped to turn around the momentum,” said Katicich.

The Polar Bears excelled in the third period, scoring two goals to tie the game at 3 sending the game to overtime. David Lundgren and Kurtis Klinger were responsible for the two goals in the third period.

No goals were scored in overtime, sending the game into a shootout. Polar Bears forward Josiah Nikkel found the back of the net to win the game 4-3. “It felt great [beating SJSU for the first time]. Especially to comeback after being down, it was a fun game to play in,” Nikkel said. “I actually messed up on my shot, but luckily it went in.”

The win over SJSU marked a huge accomplishment early on in the Polar Bear season. “We had never beat SJSU [D2] so it was a big moment for the club,” Katicich said.

The Polar Bears final game of the weekend resulted in a loss to Boise State. The team closed out the three games with a record of 2-1, and improved their season record to 3-2. “We still have quite a bit to work on, but it was a good weekend for us,” said Nikkel.

The Polar Bears take on Stanford University Oct. 16 followed by a home game at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 17 against Portland State University.