Oregon Hockey: Rogue Valley Recaps

The Oregon Ducks hockey team took to the ice for the final time this season this past weekend when the Rogue Valley Royals of Medford came to town for a 2 game weekend series.

I’m not entirely sure why the games against Boise State were cancelled but alas they were. My assumption on why Rogue Valley got the call to replace them Senior weekend is that on short notice the Ducks needed an opponent for their final weekend of the year and Rogue Valley of the USPHL was available for two exhibition games giving the Ducks their replacement senior weekend opponents.

The USPHL is a Tier III junior league were players recently out of high school can compete to showcase their skills to make it on to an ACHA or NCAA Division 3 team. Rogue Valley is the local USPHL team and was the opponent the Ducks played in Bend last season for the 2024 Bend Classic.

Friday Night

The Ducks came out of the gates swinging and swinging hard on Friday night. The Ducks got two very quick goals from Captain Jackson Henningsgard to give themselves a 2-0 lead just over 3 minutes into the game. The Royals would respond with some sustained zone time on the next shift thanks to some careless plays by the Ducks in their own zone to get one goal back but the rest of the first period was all Ducks and they would go into the first intermission up 5-1 thanks to goals from Dylan Chapman, Charlie Maher, and Noah Easterson.

The rest of the game the Ducks did a really good job defending and keeping the game low event without playing to passively which is exactly what you want to do with a 4 goal lead. From there the Ducks were able to cruise to a 8-2 victory. Here are the team stats from Friday’s game:

Shots on Goal:

Oregon – 40

Rogue Valley – 17

High Danger Chances All Situations

Oregon – 11

Rogue Valley – 5

High Danger Chances 5 on 5

Oregon – 11

Rogue Valley – 4

Powerplay 0% (0/1)

Penalty Kill 100% (3/3)

Saturday Night

Saturday night the Ducks once again controlled the game dominating possession and the middle of the ice. The Ducks didn’t have the same offensive explosion in the first period like they did Friday night but senior Nick Slayton was able to give them an early 1-0 lead with a goal just under 5 minutes into the game and the Ducks would take that lead into the first intermission.

It was the 2nd period were the Ducks were able to start converting their shots into goals and take control of the game on the scoreboard. Barak Braslavksi scored another highlight reel goal stick handling through 3 Royals defenders in a tight area and then roofing a backhand shot top corner just under 5 minutes into the 2nd. I can’t wait to watch another season of Braslavski next season. It was a Royals turnover at the Ducks blueline on the powerplay that lead to a Jimmy Gaigan short handed break away that he would bury to make it 3-0. Jackson Henningsgard kept up his incredibly hot weekend scoring off the rush to make it 4-0 and half way through the game the Ducks were in complete control of this game. Rogue Valley would get on the scoreboard with a powerplay goal and the Ducks would go into the 2nd up 4-1 which if you ask any Toronto Maple Leafs fan is the worst lead in Hockey.

Thankfully the Ducks would extend their lead in the 3rd period thanks to a good forecheck by Alex Ulyanov that caused a turnover that Jionni Espoito would bury to make it 5-1. Tobin Fix would intercept a stretch pass on the Penalty Kill that would lead to a Noah Easterson goal to make the game 6-1 and really remove any doubt in this game. Rogue Valley would score a 2nd powerplay goal late but that would be all for the game and the weekend series.

Here are the team stats that I track

Shots on Goal:

Oregon – 46

Rogue Valley – 14

Total High Danger Chances:

Oregon – 15

Rogue Valley -8

High Danger Chances 5 on 5:

Oregon – 10

Rogue Valley – 4

Powerplay 0% (0/3)

Penalty Kill 60% (3/5)

It’s been a lot of fun covering Ducks hockey this season. I hope you have enjoyed reading my recaps as much as I have enjoyed writing them. I look forward to doing it next year and if there is any Duck hockey content you would like over the summer let me know and I will make a note to do that when the Spring sports have finished.

For now let’s get out and support the Basketball teams as they begin their tournament runs this March and support the Diamond Duck teams as they look to build on their hot starts to the season.

Go Ducks!