Eastlake High School alum Braden Mayer is entering his season season with the Aztecs. Photo by Phillip Brents
One game does not make a season, nor do two.
The San Diego State University men’s ice hockey team took it on the chin by scores of 12-1 and 8-0 in its season opening series against Grand Canyon University Sept. 19-20 at the Kroc Center Ice Arena.
It was a challenging matchup from the start with SDSU rebuilding to some degree from key losses to graduation and GCU coming off an appearance in the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division I national championship tournament. The 12th-seeded Antelopes won their first-round game against No. 21 Delaware to finish among the top eight teams in the country following a 3-2 loss to No. 5 University of Jamestown.
But the Aztecs battled in both games as best they could. They seemed to be a bit too excited while shaking off the jitters in front of a raucous SRO crowd lining the glass in the season opener. SDSU played much better in the return matchup despite players out with injury, and the the final score was not indicative of the actual game.
A better assessment of the 2025-26 season should come with this weekend’s two-game set at the Kroc Center against the University of Arizona Wildcats. Friday’s game faces off at 7:30 p.m., followed by Saturday’s game at 8:30 p.m.
Aztec players remain optimistic about the remainder of the season, including high impact encounters in Western Collegiate Hockey League play.
Four WCHL teams qualified for last season’s national championship tournament and as many are expected to vie for a national championship again this year, possibly even this weekend’s opponent.
“I’m super excited, a little nervous but feel confident about the year,” admitted Eastlake High School alumnus Braden Mayer, a junior defenseman on the team. “It’s very competitive. It’s fun when we play these teams, but it takes its toll.
“I think we have a hard-working team. I think it’s a group that will blend well together. I think everyone’s a little hungrier this year.”
Junior forward Brandon Grant scored the Aztecs’ lone goal against GCU, which out-shot the Aztecs 104-32 in the two games. Brody Hsiao chalked up 62 saves in the two outings while Liam Dee was credited with 22 stops.
The Lopes, keyed by Owen Hanson (five goals, one assist) and freshman Michael Schwartz (four goals), scored five power play goals and one shorthanded goal in the sweep.
Head coach Dean Wilson said the 2025-26 Aztecs remain young with only three seniors on the 33-man roster. There are 16 juniors on the team, including forward Cameron Ferraz, last season’s top scorer.
“The spirits are high,” Ferraz said. “I think there’s a good feeling throughout the team. We want to compete, show everyone we deserve to be higher in the rankings.”
Ferraz and fellow junior forward Mason Brown are both entering their third year with the Aztecs. Both have become key cogs. Ferraz had chalked up 38 points in 47 games as a freshman and sophomore (19 pints in each season) while Brown had recorded 17 goals and 32 points in 45 games, finishing runner-up to Ferraz in team scoring last season.
“The first year (playing a freelance schedule), I think we were off to a good start,” Ferraz said. “The second year was more up and down. Talking to guys in practice, I think we can get top 25, that’s a goal this season.”
Ferraz, Brown and Grant constitute the team’s first line this season. It appears to be a good foundation.
“We lost a lot of key guys (to graduation) last year, but we have some good young potential coming in,” Brown said. “If we can avoid injuries, we can have a good season.”
Asked what he brings to the team, Brown, a native of North Vancouver, Canada, said “offense the team has been lacking, speed and creativity.”
“I think it can help the team in these areas,” he said. “I’m excited about it.”
Wilson was encouraged by his team’s play in the rematch. The Lopes led only 3-0 entering the third period with SDSU coming off two power play chances.
“Obviously, the compete level was there,” the SDSU coach said. “We eliminated their second and third chances, we stayed disciplined. You can’t let them have power plays. The first and second periods we battled with them.
“The boys bounced back after the shellacking we took from them in the first game. We had a lot of first-time players on the ice. There was a lot of nervous energy, but it turned into positive energy.”
Aztec notepad
The team welcomed defenseman Ryan Elleraas back into the room following a knee injury that sidelined him the second half of last season that limited him to just seven game appearances with a goal and assist.
“It’s exciting,” said the 6-foot-4 Elleraas, who played for Poway and San Diego United in the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League before journeying to New Hampshire to play three years at the Junior hockey level with the Northern Cyclones. “Not playing last year because of an injury, it’s good to be back.”
Elleraas said goals are to have a winning season, “being among the top teams in our division, winning all our road games and solidifying team chemistry.”
Asked what he brings to the team, he said “leadership, seniority, age experience, having played junior hockey (three years with the Northern Cyclones in New Hampshire), big size, long stick and good defense.”
“It’s great to have him back, it’s great for the guys in the room,” Ferrez said. “He leads every day in practice.”
The Aztecs still seemed a bit under-manned in the season-opening series against Grand Canyon University, a team coming off a national championship appearance and No. 12 in the ACHA M1 preseason poll. But, while the team took its lumps in 12-1 and 8-0 defeats, it provided a measuring stick for the season.
“I think it was good for the young guys to see what this level is like,” Elleraas said. “We’ve got a bunch of young guys in training to see how they react.”
Preseason rankings
The WCHL was well represented in the ACHA M1 preseason rankings with defending national champion UNLV ranked No. 1, University of Utah ranked No. 10, Grand Canyon University ranked No. 13, University of Arizona ranked No. 13, University of Oklahoma ranked No. 19, Arizona State University ranked No. 21 and University of Colorado ranked No. 25.
Top 25 Preseason: 1. UNLV, 2. Adrian College, 3, Minot State, 4. Liberty University, 5. Ohio University, 6. University of Jamestown, 7. Maryville University, 8. Niagara University, 9. Drury University, 10. University of Utah, 11. Calvin University, 12. Grand Canyon University, 13. University of Arizona, 14. University of Mary, 15. Purdue University Northwest, 16. Oswego State, 17. Indiana Tech, 18. Midland University, 19. University of Oklahoma, 20. University of Pittsburgh, 21. Arizona State, 22. University of Delaware, 23. Grand Valley State, 24. Stony Brook University, 25. University of Colorado
Gulls notepad
The San Diego Gulls opened their 2025-26 American Hockey League training camp on Tuesday at Poway Ice in advance of the team’s preseason game Sunday in Ontario, the regular season opener Oct. 10 at Coachella Valley and its home opener Oct. 18 at Pechanga Arena against the Henderson Silver Knights.
