With the wait finally over, WSU hockey kicked off their year with a bang. The Cougs blew out the Idaho Vandals 13-1 on Saturday night at the Eastern Washington Rec Center, winning the Battle of the Border and showcasing the new team they built in the offseason.

​Fans did not wait long for WSU to break the ice. Eastern Washington transfer Walker White scored the season-opening goal 40 seconds into the game. White took advantage of an odd-man rush and ripped a wrist shot that fooled Idaho goaltender Colin Crecelius.

A few minutes later, sophomore David Bushkin picked up a faceoff win and beat Crecelius over the shoulder for a lightning-fast goal. Bushkin was the rookie point leader last season (27) and has high expectations for the team.

“We knew coming into the season we were going to be a strong team,’ he said. “First game of the year it’s awesome to see it all come together.”

The first period rolled on, and the Cougs kept their foot on the gas. Freshman Carson Low, in his Cougar debut, broke the ankles of a Vandal and stuffed a shot past Crecelius to put WSU up 3-0.

In the waning stages of the frame, sophomore Evan King slipped a puck five-hole on Crecelius and capped off the first period with a 4-0 Cougar lead.

The explosive start was exactly what head coach Johnny Lupinacci was hoping for.

“The boys are hungry,” he said. “They’re ready for their season to start. They’ve been training hard, and they’re pretty excited for things.”

Heading into the second period, it was Orynn Freedman who struck first. The rookie sniped a wrister early in the frame and extended the Cougar lead.

Next on tap was White again. The now-sophomore was held on a breakaway opportunity and awarded a penalty shot. He did not squander the chance and managed to beat Crecelius to make it 6-0 Cougs.

After White, four more Cougs got on the tally, all four in the late stages of the period. Low started it with his second, Freedman matched him with a second of his own, Lucas Robinson followed up with a rebound goal and rookie Owen Corbin put the stamp on the period with the 10th tally of the evening.

To start the third, the Cougs showed no mercy. Low went bar-down on Crecelius to secure the hat trick and set the tone for the final frame.

But anything Low could do, Freedman could do better. The rookie tipped a wrist shot out of the air and bamboozled the Vandals for his third goal of the day and picked up the hat trick in his Cougar debut.

However, Low was not about to be outshone by Freedman. The fellow rookie, with only a few minutes left in the game, beat Crecelius five-hole and snatched his fourth goal in the Crimson and Gray.

All night, it was the Freedman and Low show, and in part because of the built-in chemistry the duo brings.

“They play really well together,” Lupinaccis said. “We recruited them from juniors. As a part of the package we said ‘we’ll keep you together and show us what you got’.”

Low and Freedman join the Cougs from the EHL Seahawks where both put up 60-point performances last season. Now on the Palouse, the two are fitting in immediately.

“Great guys off the ice first of all,” Bushkin said. “On the ice, obviously incredible players. Just fun to watch too. They’ve played with each other for years… even as a player, you’re just on the edge of your seat.”

Despite the highlight reel performance, Low refused to take too much credit.

“Feels good, but at the end of the day all that matters is… we’re all producing,” he said. “So, it feels good that we’re all clicking really well.”

With only two minutes left in the game, the Cougs were up by 13 and hoping to coast to the win. However, Idaho went down kicking and screaming. A Vandal capitalized on a fortuitous rebound and clapped a shot past WSU goaltender Cole Eastman to spoil the shutout.

Although the historic performance was ruined for Eastman, the Cougs did not let it affect the vibes.

“The vibe on the bench actually showed great progress from last year,” Bushkin said. “Last year we would have had guys get upset, guys with their heads down. But the boys stayed strong… It’s not great, but I think the goal was good to reveal the character of the team.”

Up by 12, the Cougs watched the clock tick down and soaked in an opening-day blowout win. Even with the dominant performance, Lupinacci saw plenty of room for improvement.

“Can never be too sure; it’s the beginning of the season for everyone,” he said. “We got an early start, and we’ve been practicing… There were a lot of breakdowns and things we saw to work on.”

The Cougs start the year 1-0 and will be back on the ice next weekend. WSU takes on the University of Montana on Friday Sept. 18 and Gonzaga on Sept. 19, both at the Eastern Washington Rec Center.