JAMES ANDERSON / Scroll
Highlights from the men’s championship game Nov. 11 between the Hawks and Hurricanes. Both teams battled the snow (pictured above) but the Hurricanes came away with the win.

Outscoring the Hawks 3-2, BYU-Idaho’s own “orange machine,” as they call themselves, took home the title despite frigid conditions.

“I felt like I was playing [in] Russia,” said Jones F. Dias, Jr., a freshman from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Hurricanes scored twice during regular playtime, including a goal by Craig Tanner, a freshman from Salt Lake City, just minutes before the end of the game bringing the Hurricanes to a 2-1 lead.

But the Hawks answered Tanner’s goal with a goal off the post, tying the score at 2-2 and taking it into overtime. Only the Hurricanes scored after that, holding off the Hawks and winning 3-2.

The sudden snowstorm just after halftime changed the pattern of play.

“It changed the whole environment. … When the snow started kicking in, it made it more of a technical game. You had to use dribbling and passing more to make your advances down the field,” said Ryley Shaum, a freshman from Rexburg.

Earlier in the season, the Hurricanes had lost to all three teams they later beat in the playoffs, including the Hawks. Dias said his team’s positive attitude was a key factor in their success.

“We didn’t have pressure on us. If we didn’t win, it was fine. We played for fun, with our heart. I think that’s why we won,” Dias said.

Shaum said the friendships he made on his team not only made his experience more rich but also contributed to their victory.

“First and foremost we became a lot better friends from it. I’m pretty sure that was a key thing for us,” Shaum said.