(Photo: Riley Trujillo/WCSN)
As most freshmen do, Arizona State forward Demetrios Koumontzis has experienced the typical ups and downs of a rookie collegiate season. For most of his time on the ice, he’s put up zeros in the box score. Ohio State and Alabama-Huntsville shut him down in back-to-back series. A stretch soon after that saw Koumontzis go pointless in six straight games, when Penn State, Michigan State and Harvard blanked the forward. The same thing happened in games just before (Colorado College), after (Boston College) and during the Desert Hockey Classic around the turn of the year.
“It’s such a high jump from high school hockey to Division-1 hockey espicially against the teams that we play,” Arizona State coach Greg Powers said of Koumontzis, who bypassed junior hockey by coming straight to ASU after graduation. “So we knew we were going to have to work with him and break some of the high school habits that he still had without the luxury of going and playing a couple years of junior hockey, which everybody else has.”
But the winger has had offensive explosions against Nebraska-Omaha at home and on the road, and has lately come on just in time for ASU’s regular-season finale at Minnesota and likely NCAA Tournament voyage.
But for Koumontzis, heading to the State of Hockey – a place known for its illustriously packed high school tournaments, the talent it produces on the ice, and the quality of its teams – is in a way even more special. It is his second home.
“It’s a big deal for me, and for our team,” said Koumontzis, who played for Edina High just outside of Minneapolis as a senior, was a finalist for Mr. Hockey in the state last season, and knows many of the players on the Golden Gophers squad.
From Scottsdale originally, Koumontzis was an Arizona kid. Growing up in a non-hockey-centric area like the Valley of the Sun made Minnesota appeal, but once his talent and options improved throughout his junior and high school career, it made the Desert a place Koumontzis wanted to return to.
“Hearing that they [ASU] got a D-1 program, I was like ‘Wow, that’d be awesome to be home and be a part of that,'” he said earlier this year.
Despite the highs and lows he’s experienced this season, that decision has seemed like it has paid off. Koumontzis has a high profile among the roster; he’s a Calgary Flames draft pick and has earned Powers’ praise all season.
“We’ve always known he’s a special player,” Powers said.
That praise is starting to come to light. Koumontzis has eight points in his last three games dating back to the series-finale at RIT in Rochester earlier this month, scoring a goal in each and adding at least one assist every night.
“I built up a lot of confidence over at RIT and it just stuck with,” he said. “I went through a little stretch there where I wasn’t producing as much. It was kind of hard, but I just stuck with it.
Powers has seen the difference as well.
“Now he’s playing with more detail and better habits,” Powers said. “He’s getting it.”
Against RIT, Koumontzis attempted to fire a puck into the net from the corner. It struck a Tiger’s skate and ricochetted across the goal line, giving the freshman his first goal since the one he scored in October.
The bye week didn’t slow him down. Against American International last weekend, the freshman totaled two goals and four assists. Friday night, Koumontzis found himself in the right spot at the right time, receiving a pass in front of the net from fellow freshman defenseman Joshua Maniscalco and putting it in to give ASU the lead.
The next night, Koumontzis really impressed, making two slick passes (one of which he was credited the goal for) in ASU’s rise-and-fall win. The first was a dish right in front of the net to another freshman in PJ Marrocco, and the second a ridiculous spin-o-rama shot from the corner that somehow ended up in the net.
After that win, Powers described Koumontzis the same way.
“He’s a special player.”
If that specialness keeps showing up, ASU could have a new weapon for its impending postseason run. There’s no better place for Koumontzis to keep that going than where the Devils are headed next week.
“Hopefully it stays with me when we go up there,” Koumontzis said.
