ASU Men’s Hockey: Expectations high in 2021-22 following lost season

(Photo: Cierra Luna/WCSN)

Arizona State Men’s Hockey is preparing for a bounce-back year in its final season playing at Oceanside Ice Arena. It will be a bittersweet ending to the place where the program grew up.

“We will miss [Oceanside],” head coach Greg Powers said. “It’s been our home. It’s what we know. We’ve been able to build a program out of this place.”

The Sun Devils are anticipating a ride similar to what some on ASU’s roster just experienced in their own homes: leaving a place they know by heart for a place large and unfamiliar in college. Like a senior who finally sucked up enough courage to ask their freshmen crush on a date or to prom, the Sun Devils hope to finally conquer the task of bringing home their first ever National Championship in 2022.

“[We want to] make a big splash,” freshman forward Josh Doan said.

Junior defensemen Jacob Semik is all hands on deck when it comes to embracing ASU’s last season at Oceanside, all while getting the big job done.

“It’s national championship or bust,” Semik said. “There’s unfinished business [at Oceanside].”

Semik’s huge goal could become a reality at the hands of Powers’ detail and preparation at practice.

“You do [the work] in practice,” Powers said. “The pace, and the habits, and the detail. You have to be demanding as a coach.”

Powers’ concentrated efforts toward precision and hard work have seemingly paid off early in the season too.

“We have not had a bad practice or poor practice yet, or bad pace,” Powers said.

Powers’ first goal is for the Sun Devils to get a good start to the season, and the early returns in practice seemingly have that looking likely for ASU.

“We’ve really only had, in the history of our program, one good start and it was the year we made the tournament, Powers said.

“The schedule is tough. The teams we’re playing are tough, but again, we’re confident against anyone in this building.”

The Sun Devils hope to embrace that mentality and have a start similar to 2018-19 to this year against UMass Lowell. Opening the season at Oceanside against a ranked opponent will be far from easy, but Powers and the Sun Devils are sticking to familiar term ahead of the season.

“We’re focused on one game at a time,” Powers said.