Another defensive stalemate took place in Marquette, Michigan Saturday evening between ASU and Northern Michigan, with neither team budging until the final minutes of the game.
Things were looking eerily similar to the night before, when ASU barely edged out a 3-1 victory despite outshooting Northern Michigan 37-16. ASU controlled the time of possession battle for most of the game Saturday, outshooting Northern Michigan 38-22 while also rattling off 74 total shot attempts.
Yet both goaltenders refused to give in an inch to the other side and the game remained scoreless until senior forward Ryan Kirwan’s power-play goal with just under four minutes remaining in the game. Kirwan then tacked on an empty-net goal for good measure with 48 seconds left to seal the deal, giving ASU (3-4-1) a 2-0 win and a much needed sweep over Northern Michigan (1-5).
Despite generating 74 total shot attempts and 38 shots on goal, ASU sometimes struggled to generate high danger scoring chances throughout the game. Northern Michigan’s defense played tight and limited ASU’s ability to generate scoring chances from the slot, leaving most of the shot attempts from the perimeter. Senior goaltender Ryan Ouellette was solid for the Wildcats, stopping 36 of 37 shots he faced.
On the other end of the ice, ASU junior goaltender Gibson Homer pitched his first shutout of the season, stopping all 22 shots faced. Although Homer was on his game, his defense in front of him did not really give him a reason to sweat, with 14 shots on goal in the second period as the most he faced in any period. Homer saw five shots in the first and only three in the final frame.
Special teams proved to be the difference in this game, as Northern Michigan gave ASU five opportunities on the power play whereas ASU was only short handed twice. ASU was able to generate quality scoring chances on the power plays, but didn’t convert until the final power play.
The final power play for ASU came with 4:20 left in the third period with the score still 0-0, but junior forward Bennett Schimek sent a cross-ice pass to Kirwan, who drilled the one-timer into the back of the net to break the scoreless tie for the game-winner.
ASU completed their first sweep of the season and it came at just the right time as the next time they hit the ice, it will be conference play in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. ASU has struggled out of the gate so far this season as they have faced ranked opponents such as No. 10 Michigan and No. 13 Providence, so getting back on track with a sweep could be huge for the team heading into conference play.
ASU will have the next weekend off from games and will return with NCHC action at No. 9 Colorado College at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8.
