(Photo: Allyson Cummings/WCSN)
After much deliberation, Arizona State hockey released its official Division I roster on Friday.
Fifteen new names will be making their way onto the ice this season.
The biggest addition has to be that of forward Sean Murphy. He scored two goals during the Maroon and Gold Scrimmage, paired with captain Colin Hekle and forward Faiz Khan.
Last season, Hekle and Khan were part of the “golden line” with graduated senior Dan Styrna. The three wreaked havoc on the ACHA with 122 combined points last season.
Murphy is certainly a strong contender to fill those shoes and contribute with his skill set and winning mentality.
On the defensive side of things, four new names are printed across the roster along with former forward Brett Prechel, who played in only two games last season due to injury.
Defenseman Ryan Clark’s graduation was a huge loss for ASU. Clark contributed significantly on offense with 28 points on the season. He also had the winning goal in the postseason against Illinois, sending the Sun Devils to the semifinals in last year’s national tournament.
Jarrod Levos, who has only played one official year as a defenseman, is excited to provide for the team and show his offensive skills as well. Drew Newmeyer is another newcomer with a simple-yet-effective game that will pair nicely with many of the other Sun Devil defensemen.
Goaltender Joe D’Elia, who finished last season with a .910 save percentage, was the starting goalie all of last year, and was great during ASU’s victory over NCAA D1 Penn State.
This season, goaltenders Robert Levin and Lucas Felbel can also be seen in the net for the maroon and gold. Levin was offered to play for a couple of NCAA Division 1 programs, but decided to come to Arizona State instead.
Felbel, who had a fantastic outing at the maroon and gold scrimmage, was able to make crucial saves and will be a very solid asset to the team’s depth at the position.
ASU’s season-opener will be on Sept. 20 against San Diego State University at Oceanside Ice Arena. That game can be seen live right here on cronkitesports.com.
