(Photo:Brooke Faber/WCSN)
After a string of one-sided victories, Arizona State faced its first test of the season against an intense Utah State Aggie team.
The Utah State Aggies came out of the gate extremely aggressive, an(d set the tone for a very physical first period. However, after nine scoreless minutes, Jordan LeClair was able to put the Sun Devils on the board with a nice ricochet put-back goal.
Two minutes later, Daniel Gowans would find John Randall for the easy wrist-shot goal in front of the net, giving the Devils even more breathing room with a 2-0 lead.
The margin would then continue to grow in the first, after yet another shot found the back of the net off of a Liam Pues slap shot.
Arizona State was able to dominate on defense in the period holding Utah State’s total shot count to only four.
The second period remained very physical, and the Aggies continued to try and dictate the tempo of the contest. Utah State was finally able to get on the board five minutes into the period after Cooper Limb was able to net the puck off of a Michael Trimboli assist.
The Devils were then dealt a loss about halfway through the second period when defenseman Daniel Kuenzi sustained an AC Joint separation in his shoulder after being on the wrong side of a five-minute major boarding penalty charged to Utah State left-wing Cooper Limb.
Arizona State then took advantage of the four- five advantage when Jason Kuta was able to score a goal of his own with five minutes remaining in the period.
Arizona State didn’t let up through the third period, and kept its food on the gas all the way to a 5-2 victory, the team’s seventh of the season.
The Devils will look to keep the momentum going into tomorrow as they take on the Aggies once more, the final game in this two-game series at Oceanside Ice Arena.
