What a way to start off the season.
The Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0) began their season in thrilling fashion with a last-second win over the Weber State Wildcats (0-1).
In a game with huge momentum shifts, it looked like Weber State was going to pull away after scoring three goals in a two-minute span to open the second period. But ASU would not quit, and slowly but surely clawed its way back into the game and capped it with a goal in the final seconds.
“We had a good first period, we came out ready to go, and in the second period we just kind of fell off,” head coach Tait Green said. “There was that five-six minute in the beginning where we didn’t have the energy, we were undisciplined, started taking penalties, things got out of control. After the second period, then we obviously regrouped a little bit, changed a couple little dynamics, and guys brought the energy back.
“It’s a beautiful thing, for the first game of the season to have guys that battle back like that and didn’t quit,” Green added. “We very easily could have folded up shop there in the second period when things weren’t going our way, but resiliency is a great word for it, very happy with the way the guys came through.”
The Sun Devils built an early lead against the Wildcats in the first period. Forward Scott Farr began the scoring with a close range goal at 12:38 in the first. But Weber State bounced right back, as Ian Hobbs scored at the 8:44 mark to tie the game at one.
However the period would not end in a tie thanks to Sean Wilks finding Marcus Velasco on the right side of the net, allowing Velasco to sneak the puck into the top-left corner of the net, giving ASU a 2-1 lead with 1:38 in the first.
The first few minutes of the second period were not kind to Sun Devil goalie Ryan Seltenreich. He allowed three early goals to Hobbs (19:42), Dakota Fox (19:11), and Troy Quarnberg (18:27), quickly giving Weber State a 4-2 lead.
But less than a minute later, ASU forward Jake Savona cut the Wildcats lead to 4-3 with 17:52 remaining in the second period.
Although the score was the same for the rest of the period, the physicality amped up, with numerous scuffles and multiple penalties for both sides.
The Sun Devils had their chances to score early in the third and after many missed opportunities Mike Cullen poked the puck into the back of the net to tie the game at four goals apiece with 13:29 remaining in the period.
ASU continued to control the pace throughout the rest of the third period and really grabbed the momentum when Phillip Jennrich of Weber State was sent to the penalty box for interference with 2:43 on the clock.
From there, the Sun Devils went to the offensive, and finally broke the tie with a goal from Nate Kiven with 15:5 seconds remaining, clinching the game for ASU.
“I was coming in high, we had a guy driving the net, and it looked like that’s where we were going to go with the pass and then he just let it go, got it on my stick and I was like, ‘Oh I guess I’ve got to shoot it now,’ and the rest is history,” Nate Kiven said.
Jake Savona, who assisted Kiven on the game-winning goal had nothing but praise for his teammates after the game.
“As a team I think we worked really hard,” Savona said. “I was just working as hard as I can and I think our goalie [Seltenreich] played really well and I think that we all played as a team and it was the first game of the season, and I think that we each came out and played Sun Devil hockey and I think it was a good start to the season.”
The next game for Arizona State D2 Maroon will be at the Arizona Redhawks Friday at 7 p.m.
