(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
TEMPE – With 14 minutes remaining in the game and Arizona State being down by two goals, freshman defenseman Justin Kipkie skated into the offensive zone. Having a man advantage, Kipkie found a window to shoot, as the puck found its way past former ASU graduate goaltender Gibson Homer to ignite Mullett Arena with noise.
However, only 52 seconds later, the sound of the puck hitting the Nylon struck again. This time, it was North Dakota’s senior forward Dylan James, who was there to tuck it past Hasley on the back door. All the energy in Mullett was gone, and it stayed that way as ASU(12-12-1, 5-7-1 NCHC) was defeated 7-4 by No. 4 North Dakota(19-6-0, 11-4-0 NCHC).
“It was a fun hockey game,” head coach Greg Powers said, “It was back and forth, and I think we did by and large a lot of really good things. If you score four goals at home against that team, you have to find a way to win. At the end of the day, we were really bad at our net front. Our defense just didn’t protect it, and they left [senior goaltender Connor Hasley] out to dry. That’s why we lost the game.”
The Sun Devils started the game strong, with two breakaway chances in the first five minutes of action. That momentum wasn’t long-lived, though, as ASU found themselves in a two-goal deficit by the end of the first period.
“I thought the first five minutes we were really good,” Powers said, “Then we gave that one, we had a bad play on the wall, and then they beat us in front. On the second one, we completely abandoned the net front. Two of our defensemen didn’t even know [Ellis Rickwood] was behind them. Then, it happened again on their fifth goal. So, we give up three really easy ones against a team that good, it’s going to be really tough.”
ASU’s defensive lapses at inopportune moments came from reliable defensemen, as sophomore defenseman Brasen Boser recorded a minus-four goal differential on the night, while sophomore defenseman Joel Kjellberg was at a minus-three goal difference. Boser and Kjellberg have proven to be defensemen whom Powers can count on to lead the Sun Devils’ defensive core, but Friday night, they weren’t there for them in a game where the team gave up seven goals.
“The guys who made them, it’s completely uncharacteristic,” Powers said, “The guys that made those tonight haven’t made them all year, so I don’t know. I can’t explain why they just abandoned it. We preach it. [Assistant coaches Dana Borges and Mike Corbett] run our D core; you start there. It’s just hockey 101.”
Even with the Sun Devils’ poor defensive play and missing sophomore forward Cullen Potter, they were able to create chances at the other end of the ice. ASU outshot the Fighting Hawks 34-33 and put four goals past Homer. In his first game back at Mullett Arena after spending three years with the Maroon and Gold, he was met with a sea of boos each time he touched the puck, but his 30-save performance, along with a win, saw him get the last laugh.
Friday’s loss is the first time the Sun Devils have lost this season when scoring four goals or more, due to Homer making some crucial saves, including a one-on-one with Kyle Smolen.
“[Homer] was really good,” Powers said, “He made some big saves. He did what he had to do to get them the win. I know he’s probably feeling pretty good about it, but he made some really good saves. He was sharp tonight. At the end of the day, we still put four on him. We put four on the board, and that has to be good enough against arguably the best team in the country.”
In a game that felt like playoff hockey, with a fast pace and chances on both ends, the team that made fewer mistakes was able to come away victorious. While ASU created good chances, the talent of North Dakota players, such as freshman forward and Boston Bruins prospect Will Zellers, who bagged two goals on the night, was on full display.
“They were more opportunistic,” Powers said, “They make you pay. You make mistakes, they’re so good. They have four lines that can play.”
As the game progressed into the later stages, the physicality of the NCHC was evident. Late in the third period, freshman forward Sam Alfano took a hit to the head in the offensive zone, which was not called on the ice, but eventually upgraded to a major penalty. Alfano’s linemates, sophomore forwards Noah Powell and Logan Morrell, were there to defend him, leading to a scuffle that cost the Sun Devils an opportunity to have a five-minute power play.
“[The Alfano line] did a lot of great things,” Powers said, “I hate the retaliation that [Alfano] had. Shame on the refs for not calling it live and missing that. There are 5,100 people, plus our team, who saw head contact live. Then the melee behind the net happens. It doesn’t excuse the retaliation. But, it cost us a five-minute power play.”
The conflict between players had Powers not only in a battle with his players’ defensive performance, but also with the officials. Because the fight led to offsetting penalties, ending a chance for a five-minute power play, Powers challenged for a facemask major with his team already down three goals. While the replay appeared to show the North Dakota defenseman grab Powell’s facemask, the review upheld the no-call.
“It was a facemask,” Powers said, “They said he grabbed it but didn’t twist it hard enough. I don’t know. Riddle me that.”
Friday’s game was ASU’s eighth loss on a Friday this season, signifying the reason for the Sun Devils not being more than a game over .500 all season long. The positive for the Sun Devils is that they have won four games after losing game one this season, including in November against North Dakota.
“They’re a tough team to beat,” Powers said, “There’s a reason why they’re ranked, and they are 19-6. We believe we can beat this team. We’ve done it already this year. We did it in the back half of the series up there. Now we are faced with having to do it this weekend to get three points.”
The loss moves the Sun Devils down to No. 25 in the NCAA Percentage Index, about 10 spots outside an NCAA tournament spot. ASU has a chance to save its tournament chance on Saturday as game two against North Dakota kicks off at 5 p.m. MST.
“There’s no other option,” Smolen said, “This is our season at this point. We have to. If that’s not enough to get you out of bed, then I don’t know what it is.”
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