ASU Hockey: Offensive issues doom Sun Devils in collapse to Mercyhurst

Photo: Sun Devil Athletics

Not much went right for Arizona State’s men’s hockey team in their season-opener against Mercyhurst Saturday night.

The Sun Devils were sloppy offensively. They didn’t possess the puck hardly at all in the first period but escaped with a 1-1 tie despite firing just four shots. Sophomore goaltender Evan DeBrouwer gave up an early goal to senior forward James Anderson. Passes were fired like missiles down the ice but were bobbled, leading to players flying into the net four times in the second period.

It looked like it wouldn’t matter, as ASU was up 2-1 with 3:09 left in the game. But the Lakers scored two goals, including the game-winner with just 18 seconds left to win 3-2.

“You gotta learn from that,” head coach Greg Powers said. “Getting off to a slow start ended up dooming us.”

Getting good shots rather than just getting shots was the issue that plagued ASU most the game. Rarely was the puck set up at the blue line by the team’s defensemen or centers. There was little craft or beauty in passes. Most shots were sizzling one-timers. Quick rushes or a Johnny Walker breakaway garnered the team’s only real scoring opportunities early in the game.

Instead, bodies flew into the net, so much so that holes had to be re-drilled in the ice with 2:45 left in the second period.

“That’s frustrating obviously, when you have odd man rush after odd man rush and the net keeps coming off. It is what it is,” Powers said.

The second period did see an upgrade in the quality of offense. ASU got 10 shots on net compared to the Lakers’ eight. They possessed the puck for longer stints. But not once did it end up in the net.

“They outworked us there for the first 15 minutes and then we started to find our legs and play our brand of hockey in the last two periods,” Powers said.

The third period was similar to the second. A power play with 13 minutes left in the game generated what was maybe ASU’s best offensive possession of the night. The unit led by Jordan Sandhu, Logan Jenuwine and Brinson Paschinuk put some of the most intense pressure Lakers goaltender and Anaheim Ducks draft pick Garrett Metcalf saw all night. As soon as full strength to the Lakers was granted, Paschinuk struck from the blue line with one of his classic dance-and-shoot goals. It was the breakthrough goal ASU needed so desperately.

“We were really good in the last two periods,” Powers said. “We were really good in the third.”

Mercyhurst played with intense aggression. They got sticks in the way of many passes. They thumped ASU on the boards and played bigger. Their defense, possibly their biggest weakness last season, kept them in the game until Paschinuk snuck one in.

“Our guys were more than prepared,” Powers said. “We felt really good about how we prepared them. I think we just got outworked. That team was really excited to be on the ice.”

The last two periods represented huge progression from the Sun Devils. Powers said he believed they were the better team over the course of 60 minutes. But ASU’s kryptonite Saturday had other ideas.

“We just didn’t put the puck in the net. It’s that simple,” Powers said.