Arizona State hockey rides into the weekend having won five of their last six games – the loss coming against No. 8 ranked Clarkson in overtime last Friday.
The Sun Devils opponent this weekend isn’t as fearsome as their previous one. The Robert Morris Colonials are in Tempe for a two-game set. Here are some key facts and stats about ASU’s opponent:
- Robert Morris’ record coming into the series is 9-12-3. The team had an unexpectedly hot start to the season, but in recent weeks have struggled, going just 2-8-3 in their last 13 games.
- The reason for the struggles could be because of their offense, which ranks 49th out of 60 Division 1 teams in goals scored on the season. The Colonials are just above average in shots on net per game (34th overall).
- When Robert Morris does score, it can come from anyone. While junior forward Nick Prkusic leads the team in goals scored with seven, senior forward Jacob Coleman is right on his tail with six, and three other Colonials have five goals a piece.
- The assist leaderboard is stacked similarly. Prkusic is at the top with nine, but he’s joined by senior defenseman Alex Robert. Two Colonials have eight assists each, and three have six.
- The biggest strength of Robert Morris has been their goaltending. Senior Justin Kapelmaster has been superior in the net this year with a 2.42 GAA and 93.3 percent save percentage; the eighth best in the country.
- Kapelmaster’s performance is even more impressive considering the pressure he’s faced. The Colonials give up the third most shots in the country among D1 teams. Yet, Robert Morris is just 32nd in goals allowed.
- The Colonials rank No. 18 overall in penalty kill percentage with a 84.1 percent clip. The team just ahead of them? Arizona State, with a 84.2 percentage.
- ASU is expected to be without sophomore forward Demetrios Koumontzis, junior defenseman Jacob Wilson and senior forward Steen Pasichnuk for this weekend’s series. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m. at Oceanside Ice Arena.
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