(Photo via Marlee Smith/WCSN)
Up 1-0 early in the second period, Arizona State men’s hockey (0-2) looked primed to avenge Saturday’s overtime loss against the No. 5 ranked Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (2-0), but unfortunately for the Sun Devils, the Bulldogs had other ideas.
Minnesota-Duluth notched the final four goals of the game – highlighted by a pair of scores from freshman forward Ben Steeves – en route to a decisive 4-1 victory on Sunday evening.
Aside from a Steeves drive that hit the post just 35 seconds in, ASU offense had all the momentum out of the gate, registering six of the game’s first seven shots. After UMD freshman defenseman Aiden Dubinsky was sent to the box for hooking at the 16:03 mark of the opening period, the Sun Devils had a golden opportunity to take the lead.
However, ASU didn’t have the powerplay it hoped for, mustering a single shot on goal during that two-minute span. This foreshadowed the rest of the game, as the Sun Devils went a combined 0-3 on the man-advantage Sunday.
Later in the first period, the Bulldogs’ offense came to life, as they ended the frame outshooting the Sun Devils 13-12. UMD almost scored the game’s opening goal with under four minutes to play, but sophomore forward Dominic James fired a rebound off the pipe, keeping the contest scoreless heading into the first intermission.
ASU broke the scoreless tie two minutes and 17 seconds into the second period when graduate forward Demetrios Kuomontzis put a rebound past a lunging UMD senior goaltender Matthew Thiessen. Graduate forward Chris Grando and sophomore defenseman Ethan Szmagaj picked up assists on the goal.
Junior forward Luke Mylymok would get the equalizer for the Bulldogs three minutes and 51 seconds later, receiving a cross-crease pass from Cole Spicer and tapping the puck across the goal line.
UMD took the lead on the man-advantage with five minutes and 37 seconds left in the middle period. Steeves carried the puck into the Sun Devil zone, glided to the top of the right faceoff circle and fired a wrister that beat sophomore goaltender T.J. Semptimphelter.
The Bulldogs’ forward struck again just 57 seconds later, as he caught a pass from sophomore forward Carter Loney before rifling home a close-range shot.
While the Sun Devils trailed by a pair of goals after two periods of play, there was still hope for a comeback during the third. However, these hopes were dashed eleven minutes and 29 seconds into the final frame when sophomore defenseman Owen Gellatin netted UMD’s second powerplay goal of the game to give his squad a three-goal lead.
Neither team would score for the remainder of the game, as the Bulldogs held off ASU to secure a 4-1 victory.
ASU will try to earn its first victory of the season on the road Friday, at 5:07 p.m. MST on Oct. 7 against the Bemidji State Beavers.
