ASU Hockey: Sun Devils take on Mercyhurst to open 2019-20 season

Photo: Kylee Meter/WCSN

When Arizona State’s men’s hockey team takes the ice against Mercyhurst on Saturday night in their season and home opener, it will feel a lot like one year ago.

The Sun Devils were about to take on Alaska-Fairbanks, a program that hadn’t been very successful in recent history and had just lost their best player in Zach Fyre.

Mercyhurst is very similar. The Lakers have struggled in recent years despite a No.1 finish in their regular season conference standings in 2017-18 (That 21-12-4 year didn’t even see them win their own conference tournament and miss the NCAA one). They not only lost their best player, but their top four point-scorers from last season to graduation or the NHL.

But things also aren’t like a year ago for the Sun Devils. That opening-weekend blanketing of Alaska-Fairbanks kicked off one of sports’ biggest upset seasons ever. ASU had its best season ever since going Division-1, and even made the NCAA Tournament.

Now there are expectations set. High ones. And they’re expected to be met right away. That starts Saturday night against Mercyhurst for the Sun Devils.

“We’re ready,” head coach Greg Powers said. “It feels like our games in China were last season. The guys are chomping at the bit to get into action and kick off the season.”

The Lakers don’t have a lot left after losing so much talent. Sophomore Dalton Hunter is a notable returner; the freshman forward had 24 points last season, the most out of any returner to the program. Sophomore Steven Ipri and senior James Anderson follow behind him; Anderson is a small (5-9, 168 pounds) but mighty force with his playmaking (13 assists compared to eight goals last season).

“They’re a little younger,” Powers said. “They lost nine seniors. They have 11 freshman, which sometimes is dangerous. They’re a younger team this year but have a ton of experience behind their bench.”

Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin is one of the longest tenured coaches in all of college hockey. If his new offense struggles to develop and find the net in their opening series, hope could rest in their goalies.

The Lakers allowed the fourth-most goals in college hockey last year, but that number is hardly blamed on who was in net. Mercyhurst split time between Stefano Cantali and Garrett Metcalf last season. The two had GAAs of 3.12 and 3.28 last season respectively, numbers that are quite low considering how many goals the team gave up. But most of that can be blamed on the defense. Mercyhurst gave up 1,311 shots throughout 2018-19, the fourth-most in the country. The defense also had the seventh-worst penally kill as well.

ASU has questions on the defensive end too though, most of which reside in the net.

Powers has declined to name a starting goaltender for Saturday’s matchup, but said the decision has been made internally that “You’ll find out Saturday” who the starter is.

Max Prawdzik’s name has been floated most, but freshman Justin Robbins comes in with good numbers in the junior leagues, while Evan DeBrouwer is the most familiar face to the program, as he spent practically all of last season backing up Joey Daccord.

Powers thinks that whoever is in the net will face a flurry from the offense.

“That’s the danger of playing a young team. They don’t know any better. They just come out and play,” he said.

The Lakers will be playing the 20th ranked team in the country, as USCHO’s Poll came out earlier this week.

“I saw that yesterday and I was surprised,” Powers said of the honor. “We believe in ourselves. It’s great to be honored and respected but at the end of the day that doesn’t mean anything.”

Whether the Sun Devils see it as an insult or an honor to be ranked, one thing is for sure. The thinking from last year to this year hasn’t changed.

“We’re going to be prepared for them just like we would anybody else,” Powers said.