(Photo: Kylee Meter/WCSN)
Arizona State hockey will return to the icy cold winter of Michigan this weekend for its final series of the season.
The Sun Devils will face-off at Yost Ice Arena with the Michigan Wolverines.
Arizona State is looking to finish its season strong coming off a series-split with Michigan Tech last weekend. The series concluded with an altercation involving both teams, including Michigan Tech coach Joe Shawhan and ASU coach Greg Powers. It also resulted in a game disqualification for ASU assistant captain Anthony Croston, who won’t be allowed to play in this Friday’s game.
“That will be a big hole for us,” Powers said. “Obviously he’s on both special teams and gets a ton of ice. He’s a go-to guy so we’re going to miss Anthony.”
The Wolverines have had an impressive run since the start of the new year. The team started off being swept by Notre Dame in January and flipped the results in their second run-in with the Fighting Irish last weekend, sweeping the top NCAA team. The Saturday night shutout marked sophomore goaltender Hayden Lavigne’s third of the season.
Following the sweep, Michigan was named CollegeHockeyNews.com’s team of the week.
Since the start of the new year, freshmen have led both teams in most goals scored. For Arizona State, Johnny Walker leads the team with 13, nine of which have come since January 1. For Michigan, Jack Becker has scored all seven of his goals since the start of 2018.
“They’re playing their best hockey of the year right now,” Powers said. “Must-win situations for them, obviously. If they get two, they’re gonna solidify their tickets to the NCAA tournament so we’re going to have our work cut out for us. Like I just told the guys, it’s going to be an unbelievable opportunity for us to go into arguably one of the best venues, if not the best venue in college hockey at Yost (Ice Arena) against a really, really talented team and see where the chips fall. We’re gonna give it our best and our guys are going to leave everything out there.”
The concluding of the regular season marks the second clash for the Sun Devils and Wolverines. The first run-in was last season in which Michigan reigned supreme, with Arizona State’s lone goal coming from Joe Lappin.
The series will also mark the final games for both senior David Norris and graduate student Gage Hough.
“I told Norris he’s old enough to check into an old-folks home,” Powers said.
First puck drop will be Friday night at 4:30 p.m. MST.
