Photo: Kylee Meter/WCSN
The annual Battle League Tournament has been an Arizona State hockey tradition since before the Sun Devils joined the NCAA ranks.
For two weeks every fall, the team is divided into split squads and plays a grueling round-robin style tournament for the right to hoist the coveted Tillman Trophy.
The tournament, like so many elements of ASU’s hockey culture, is the brainchild of head coach Greg Powers, who wanted to devise a fun way for his players to get back into game shape while building team chemistry.
“Every year I’ve coached, I’ve done it,” Powers said. “We add more trinkets to it and get creative in fun, different ways.”
A multitude of changes has been made to the structure of the tournament this year with the team facing a set of unique circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Traditionally a two-team affair, the Battle League field was expanded to four smaller teams — including a squad made up entirely of freshmen — this year to ensure the safety of the players.
“It’s something that we were forced into doing because of COVID and needing to put teams together based on living situations,” Powers said. “They all live together on campus in the dorms so we put them on the same team and it’s ended up working really well.”
This year also marks the first time that games were played 3-on-3, partly to prepare the team for the NCAA’s new 3-on-3 overtime format and partly due to social distancing measures on the ice.
“I really feel like we’re in game shape right now,” ASU sophomore defenseman Jacob Semik said. “We’ve been playing 3-on-3 for two weeks, which is a lot harder than 5-on-5. I think it’s really helped us get in shape and prepare for the games and that’s what the coaches want.”
Battle League has always been a crucial part of ASU’s preparations for its seasons, though this year, the tournament’s importance is escalated due to the long offseason and number of new players on the team.
For transfers like maroon team senior forward Sean Dhooghe, the Battle League presents an opportunity to get acclimated to the dressing room and develop chemistry with new teammates.
“It’s been super helpful,” Dhooghe said. “The locker room has been great and it’s really been a good bonding time for everybody, to compete their hardest and get that going yet leave that on the ice and get back to being as close as we are in the room.”
Dhooghe, who spent the last three years as a member of the Wisconsin Badgers before making the move to ASU for his senior year, wasted no time making a name for himself in Battle League play. He leads the tournament in assists heading into the championship game, where his maroon team will face off against Semik’s grey team in what should be a high-scoring battle for the Tillman Trophy.
For seniors like Dhooghe and grey team forward Johnny Walker, it will be their last chance to etch their names into the ASU record books as Tillman Trophy winners, an honor that comes with serious bragging rights.
“It’s a big deal,” Dhooghe said. “The last two weeks all I’ve been hearing about is who won it this year and who won it that year and guys making fun of guys who come close each time but just can’t do it. It’s meaningful.”
