ASU Men’s Hockey: Returning Sun Devils hope to change fate against Bobcats

(Photo: Pac-12 Network)

Senior captain Brinson Pasichnuk struggled to put the words together.

Peppered with questions about last year’s NCAA tournament loss to Quinnipiac, Pasichnuk stood among the media scrum and attempted to recoup his thoughts.

“It was a heartbreaking…” he began before pausing. It wasn’t the last time he did so while answering.

“It was heartbreaking losing to them by a goal,” Pasichnuk said before halting slightly again, then slowing his somber words. “With a crossbar and a post.”

Pasichnuk remembered every detail.

“You don’t forget about stuff like that,” he said.

The emotion Pasichnuk showed is buried within every member of the Arizona State men’s hockey team as they approach this weekend’s rematch with the No. 9 ranked Bobcats.

“It stuck all summer,” sophomore defenseman Jarrod Gourley said. “It just sucked… for the year we had leading to the tournament. It still stings and its something we haven’t forgot about.”

Gourley’s five minute major penalty toward the end of April’s game might be remembered as one of the most prominent plays of the contest. Down 2-1 with 3:44 left, Gourley was issued a game misconduct for checking then-junior forward Nick Jermain from behind, ending his night and ASU’s realistic chances of winning the game just as the Sun Devils had started to find an offensive stroke. A Paschinuk goal before the penalty made things within reach and generated momentum. The inability to finish off that late push still haunts him.

“It sucks, I mean, [I’m] so heartbroken from last year,” Pasichnuk said. “It was the best year this program ever had and we were this close to making it that much more special and these guys took it from us.”

Head Coach Greg Powers sympathized with his squad.

“I think I’d be lying if I told you it wasn’t on our mind,” he said.

But the loss has its positives: it serves as motivation, and around Oceanside Ice Arena this week, there’s no lack of that.

“I shouldn’t have to,” Powers said of motivating his players. “They knocked us out last year. They outplayed us. They deserved to win that game. And hopefully the guys that were here remember that and use it as fuel to the fire.”

The fire is ready to ignite according to Pasichnuk, Gourley and others.

“We’re looking forward to revenge,” Pasichnuk said.

Despite his emotion, he’s getting over that season-ending loss.

“I think you move on from last year, but when you’re playing a team like Quinnipiac that ended your season last year, I think it definitely brings back a lot of memories and it’s just motivation now,” Pasichnuk said.

The length to which that motivation goes cannot be understated. It’s made Pasichnuk’s job of leading the team and making sure focus is pristine easy.

“I don’t think I have to do much,” the senior captain said of his leadership this week. “At all. The guys in the locker room know how to motivate themselves for any game, nevertheless the team that ended our season last year. I don’t think I have to do anything.”

The rest of the roster agrees. There’s no lack of focus or motivation this week.

“You can tell in practice everyone is just sharper and more dialed in,” Gourley said. “It’s more than just two regular season games right now for us. We’re playing for pride and are trying to get back for what happened last year.”

Sophomore goaltender Evan DeBrouwer, who didn’t play in April’s contest but watched former goalie Joey Daccord lose his final collegiate start in it, will be making his sixth career start in the first game of the rematch Friday night.

“No, not at all,” DeBrouwer said of coaches having to motivate. “I think we’re chomping at the bit to get to this one. Everyone is pretty excited.”

Demetrios Koumontzis saw his freshman campaign end with the Quinnipiac loss, and like everyone else, knows how huge of a matchup it is for the ASU program.

“Coach Powers has been talking about it a lot; that this game is going to mean a lot more to everyone,” he said. “It’s definitely going to be a big game for us.

“This one will mean a little bit more.”