(Photo – Joey Plishka)
Oct. 14, 2022 is a day that will forever live in Arizona State Athletics history. From a spirited pregame ribbon cutting ceremony to the Sun Devils (2-3) opening Mullett Arena with a resounding 2-0 victory over Colgate (0-3), Friday’s contest was a storybook beginning to a new era in ASU hockey.
The vibe inside the Sun Devils’ new home was nothing short of electric. The student section was packed and loud, even before game time, and this contagious energy only intensified come puck drop. Head coach Greg Powers commented on the atmosphere, praising the fans who filled Mullett Arena.
“The crowd was unbelievable,” Powers said. “Engaged, loud and into it… It was a special thing seeing 5,000 people supporting our players, the way they did. Because we’ve never had that.”
ASU certainly fed off the crowd. The Sun Devils outshot Colgate 13-6 in the opening period, and when the Raiders had any scoring chances, sophomore goaltender T.J. Semptimphelter was there to keep the puck out.
Semptimphelter ended his night with the second shutout of his career – both of which have come this season – as he stopped all 30 shots that came his way. And while Semptimphelter was exceptional between the pipes, he was quick to praise his teammates for their role in holding Colgate scoreless.
“A shutout’s a team stat to me,” Semptimphelter said. “So it just goes to show that the guys were battling tonight.”
Sophomore forward and team captain Josh Doan also gave the crowd a lot to cheer for. The Scottsdale native laid two early hits and left his fingerprints all over the game, finishing with five shots. And in the late stages of the first period, Doan finally broke the ice for the Sun Devils.
As the clock dipped under a minute to go, ASU possessed the puck in the offensive zone, and junior forward Lukas Sillinger found Doan with a full head of steam in the slot. Doan’s first shot was turned aside by Colgate junior netminder Carter Gylander, but the ASU forward quickly tracked down the rebound and put it home, sending Mullett Arena into a frenzy.
“I couldn’t have made it harder on myself to put it in,” Doan said jokingly. “But a great pass from Silly, and it was a pretty special moment. You get an opportunity to score the first in this rink, that’s something special.”
The Sun Devils’ offense was buzzing from the start, but it was their penalty kill that stole the show as the game progressed. ASU survived five penalties – including a five minute major and a game misconduct for a hit from behind given to sophomore defenseman Ty Murchison late in the second – and limited the Raiders to seven shots on the man advantage Friday night.
ASU added to its lead under six minutes into the second period, courtesy of junior forward Ryan O’Reilly. The play started when an errant pass was intercepted by sophomore forward Jack Jensen. Jensen then sent a one-handed pass in the direction of O’Reilly, who ripped a quick wrister past Gylander to put the Sun Devils up two.
Despite being outshot 26-16 by the Raiders in the final two periods, ASU was able to hold on to earn a gritty 2-0 decision, much to the delight of the 5,000 fans packed inside Mullett Arena. It was an opening night to remember for the Sun Devil faithful, but Powers said Friday’s game also gave his group an experience they won’t ever forget.
“It was just a good team win,” Powers said. “What an atmosphere, what an experience, it’s just one I know all of us will remember for the rest of our lives. But I’m really just happy for our kids, that they pulled it out and found a way to win.”
The Sun Devils will look to remain undefeated at Mullett Arena when they take on Colgate on Saturday at 7 p.m. PST.
