(Photo Courtesy – Hailey Rogalski)
TEMPE – Hockey returns to Tempe this weekend as the Sun Devil men’s hockey (5-4-0) team is back in action as they take on the University of Alaska Anchorage (2-6-0).
Fresh off an upset win against No. 6 University of North Dakota just shy of two weekends ago, Sun Devil hockey was dark last weekend as they only practiced but didn’t play any games. They now get set to welcome into Tempe the Seawolves as the Sun Devils participate in ASU’s salute to the military this veteran’s day weekend by wearing their Pat Tillman inspired military jerseys.
“After such a really good defining win, your confidence is going to be high.” ASU head coach Greg Powers said Wednesday. “I think the bye week came at a perfect time. We have some guys pretty nicked up…but most importantly, just to come down from that emotional high and give them a week to kinda process everything and get back after it was really, really good.”
This weekend’s match-up will be the fourth meeting between ASU and UAA in which the Sun Devils have had the upper hand with a record of 2-1, winning the most recent game, 5-2, on Feb. 15 of 2020, at home.
However the Alaska Anchorage hockey story is one of intrigue and heartbreak. The program was shut down due to Covid, and the state of Alaska no longer having money to help fund the University. According to their website, the last season they played was the 2019-20 season. Not wanting the program to be shut down, as suddenly as it was, a group of the team’s supporters went to the University in hopes of getting their team back.
They were granted a lifeline stating if they could raise $3 million their team would come back. That money would be enough to fund the team for two years – they raised $1.2 million in six months and then were able to raise the $3 million with help from the community and members of the Seattle Kraken organization donating more than $130,000.
The team now joins ASU on the independent side of life without a conference to call home but the flexibility to build their schedule. A schedule this year that has seen them pick up only two wins, but both wins being big ones.
“We’re not going to take them lightly. They already have two big wins, they beat Western Michigan, they beat Northern Michigan on the road, they’ve given some teams really, really close games and caused fits because they work. They’re well structured; they play with a chip on their shoulder.”
Alaska Fairbanks continues their long road trip that started in the ending parts of October against Northern Michigan and continues until mid-November. The Seawolves won’t play at home again until Dec. 2 against Simon Fraser University.
One name that will be returning to Tempe and will be familiar with ASU hockey fans is junior defenseman Carson Kosobud. Kosobud played in 10 games in his tenure with the Sun Devils during the 2020-21 season. He has one assist on the season, which he picked up against Northern Michigan.
Leading the team in goals, however, is junior forward Connor Marritt. The British Columbia native has four ginos and one assist. Closest behind him is a graduate student forward, Caleb Hite, who tallies two goals on the season and two assists.
The Seawolves are averaging just under two goals per game at 1.9 but give up a staggering 4.1 goals to opponents. They also have had 44 penalties this year, which could spell trouble with how the Sun Devils have been playing on the power play as of late.
This two-game series kicks off Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:00 P.M MST and game two starts Saturday, Nov. 12, at 5:00 P.M MST.
