(Photo: Brendan Belfield/WCSN)
TEMPE – It will likely go down as one of the most consequential days in program history.
Saturday was a day of nearly unprecedented change for Arizona State Men’s Hockey. The Sun Devils were saying goodbye to a nine-man senior class, led by stalwart forward Johnny Walker and enforcing defenseman Jacob Wilson. They were also closing down Oceanside Ice Arena – a shack of a facility that served as the school’s club team’s home for four-plus decades but mercifully hosted the Division I Sun Devils since 2015.
It was a day of simultaneous celebration and grief, and the only thing that would have made it better was a win.
“It’s what it should be,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said.
ASU defeated Long Island University 5-1 to conclude its 2021-22 season on Saturday, one that fell well short of expectations but ended on a high note thanks to the two-game sweep of the Sharks. A goal by freshman forward Jack Jensen put the Sun Devils up 3-1 with 12:37 left in the second period proved to be the difference.
“To put it bluntly, we were just the better team,” Powers said.
Despite the rookie making arguably the biggest play of the night, it was a perfect sendoff for some seniors on ASU’s roster. Walker scored his 70th career goal to put ASU up 2-1 with 15:57 left in the second period.
“I couldn’t believe it went in, honestly,” Walker said. “It hasn’t exactly been the best year for me scoring goals, so I was surprised at first. I just tried to take it in with my friends.”
Powers added: “The fact [Walker] got a goal tonight makes me happier than the win. That’s how we’re going to remember Johnny: scoring big goals for ASU.”
Fellow senior forwards Sean Dhooghe and Chris Grando assisted on Walker’s goal.
“It’s poetic justice,” Powers said of the seniors lighting up the stat sheet. “It’s what they deserve, it’s what our program deserves, it’s what Oceanside deserves.”
Sophomore forward Matthew Kopperud added a goal with 11:22 left in the third period to give ASU a three-goal lead.
ASU started the game hot despite being on the penalty kill. Shorthanded with 16:50 left, senior forward Jack Becker saw a lane after receiving the puck near mid-ice and took advantage. The former Michigan Wolverine skated down the ice, found a spot to the right of the net and launched, putting the Sun Devils up 1-0 with 16:50 left in the period.
Senior forward Colin Theisen – who made perhaps as big of an impact one could in just one season in 2021-22 – assisted on Becker’s goal, which gave him the ASU record for most points recorded in a single season with 41.
“It means a lot, it’s an honor,” Theisen said. “I couldn’t do it without my teammates. I’ve played with some great teammates this year.”
ASU killed the Sharks’ man advantage by keeping the puck away from LIU – the Sun Devils had possession for nearly the first five minutes of the game. But a chippy spell followed, perhaps fueled by the presence of former Sun Devils PJ Marrocco and Max Balinson on the Sharks’ roster, and eventually gave LIU a power play opportunity. Increased pressure on ASU junior goaltender Ben Kraws proved to be too much, as a shot by the Sharks bounced off his right pad before getting poked in the net by senior forward Billy Jerry to tie the game at one.
As the third period clock winded down inside Oceanside on Saturday night, the energy inside shifted. The chippiness the beginning of the game possessed returned. Fans got as loud as they could. Powers and his players noticed it, and realized they were now a part of history.
With the score at 4-1 and out of reach for LIU, Powers deployed all senior lineups, which went out with a bang. Grando scored to add to his assist on the night, and players who knew they wouldn’t touch the ice again made their presence known.
“It was really cool, especially that fifth goal, the way they scored it and how pretty it was and how selfless it was,” Powers said. “No one wanted to actually take the final shot. It says a lot about our senior class.”
Walker found himself late to the party, as a game misconduct ended his night with just over half of the third period remaining. After the final horn sounded, he emerged from the Sun Devils’ locker room, with tears in his eyes and his teammates tapping their sticks.
When Walker was asked what he was thinking in that moment, Theisen spoke for him.
”I’m a legend,” he said.
Wilson, prior to Walker’s entrance, likely made his fellow program-anchor proud. The blue-collar defenseman helped ignite a massive nine-man brawl with 16 seconds left in the game, and left the ice with a smile on his face. Powers said he didn’t expect anything else from the back-ender.
“He’s a warrior,” Powers said of Wilson. “He is what we want every player that comes into this program to be. On the ice, off the ice, character, toughness. All the things that contribute to a winning culture, that’s what Jacob Wilson is about.”
Despite the dragged out ending, Powers was proud.
“[This game] ended with passion and grit,” he said.
Powers mentioned that a photo of Oceanside, which is scheduled to be demolished in 2023, will hang in the Sun Devils’ locker room at their new arena. He revealed it will be captioned with an adjective that describes it well.
“Blue-collar,” he said.
