ASU Men’s Hockey: Notes, quotes from Sun Devils’ 3-0 loss to Michigan

(Photo: Kylee Meter/WCSN)

Arizona State Men’s Hockey (0-2-0) fell 2-0 to Michigan (2-0-0) in the second game of its two-game season-opening series Sunday night. Here are important notes and quotes from the contest:

Notes:

Michigan took an early lead once again Sunday night, as freshman forward Kent Johnson scored to put the Wolverines up 1-0 just 2:30 into the game.
ASU was granted a power play with 13:29 left in the first period due to a hooking penalty on Michigan junior defenseman Nick Blankenburg but could not convert. The Sun Devils’ power play was negated by a too many men on the ice call, leading to four-on-four action for 58 seconds. Neither team took advantage of the advantage.
With time winding down in the first period, Michigan sophomore forward Eric Ciccolini scored to push the Wolverines’ lead to 2-0.
Michigan sophomore forward Johnny Beecher left after the first period due to an injury suffered when ASU senior defenseman Jacob Wilson delivered a violent hit. Beecher is one of three first-round picks on the Wolverines’ roster, and is Michigan’s top returning scorer from the 2019-20 season.
Halfway through the second period, a boarding call on ASU senior center James Sanchez put Michigan on the power play, though the Wolverines failed to capitalize on the man-advantage. Twenty-nine seconds later, Michigan and ASU were sent to four-on-four play after cross-checking and roughing calls on Wolverines junior forward Garrett Van Wyhe and Sanchez, respectively.
A 17-second stretch of three-on-three hockey prevailed after penalties on Blankenburg and ASU senior forward Johnny Walker. Sanchez and Van Wyhe’s penalties expired without any goals scored from either side.
A penalty on ASU senior forward Gvido Jansons gave Michigan a power play opportunity with 15:16 left in the game. With 13 seconds left on the Wolverines power play, ASU junior forward Demetrios Koumontzis was sent to the box for a high sticking penalty. Michigan failed to convert on the 5v3, but gained an extra power play and extended the lead to 3-0 with 12:46 left in the game thanks to a goal by junior forward Jimmy Lambert.
Walker sustained a lower-body injury in the third period and did not return.
With 9:34 left in the game, the Sun Devils were granted a power play thanks to a cross-check by Michigan junior forward Nolan Moyle. However, an interference call on ASU sophomore defenseman Jack Judson led to four-on-four play for 51 seconds. All penalties were killed.

Stats:

Final: Michigan-3 ASU-0

Shots: Michigan-47 ASU-17

Goals (Michigan): Johnson, Ciccolini, Lambert

Saves: Cole Brady (ASU) – 44 Strauss Mann (Michigan) – 17

Quotes:

Head Coach Greg Powers on the experience of playing in the Big Ten for the first time…

“That is the best team I’ve seen from a pure talent, skill and speed standpoint since we’ve been Division 1 and it’s not even close. They’re a really special group. Mel and his staff have done an unbelievable job. They have seven potential first rounders on a college roster. That’s incredible. They’re just really good. I thought our guys competed well tonight. Cole [Brady] was tremendous. We had three power plays that we gave up and we took penalties on. We took retaliatory penalties which we can’t do. We try to engrain it in our guys that discipline is paramount more than ever playing 28 road games.”

Powers’ overall thoughts on the 3-0 loss to Michigan…

“Some positives we can take away from tonight are that it’s a step in the right direction versus game one from a competition stand point. I thought [freshman forward] Benji Eckerle played really well in his first game as well. That’s just a hell of a team top to bottom. One through four, all six defensemen. That [Owen] Power kid is special. They’re a fun team to watch, but not to play against.”

Powers on what ASU has to improve at…

“The second and third team efforts that you see a team like that have on pucks – those are the type of things. There’s a lot of good stuff we can go to film with, in this game especially. The first game was a throwaway. Evan [DeBrouwer] struggled and our team struggled and it was simple stuff like puck management and block-outs. Tonight, there was stuff you could learn from and get better from. The biggest thing is just managing games and simple stuff. Just Hockey-101 stuff, [like] not taking penalties on the power play. We need to mentally manage hockey games. If you don’t mentally manage games against a team like that, they’re going to make you pay. All the credit to that team. They’re really good.”

Powers on Michigan’s talent…

“I don’t know if college hockey has seen more talent on paper in a decade than this team. If I’m wrong, then tell me. We’ve played everybody in six years and we haven’t seen anything like that. They probably have the best goalie in the country. They don’t give up much because they’re such a good team. Strauss Mann is a stud.”

Powers on Johnny Walker’s playing time in the third period…

“He took that hit late in the second and we’ll just have to see. He tried to go back out and he’s tough as nails. He’s got a lower body injury that we’re gonna have to look at and hopefully he’ll be back for the games at MIchigan State.”

Powers on the lack of experience within the lines…

“You look at a kid like [redshirt junior forward] Chris Grando. He was a really good player, but he has’t played a game in two years and then he has to start a game against that team. It’s not ideal. It looks like he’s swimming uphill a little bit. But he’ll get there. Then you got [senior forward] Sean Dhooghe, who didn’t play a lot last year, and then you throw in four freshmen. There’s a lot of moving parts and a lot that we need to figure out. We’re confident. We started 1-3 last year. It’s all about getting better everyday and I feel like we had a better competitive effort from game one to two. They were just better than us.”

On freshman goaltender Cole Brady’s first two appearances in a college hockey game…

“The hope was to try and get him a game this weekend. Evan [DeBrouwer] struggled Saturday and he knows it. He’s been a great goalie for us and he’ll be fine. In a perfect world, I would have liked to pull Evan halfway through the second period on Saturday but I wanted to get Cole in fresh to start a period. I thought it was huge and it slowed him down. [Cole’s] confident. He’s going to be really good for us and he showed it. To get your first start against that team – there’s some great teams in this conference and in the country but it’s not going to get better than that. That’s as good as we’re going to see and as good as anyone will see. That team is very good.”

Brady on his first start…

“It’s definitely a different level than what I’m used to. But I felt good in there. Obviously it was a tough situation going in cold Saturday but I felt great tonight.”

Brady on the defensive effort from the Sun Devils…

“The effort was at an all-time high. The guys did a great job sacrificing their bodies and helping me out. That’s something we’re used to here – guys sacrificing their bodies for each other and it’s great to see.”

Brady on facing Michigan in his first start…

“I think it went well. We didn’t get the win but it’s good to get my first start under my belt and just move forward from here.”

Junior captain Jordan Sandhu on Michigan’s skill level…

“In my time here, that’s definitely one of the best teams we’ve played. They’re so fast and so big. They’re well-coached. They came out firing Saturday night. It’s definitely a tough first weekend but props to them. They’re a good team.”

Sandhu on what the Sun Devils need to work on….

“Just making the simple play, especially on the penalty kill. Having sticks in the lane. Making sure we’re getting into the red and getting it deep. Communicating. Things that we’ve been doing since we were little kids. But that’s going to come. It’s the first weekend in who knows how long.”

Sandhu on the Sun Devils’ improvement from Saturday to Sunday…

“It’s a big one. Obviously the score showed yesterday. It was tough not playing in so long. But it was good seeing us improve today and that’s all we can do. We’re going to get better everyday.”

Sandhu on playing in Yost Arena…

“It’s unreal. Growing up you hear about all these big schools and big arenas and Yost is one of them. This morning we got to take a walk around the rink and just seeing all the history and the foundation of this rink – it’s beautiful to see. It’s an honor to play in this rink.”

Sandhu on how this year’s slow start compares to last season’s…

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint. We haven’t played a game in so long and to come in the first weekend and play a team like that – they’re just a great team. It wasn’t easy out there. We’re going to keep getting better everyday and I’m looking forward to it.”