(Photo: Patricia Vicente/WCSN)
Arizona State Men’s Hockey 2020-21 season-opener did not go according to plan, as the No. 15 Sun Devils (0-1-0) lost 8-1 to the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines (1-0-0) Saturday in Ann Arbor.
The lopsided affair was ASU’s worst loss since Jan. 26th, 2018, when it lost 8-0 against Boston University.
Michigan sophomore forward Johnny Beecher registered a goal 8:38 into the first period, which began the Wolverines success on the power play almost immediately. Beecher’s goal was one of three man-advantage tallies Michigan scored in the contest.
On the other side, the Sun Devils were 1-7 on the power play, and while they were able to generate good scoring chances, they missed the net often and allowed several shorthanded breakaways.
“We were flat,” head coach Greg Powers said. “Our guys just did not have their legs. It was like watching a bad dream.”
Wolverines junior goaltender Strauss Mann stopped 14 out of 15 shots in the win, while ASU junior netminder Evan DeBrouwer made 19 saves on 25 shots before being replaced by freshman goaltender Cole Brady to start the third period. Brady made eight saves on 10 shots in his NCAA debut.
“[Brady] did a great job,” Powers said. “It’s a tough spot to go into, especially getting your first college action against a really, really talented team like Michigan.”
While Powers was complementary of Brady’s performance, he did not commit to the idea of starting him for the second game of the series on Sunday.
“I haven’t even thought about it,” Powers said.
The Sun Devils lone goal came late in the third period, when freshman forward Ryan O’Reilly beat Mann on the blocker side during an ASU power play. Freshman forward Michael Mancinelli was credited with an assist on the play.
Michigan controlled possession early in the game, forcing ASU to ice the puck with regularity and subsequently killing any chance to build momentum. DeBrouwer stood his ground in the opening minutes, but the floodgates opened once the Wolverines scored the game’s first goal.
Fifteen different Michigan players recorded a point in the contest, and seven different Wolverines found the back of the ASU net.
“At the end of the day, we weren’t sharp,” Powers said. “We weren’t ready to go, they were, and you guys saw the result.”
