Love was in the air Sunday in East Lansing, as the Arizona State Sun Devils (6-13-2) faced off against the Michigan State Spartans (6-11-2) in a thrilling Valentine’s Day matchup.
Following ASU’s exhibition series against the United States National Development Team last weekend, head coach Greg Powers insisted his team would be fully healthy and ready to go once they returned to NCAA competition. The Sun Devils proved him right by earning a 3-2 victory in their first game back, showing no signs of rust after a three-week long break.
While Arizona State never trailed, it looked as though the game might slip away from them in the final two minutes. Michigan State senior forward Mitchell Lewandowski tied the game at 2 with 1:06 remaining in regulation, unbeknownst to everyone on the ice. It was only after the final whistle sounded, and ASU began to celebrate, that the play was reviewed and ruled a goal for the Spartans.
Not to be outdone, the Sun Devils needed only 26 seconds to regain the lead. After an offensive zone turnover by Michigan State, ASU rushed up the ice and junior defenseman Jacob Semik snuck a backhand shot inside the left post to give the Sun Devils their first win in over a month. Senior forward Johnny Walker recorded the primary assist on Semik’s game-winning goal, which moved him into a tie for first place on the program’s all-time scoring leaderboard.
“I just wanted to get it to the net with the time remaining,” Semik said. “I kind of swung and missed and then chip-shotted it with an eight-iron and there we were. We didn’t even want it to go to OT, so we wanted to make sure we had a good next shift after the reversed call.”
The game was a back-and-forth affair throughout, with both teams trading chances regularly and both goaltenders making big save after big save. ASU wasted no time getting the lead, as senior forward Dominic Garcia scored the opening goal just 13 seconds into the contest. Michigan State made a furious effort to respond, but freshman goaltender Cole Brady had the Spartans’ number all game long. Aside from Lewandowski’s phantom goal and a redirected shot by MSU senior forward Tommy Apap early in the second period, Brady looked unbeatable.
“The potential for Cole Brady is limitless,” Powers said. “When he’s playing confident and aggressive and he’s competing like he has these last two games, he’s tough to beat.”
Brady’s return to the net comes as a big relief for the Sun Devils, who allowed over six goals per game during his absence. The team started him in both games of their exhibition series in order to help him regain his form, and he rewarded them with a strong performance in his first NCAA game since Jan. 4.
“[The exhibition games] were big for everybody, but him in particular,” Powers said. “Being out a month and a half or whatever it was with mono, he needed them. He needed them badly. We would’ve been not nearly as good as we were tonight had we not played those games.”
Although the game’s result will not do much to embellish Arizona State’s win-loss record, the Sun Devils proved that they could beat a top-tier opponent when given a fully healthy lineup and an adequate amount of rest. ASU’s season has been a trying one, but the team is once again showing signs of life. With five games remaining, all the Sun Devils can do is try to end the year on a high note, and winning the first game of the road trip is the first step towards achieving that goal.
“With everything these kids have gone through, we deserve to win a game like that,” Powers said. “It was a crazy game, crazy way to win.”
