Arizona State (5-11-2) continued its streak of crushing losses Sunday in Madison, dropping the second game of their series against the Wisconsin Badgers (8-6) by a score of 5-2.
The Sun Devils played with passion after head coach Greg Powers criticized their effort in Saturday’s 4-0 loss, in which the team managed just 11 shots on goal. While their intensity was better, the result was no different.
“I thought we played well enough to win,” Powers said. “You could make the argument that we deserved a better fate. I thought the guys played three really hard periods and at the end of the day it didn’t go our way.”
ASU freshman forward Michael Mancinelli cut the Badgers’ lead to one with thirteen minutes left in regulation but could not even the score, coming up empty on a five-minute power play that resulted from a dangerous head hit by Wisconsin junior forward Roman Ahcan. Wisconsin would add two empty net goals in the final two minutes to secure the victory and tie the season series at two wins apiece.
Six regular members of Arizona State’s lineup missed Sunday’s game, including freshman forward and leading goal scorer Matthew Kopperud, who suffered a left leg injury in the first game of the series. While the Sun Devils’ power play was not as dynamic as usual without Kopperud, the substitute players performed admirably and gave ASU a chance to come away with the victory.
“Guys were out of the lineup but we try not to make up any excuses,” Mancinelli said. “This weekend was a great time for guys who don’t play as much to step up and I truly believe that they did.”
Arizona State will have little time to dwell on Sunday’s loss, as it begins a two-game tilt with #1 Minnesota on Thursday. Despite having won just two of their last 11 games, the Sun Devils are confident they can pull off an upset if they play to their strengths.
“Just getting [the puck] low to high and crashing the net is when we’re most successful,” Mancinelli said. “If we can carry that over to Minnesota we should be good.”
