ASU Men’s Hockey: Sun Devils fall short of Ohio State upset

(Photo: Kylee Meter/WCSN)

Playing likely the hardest schedule in program history this year, Arizona State’s weekend series opener against No. 1 Ohio State got off to a predictable start Friday, with the Sun Devils falling to their first defeat of the season. But for long stretches of play at a packed Oceanside Ice Arena, ASU hung tough and skated with the top-ranked Buckeyes in a 3-2 loss.

It was a pair of second-period powerplay goals that helped Ohio State pull away.

With the game at 1-1 early in the period, ASU defenseman Gvido Jansons was called for hooking (one of his two penalties on the night) leaving the Sun Devils shorthanded. The Buckeyes took advantage, dominating the puck and firing multiple shots at Daccord before Buckeyes’ center Dakota Joshua snuck one in on Daccord’s left side to break the tie.

Frustration sent in. Jansons went back to the penalty box again minutes later, this time for tripping, which triggered chaos. Ohio State appeared to score soon after the penalty was called, but a replay review overturned it after interference was called.

It didn’t matter too much. Just seconds after play resumed, the Buckeyes made up for the overturned goal when Carson Meyer buried another. This time it counted, and the Buckeyes went up 3-1.

“I think the biggest struggle we had on the kills was that we didn’t win any draws on it,” said Powers.

The two-goal deficit was too much for ASU to overcome.

“When you give them six power plays, they’re gonna get a lot of shots,” said coach Greg Powers after the game. “The key is to stay out of the box and limit their power play opportunities.”

However, later in the second, it was the Sun Devils penalty kill that helped ASU stay in the game. After Sun Devils sophomore forward Johnny Walker was called for a double-minor, Ohio State generated eight shots and immense pressure on the ASU defense during a four-minute powerplay, but got no goals.

“That got us a lot of momentum,” said Powers. “Hopefully our guys were just pissed off over how the first two [power plays] went. ”

Before the second intermission, the Sun Devils answered back. With just two seconds left in the period, Walker scored, deflecting in a deep shot from the blue line.

“[Brett] Gruber made a nice play, chipping it low to [Jordan] Sandhu,” he said. “I got to it first, got up to Maniscalco and we didn’t have much time, so Manny made a nice shot and got it through. It went off my stick there. I didn’t have to do a whole lot.”

It was Walker’s fourth tally of the season and second of the night. Earlier in the second, the sophomore extended his scoring streak to eight games with a powerplay goal.

After Ohio State went up 1-0 in the first thanks to a goal by Freddy Gerard, ASU struggled to keep the puck out of Ohio State’s hands and out of its own end.

But the Sun Devils spent more time in the Ohio State defensive zone as the game went on though, as two power plays helped spark ASU to life. Three good shots came on the first one, including a dizzying set-up for Walker, who missed the net with a shot. The power play continued over to the 2nd period, when ASU got a five-on-three opportunity thanks to a silly, after-the-whistle push by Joshua.

ASU capitalized quickly. Brinson Pasichnuk, after two previous attempts, fired a shot that deflected off Ohio State goaltender Sean Romero. Walker found the puck and put it in the net to tie the game at 1-1.

“Someone made a pass up to Koumontzis, then up to Brinny (Pasichnuk),” Walker said of his goal. “Then I cut back up toward Brinny; he made a really nice pass and I just had my stick on the ice and went in.”

In the third period, ASU began to take over. It was the Sun Devils’ best job all night possessing the puck, thanks to physical play on the boards.

“I’m really proud of our guys for how they pushed in the third,” said Powers. “It was our best period. A lot push-back and a lot of pride.”

ASU couldn’t find a game-tying goal in the final frame but outshot the Buckeyes 12-5.

“It’s pretty special when we can dominate a period against the No.1 ranked team in the country,” said Brinson Pasichnuk.

After the game, Powers said his group was frustrated, feeling like they squandered a chance to upset the No. 1 team in the nation.

“We had it right where we wanted it: At home, down a goal going into the third against the top team in the country. I’m proud of our guys for that,” Powers said. “Tomorrow we have to execute a little more on both ends of the ice.”