(Photo: Travis Whittaker/WCSN)
The order of events which led to Arizona State’s loss in the second game of its two-game series against Michigan State on Friday night were reminiscent of the defeats that came before it.
After a turnover behind the Sun Devils’ net, Michigan State junior forward Mitchell Mattson located the loose puck and effortlessly uncorked a wrist shot past ASU junior goaltender Evan DeBrouwer to give the Spartans a lead that they would not relinquish. Mattson’s score marked the fourth time in as many games that the Sun Devils allowed the first goal of the contest.
The Spartans added an insurance goal in the third period when senior forward Mitchell Lewandowski pounced on a rebound, moving the score to its final resting spot. The Sun Devils (0-3-1) fell to the Spartans (1-0-1) by a final tally of 2-0.
“Guys got to put the puck in the net,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said. “It’s frustrating and I know they’re frustrated right now. I thought we played pretty well tonight and generated some pretty good chances. It’s just not going in.”
DeBrouwer, who stopped 38-of-40 shots on the night, went to the bench with around two minutes remaining, and though the Sun Devils generated pressure during the ensuing 6-on-5, any chance at a comeback was killed by an interference penalty on senior defenseman Jacob Wilson with 52 seconds left in regulation.
The Sun Devils’ inability to score in the waning seconds of the contest marked another instance of ASU’s offense struggling to find it’s footing. Since the beginning of the season, ASU has scored just two goals, though the program did play its two-game stint at Michigan State without senior forward Johnny Walker, who suffered a lower body injury against Michigan on Nov. 15. Even without Walker, Powers believes his team should still be able to convert on the offensive end.
Michigan State junior goaltender Drew DeRidder recorded his first NCAA shutout, stopping all 30 shots that came his way.
“We know we have the players — even without Johnny — to score goals,” Powers said. “Guys have to step up and make it happen. Scoring chances were in our favor tonight.”
Despite a strong start to the game and an early 5-on-3 power play, the Sun Devils could not translate that momentum into a goal, highlighting a concerning trend.
“Couldn’t ask for a better start,” head coach Greg Powers said. “A lot of really good chances and we did everything but finish.”
While ASU’s 0-3-1 record may be a cause for concern to some, the Sun Devils were able to rebound from a 1-3 start last season to qualify for the NCAA tournament.
“[The players} are going to see on tape that we did more good things than bad tonight, we just didn’t put the puck in the net,” Powers said. “Guys are frustrated and they can’t get down on each other. This program is built on adversity.”
The Sun Devils’ ability to overcome that adversity will be tested on Nov. 28th, as they open up a two-game set against the Wisconsin Badgers.
“We’ve been here before,” Powers said. “We were here last year and we found a way to climb out of it, and that’s exactly what we plan on doing.”
