(Riley Trujillo/WCSN)
The Arizona State men’s hockey team did not just take a summer vacation to China to indulge in the exquisite landmarks and embrace the country’s culture.
There was hockey to be played.
After the 6,500-mile journey across the Pacific Ocean, the Sun Devils became the first NCAA hockey team to visit Beijing, a well-deserved reward for the program’s foundation.
“We wanted to do something special for this year’s senior class,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said. “These guys came in as our first full NCAA year. We wanted to do something really nice for them and take them overseas.”
Off the ice, there was a bucket list of items to check off. The Sun Devils walked the Great Wall of China and explored Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Chaoyang District. They also reunited with ASU Alumni and enjoyed a kung fu show and Peking duck dinner.
On the ice, ASU’s main mission took center stage: Competing in the inaugural Renaissance Cup, a five-team round-robin tournament that included Beijing’s Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League and three professional teams from the Supreme Hockey League- Tsen Tou Jilin City, Yerkmak Angarsk and Org Beijing.
Going back to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional against Quinnipiac, ASU had not touched the ice as a team in 125 days. But, with a trip to China in its future, ASU’s week-long conditioning and practices at Oceanside Ice Arena removed any rust leftover from the abbreviated offseason.
On the opening night of the Renaissance Cup at Ao Zhong Ice Sports Club, the Sun Devils did not waste any time against the Kunlun Red Star, taking only two minutes and nine seconds for freshman forward Logan Jenuwine, the 2018-2019 NAHL leading point producer, to rifle a center-cut snap shot through the wickets of Kunlun’s netminder to kick off the tournament’s scoring.
“The trip was a blast,” Jenuwine said. “It’s memories that we will have forever. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nobody else in our position had the chance to do [that].”
Junior forward Johnny Walker’s shake-and-bake breakaway goal and the final period’s finishing touches by Brett Gruber and Jordan Sandhu lifted ASU to a 5-3 victory in its first game of the season.
Beijing native, redshirt freshman forward Peter Zhong enjoyed a memorable return to his homeland, earning Player of the Game honors, helping out at the NHL’s youth camp alongside Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovehckin at Shougang Ice Arena and serving as an ambassador for his teammates.
Zhong, who grew up just ten minutes away from Ao Zhong Ice Sports Club, redshirted the 2018-’19 season. The year out of action allowed him to play his first game in a Sun Devil uniform in front of friends and family back in China.
“Even though I lived in China for a very long time, that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me,” Zhong said. “Meeting Ovechkin was completely unexpected. Having the whole team in my home town half way across the world was just so crazy to me. It was a lot of fun.”
Unlike the standard regulations of the NCAA regular season, the Sun Devils got their first taste of 3-on-3 overtime in the second game against Tsen Tou Jilin City, but it would leave unpalatable flavor.
After ASU surrendered a three-goal lead in the third period, Jilin City rode a wave of momentum into the extra frame to beat the Sun Devils 4-5.
Demonstrating their resilience, the Sun Devils bounced back with another overtime thriller against Yermak Angarsk with a 3-2 victory.
“Our guys grinded it out and stuck with it with some interesting calls. It was an exciting win, so now we control our own destiny and that’s what we wanted,” Powers said after the game.
With a chance to punch their ticket to the championship the following night, the Sun Devils got the job done with a 3-1 win over Org Beijing.
Backed by an offensive rampage of 53 shot attempts and 29 scoring chances, Powers’ squad made quick work of their third VHL opponent.
While Walker, Gruber and Willie Knierim cashed in on dynamite passes, freshman Justin Robbins took control of a light load, making 13 saves on 14 shots on goal.
To put the cherry on top of their Beijing tour, the Sun Devils saved their best performance for the championship finale, taking home the Renaissance Cup with a dominating 6-1 victory over the Kunlun Red Star.
“We knew we had to come out with a really strong effort tonight and we did just that,” Powers said after the championship victory. “That was easily our best game of the tournament and we needed everyone including our goalie. This has been a tremendous experience and we thank all the great people who have made this happen.
“It was such a luxury going over there for so many reasons. It was a life experience first and foremost that our guys got. They will remember that trip for the rest of their lives, winning the trophy and having the success.”
Walker capped off an impressive week with a natural hat trick for seven goals over the five-game stretch. Jenuwine, Brinson Pasichnuk and PJ Marrocco each tacked on a goal to provide plenty of breathing room to seal the win.
In goal, graduate transfer Max Prawdzik turned in his sharpest start of the tournament, stopping 33 of 34 shots on goal in the finale to sustain a 1.96 goals against average .934 save percentage in three games.
Robbins made the other two appearances in between the pipes, posting a 2.90 GAA and a .838 save percentage.
With Joey Daccord becoming the first Sun Devil to sign an NHL entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators, this trio of goalies will closely compete for the starting job on opening night.
“All of them look good. That’s the honest to god truth. I truly believe that I could put any three of them in and we could win,” Powers said.
While the regular season does not begin for another two weeks, the Sun Devils will start the year with another piece of hardware in their collection.
“The trip has allowed us to spend this month of limited hours in doing a lot of skills, scrimmages and special teams at practice,” Powers said. “We’re ready. We wish we could play tomorrow.”
