(Photo: Joey Plishka/WCSN)
TEMPE, Ariz. — Feb. 15th, 2020.
That was the last time ASU Men’s Hockey played a real, meaningful game at Oceanside Ice Arena until Saturday. The Sun Devils hadn’t played a game that counted in the standings in Tempe in one year, seven months and 17 days.
In their return to Oceanside, the Sun Devils did not disappoint. ASU filled the arena – showcased by a crowded student section – and came up with a 5-3 victory over UMass Lowell.
“It’s awesome to be able to build [momentum] off that crowd,” senior captain forward Johnny Walker said. “We’re going to miss the emotions at Oceanside.”
The team capitalized on the abundance of penalties UMass Lowell amassed on the night. The River Hawks totaled eight penalties and the Sun Devils scored four times off of six power-play opportunities.
“The power play was looking good,” sophomore forward Matthew Kopperud said.
Kopperud scored two goals off power plays on Saturday. His first goal came nearly a minute and a half after the River Hawks put the puck past the Sun Devils’ junior goalkeeper Ben Kraws for their first goal. After Kopperrud’s early first-period goal, he evened the score again late in the second period at 3-3.
Graduate forward Jack Becker and sophomore defenseman Tim Lovell scored the other power-play goals for the Sun Devils in the third period.
Heading into the third frame, the Sun Devils and River Hawks were tied at three – a perhaps expected development as the two teams went back and forth all night.
The game escalated with about six minutes left in the third period, however. UMass Lowell senior forward Lucas Condotta got penalized for a tripping call and junior forward Andre Lee was ejected from the match upon the fight that broke out after his teammate’s tripping call.
The River Hawks’ late penalties helped the Sun Devils score two unanswered goals late in the game.
“Five-on-five I thought [the River Hawks] were the better team, and the equalizers were really good power play and goaltending,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said. “We had both those tonight.”
Earlier in the week, Powers noted that the Sun Devils had gotten back to playing physically and aggressively.
Their identity seemingly got past them in the first period. ASU allowed two goals and 13 shots on goal in the first 20 minutes of the game. UMass Lowell scored one of those goals in the first 58 seconds to quickly go up 1-0.
The Sun Devils were quick to be beaten off the puck and several passes were intercepted in the first period.
“They are physical, hard, heavy on sticks,” Powers said.
After the first period, Powers said he told his team to reset, and it seemed to work. Following the first period, where ASU trailed 2-1, freshman forward Jack Jensen lit the lamp with ten minutes to go in the second period to tie the contest at two. Additionally, ASU became more physical on the walls and conscious about its passes in the frame as well.
Above all, the Sun Devils looked like they were playing with a different energy in the second and third periods.
Prior to the game, Powers said he told his guys to enjoy the season ahead of them upon last season’s difficulties and their farewell to Oceanside.
“Just have fun,” Powers recalled postgame. “We want to embrace the last 20 games we have in this building.”
Walker added: “I think that all the boys wanted redemption not being able to play here.”
