ASU settles for series split against Dartmouth

(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Dartmouth is often the five percent acceptance rate and ranking among the top schools in the country — not the eighth-best hockey team in the NCAA. Following a week-long break for the holidays, Arizona State made the trip to Hanover, New Hampshire, for the Big Green’s only multi-game series of their season.

The Sun Devils have three wins over top ten teams, but this weekend marks the first time they have come into the second game with a chance to sweep one. Saturday’s win over Dartmouth put ASU in a prime position to claim its second series sweep of the season and first on the road — a statement win which could have had the Maroon and Gold knocking on the door of the top 20.

After an emphatic 5-1 victory in Saturday’s series opener, ASU (9-10-1, 5-5 NCHC) was stumped by Dartmouth’s (12-2-0, 6-0 ECAC) dynamic defense, dropping the game 4-1, leading to a series split on the weekend.

The Big Green did not take the first game thumping lightly as they came flying out of the gates. Freshman forward Brock Cummings opened the scoring on a two-on-one just before the halfway mark of the first period, beating senior netminder Connor Hasley glove side.

ASU was able to respond just 70 seconds after the opening goal with sophomore forward Cullen Potter jamming a puck between the post and the left pad of junior Emmett Croteau, right before the net came off its moorings. The Sun Devils’ early response was the only one found on Sunday.

The remainder of the first period saw a defensive stalemate, with both teams struggling to get pucks on net as the first period concluded with just 11 total shots between the two sides. That theme continued throughout the rest of the game with both teams blocking more than 20 shots in the protective affair.

Dartmouth’s second period marked a turning point in Sunday’s game as the Big Green doubled the shots posted by ASU, including a shot from freshman defenseman Brock Devlin that was deflected by senior forward Cam McDonald, giving Dartmouth a 2-1 lead.

Although Hasley surrendered the only goal in the middle frame, the Bentley transfer was one of the only reasons that ASU was still within striking distance. Halsey had a number of sprawling saves in the second period to keep Dartmouth at bay, giving the Sun Devils life heading into the game’s final period.

Halsey’s heroic efforts were not enough in the end, with Devlin creating another chance from the point that led to a second-chance finish from freshman forward Nathan Morin. Then junior defenseman Eric Charpentier cashed out a full-court heave on an empty net to put in the final nail in the coffin, ruining ASU’s hopes of a series sweep.

The Sun Devils were within striking distance for the entirety of the third period, but were unable to produce any type of offense because of Dartmouth’s man-to-man defense — a similarity between the two teams.

Dartmouth’s discipline to its defensive system was a catalyst for its success, forcing numerous offensive zone turnovers, taking away almost every option that ASU had. It also allowed them to keep shots to the outside, making Croteau’s job much easier.

Across from them, it was the Sun Devils’ lack of focus that allowed the Big Green to break through their defensive structure. Several goals saw ASU leave players wide open in front of its goal, leaving Hasley all alone. The difference between the two teams’ defensive systems proved to be a determining factor in Sunday’s game.

Another struggle for the Maroon and Gold was special teams, as Dartmouth seemed to have the answer to ASU’s red-hot power play. The Sun Devils’ man advantage had its woes through the early parts of the year, but found its footing as the season progressed. Sunday was different, as it was stuffed by Dartmouth’s penalty kill.

ASU didn’t score a single goal on the power play all weekend, struggling to even set up its offense in Dartmouth’s zone in the series finale. The Sun Devils went on the man advantage in several parts of the game where momentum could have been shifted, but their lack of pressure limited their ability to gain traction.

A series sweep over No. 8 Dartmouth could have completely shifted the tide of ASU’s season, but the weekend split was not a total failure. Saturday’s win helped ASU shoot up 14 spots in the National Percentage Index (NPI), with them ending the weekend in the top 25 at 23.

The Sun Devils lackluster nonconference schedule was one of the main reasons they missed the NCAA Tournament last season, as a series split against a highly ranked nonconference opponent greatly improves their odds of making a push into a tournament spot.

ASU will take a short break before hosting its seventh annual Desert Hockey Classic starting on January 2nd. The Maroon and Gold will take on Alaska Anchorage to begin the tournament before playing either Air Force or Michigan Tech the following evening. The Sun Devils claimed hardware at the tournament last year as they will look to defend home ice, improving on their nonconference schedule.