(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
TEMPE – Through its first eleven games, Arizona State found itself in an identity crisis. The Sun Devils were a shell of themselves with a 3-7-1 record, playing a scattered brand of hockey that was yet to find success.
Head coach Greg Powers and his squad were about to walk the steepest trail of the season, facing four teams in the top ten of the National Percentage Index (NPI), the first of which was an away series against then-No. 6 North Dakota. In that series, a team full of fresh faces started to impress a new standard of hockey that helped the Sun Devils gain traction despite the impossible incline ahead, jumping in the NPI rankings nearly 20 spots in that stretch to 24th.
ASU’s (11-10-1, 4-5-1 NCHC) promptly displayed its refreshed identity against Air Force (10-8-2, 6-5-1 AHA) in Saturday night’s Desert Hockey Classic Championship, toppling the Falcons 5-2, winning its third straight Desert Hockey Classic.
“We were 3-7-1 after the loss at North Dakota,” Powers said, “and our guys have flipped the switch and haven’t looked back since then. We have gone 8-3 against a really, really tough schedule.”
With their second tournament win of the year, the Sun Devils inched their record above .500 for the first time this season. ASU has the second-hardest schedule in the NCAA according to the NPI, which is one of the reasons it has been able to climb the rankings over the last several months, even when it had a losing record.
“We are above .500 for the first time all year,” Powers said. “After our start, I think that says a lot about what we have in that room.”
A large reason for ASU’s improved form can be attributed to its success in the offensive zone. At the start of the year, it played as a perimeter team with a lot of independent players who were yet to find their role in a new squad, but all parties have settled in, which has allowed the Sun Devils to settle into a winning brand of hockey.
Against Air Force on Saturday, all four lines stood out in a unique manner, with the bottom six forwards finishing hits on the forecheck and going to the dirty areas of the ice, creating dead space in the offensive zone. The Sun Devils have established a winning profile because individuals have committed to roles that help their team win games.
“[It’s] establishing a standard and guys buying into roles,” Powers said. “When you have so many new players, it’s tough to get guys to accept and buy into roles from day one. This team made a choice together that winning was more important than individual gain.”
Perhaps the hottest line on ASU’s roster is the one at the top of the card. Senior Cruz Lucius, sophomore Cullen Potter, and senior Bennett Schimek have been among the best lines in the country, combining for 88 points this season — the most by any trio in the nation.
Their elite level of play has their names in the Hobey Baker hat, with Lucius leading the NCAA in points at 32, with Schimek’s 31 only one spot behind him. Potter has also been torrid as of late, with 11 points in his last five games, scoring in all five, which ties him with Johnny Walker for the longest goal streak in ASU history.
The unit had two points apiece against the Falcons, moving them to 14 points on the weekend, notching six of ASU’s 10 goals. Throughout the 11 game turnaround, they have contributed 53 points, sparking the Sun Devils’ offensive wildfire, which has scored at least five goals in four out of their last five games.
“They are three really good players that all have a legitimate chance to play at the highest level in the world when they are done here,” Powers said. “They are clicking, they are confident, they are moving the puck really well. Tonight, maybe was more of what you would consider an off night for them, and they were still really productive.”
Even with Power’s top three putting on a show, depth scoring has also played a huge part in ASU’s efforts. Freshman forward Carmelo Crandell scored two out of the Maroon and Gold’s five tallies in Saturday’s effort, including an empty-netter that put the final nail in the coffin. His fourth line with freshmen forwards Braxton Whitehead and New Jersey Devils second-round draftee Ben Kevan clocked numerous offensive shifts, finding success in both games this weekend.
To start the season, the Sun Devils were outscored in the third period in five out of their first six starts. In their last 11 games, they have only been beaten three times in the final 20 minutes, amounting to their only losses, an issue that has been solved with depth. When the Falcons scored just 36 seconds into the final stanza, it seemed ASU was on the ropes, but it was able to keep offensive momentum, eventually responding at the hands of Crandell to get the lead back to two.
“Our fourth line tonight and in the last couple of games, you see how talented they are and how much skill they have,” Powers said. “[We] have a second round draft pick on our fourth line, [we have Crandell] who is going to be an unbelievable college hockey player . . . [Whitehead] barely played at all in the first semester, and right now he is just so reliable and smart.”
Even with the Sun Devils enjoying the luxury of having depth, they still are not at full strength with freshman forward Jack Beck, junior forward Sean McGurn and senior defenseman Anthony Dowd all out with injury. McGurn and Dowd are expected to return to the lineup soon, but Beck’s injury is “a little longer term,” per Powers. The list scratches grew even larger tonight with senior forward Johnny Waldron leaving the game after his second shift.
Senior goalie Connor Hasley also went down in a heap midway through the third period, after getting kicked in the head during a scramble in the blue paint. Hasley stayed in the game despite the scare, making a number of clutch third-period saves to keep Air Force at bay.
“[Hasley] got hit in the head with a skate and got up and made even bigger saves,” Powers said. “It says a lot about where he is at mentally. We know how good he is, and he is playing some good hockey for us.”
Recent triumphs have the Sun Devils in a much better position compared to when they were staring down their winter gauntlet, but their second-semester schedule does not get much easier. Miami Ohio awaits them next weekend before No. 4 North Dakota in two weeks, after finishing a six-game stretch at Mullet Arena.
ASU missed out on the NCAA Tournament by a mere 14 points in last year’s Pairwise rankings, proving that every game down the stretch gets increasingly more important. Due to their slow start, the Sun Devils will likely have to continue their surge in order to charge up the NPI rankings and make a run towards their first tournament appearance since the 2019-20 season.
“It is all about trying to get three points every time we take the ice now for the rest of the year and climbing up the standings so we can make sure that we get home ice in the playoffs,” Powers said. “That’s the goal, and if we get back into the race, even better. It is all about stacking wins.”
