(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
A battle for Arizona ACHA superiority renewed itself for the fourth time this season as thee Arizona State Sun Devils traveled up north to Glendale to play the Lopes of Grand Canyon University Friday night.
The Devils entered Friday night riding a six-game losing streak, looking to find themselves on the winning side again against in-state rival GCU. The first three games of the series were split evenly among the two teams, 1-1-1.
The Lopes would start out the game strong after the first puck-drop, spending most the first minute of the contest in the ASU zone, grabbing an early 2-on-1 opportunity only to be saved by ASU goaltender Jordan Nash-Boulden.
The rest of the period would see both teams play even out into a “Game of Zones” so to speak. GCU spent much of the first 10 minutes inside the Sun Devil zone, passing the puck around, yet not getting very many solid opportunities. The Devils zone defense looked stalwart, blocking shots and clearing the puck, forcing the Lopes to reset their attack.
“We were just limiting the ‘grade-A’ scoring chances,” Nash-Boulden said about her teammates. “Some of our better games we consistently do that.”
It was this same Sun Devil defense that would open the door for a counterattack and see Taylor England capture her fourth goal of the season. Catherine Jones recorded the assist and it put Sun Devils up 1-0 halfway through the first.
The rest of the first period would even itself out, both teams spent ample amounts of time in the others zone, yet it was both defenses who stood out, limiting good chances from either the point or by the crease. The first period ended quietly, but with ASU leading 1-0.
Aggression was the name of the game for the Lopes coming out of the first intermission. Two quick breakaways for the Lopes in the first minute of the second period saw a red-hot Nash-Boulden stop both in dramatic fashion.
Much like the first period, the game settled itself down into a strategic game of time possession and zone control. ASU controlled the zone for most the second period, which led to good scoring opportunities.
Sun Devil freshman Aubrey Beskid found the back of net for her first career collegiate goal in the second period, with the help of KC McGinley.
“It [scoring] definitely makes me hungrier for more,” Beskid said enthusiastically after the game. “I always want to get it into the net.”
The third period brought continued zone play and dominant defense from the Devils. The game didn’t end silently, however. ASU’s Molly Potter found herself quickly cutting through the Lopes’ defense on a scoring chance, only to be saved by GCU goaltender Haylee Gannaway.
The maroon and gold were able to score once more in the game. A saucer shot from Catherine Jones took a bad bounce off Gannaway’s blocker and found its way into the back of the net. This sealed the victory for ASU and the Sun Devils would go on to pick up their first shutout program road win, along with Nash-Boulden’s first career shutout, which she credited to her defense.
“I think we played great team defense, today. Keeping them to the outside to the perimeter, to where there’s a lower chance of scoring and keeping the traffic out of the front of the net,” she said.
The victory over their in-state rivals would be ASU’s first in nearly two months, a very welcome win for the program.
“When they play against GCU, it’s a whole different energy that they bring because it is that in-state rivalry,” head coach Lindsey Ellis said. “You’re playing for ASU. You’re playing to win the [figurative] state title.”
The Sun Devils take a 2-1-1 series lead over the Lopes and look to complete their first ever road sweep and win the final game of the GCU series tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at AZ Ice Peoria.
