(Photo: Patricia Vicente/WCSN)
It was at this point last season where the Sun Devils captured seven wins – just three less than their eventual season total. This year has been a different scene and in a dominating fashion.
That dominating attack continued Friday night as ASU shook off the rust and grabbed a 6-1 win on its home ice against cross-town rival GCU.
“It feels good to beat a local rival, beat a division rival,” said senior goaltender Jordan Nash-Boulden. “It wasn’t the prettiest [game], and we know that we could have done a little more, but at the end of the day, a win is a win.”
Despite the Sun Devils sizable victory, they continue to hold themselves to the highest standard of play.
“Speaking as a bystander, if you saw the score, you’d say, ‘They killed them,’” said freshman defenseman Abi McGee. “It doesn’t feel like a win. I think that our team doesn’t feel that it was our best effort.”
Grand Canyon actually outshot Arizona State, though the scoreboard said otherwise. Thanks to Nash-Boulden’s lightning reflexes, only one out of 34 shots landed in the net.
“I looked up at the scoreboard a couple of times, and I didn’t necessarily feel that I had seen that many [shots], but I guess that’s a good sign,” said Nash-Boulden.
The team is fortunate to have such a consistent force as its last line of defense.
“We’re lucky to have Jordan, I’ve been saying that for four years,” said Head coach Lindsey Ellis. “I think she definitely kept us in it because they did have some quality opportunities to get some more goals.”
After taking a two-month break from the ice, Arizona State hasn’t completely blown off all of its cobwebs.
“In terms of today, I don’t think we were playing positionally sound like we usually are,” said Head coach Ellis. “We were a little out of place today.”
Saturday, the team hopes to redeem itself in terms of its on-ice effort.
“We definitely lacked in the beginning and we definitely got out-shot,” said McGee. “But tomorrow we’re going to come out and try to put it away even more.”
The competitive spirit of the Devils is anticipated. When cross-town rivals meet, a game becomes more than just another win.
“There is nothing friendly about this. I want to be known as the best in Arizona,” McGee said, who netted her seventh and eighth goals of the season Friday night.
When faced with an opponent so close to home, it can be difficult to avoid feeling the pressure to perform.
“This rivalry builds something in you where you’re like, ‘I’m going to perform at my peak, 110 percent, no matter what. When you hit 100, you’re kind of like, ‘What the heck, that was not my best effort,’ but it could have been in a different game,” said McGee.
Unsatisfied with tonight’s win, the Sun Devils are hungry heading into Saturday.
“I think we really want to put a statement win on it and say, ‘This is our state, this is our home ice, and you’re not going to [expect to] come in here and take a win from us,’” said Nash-Boulden.
Saturday the stakes are higher as ASU honors military appreciation night. Keep an eye out for the team’s camouflage uniforms which will be worn to commemorate the occasion.
“Tomorrow night is going to be way more important because it’s military appreciation [night],” said McGee. “Representing Arizona is going to put that target on our backs. We’re just going to have to perform even harder than we did tonight.”
Puck drop for the final game of the series will take place Saturday at 7 p.m. at Oceanside Ice Arena.
