(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
After almost a two-month long hiatus, the Arizona State women’s hockey team will gear up for their penultimate home series of the season against the University of Minnesota Friday and Saturday.
The Sun Devils (7-8-1) still remain in the top-15, jumping back in at No. 15 in the ACHA D1 women’s hockey ranking #10 after dropping out Week 5. Minnesota (6-7) is five spots ahead of ASU, falling in at No. 10.
The Devils have not played a game since December 1, when they fell 3-2 in overtime to Grand Canyon University.
“It’s been a long two months especially with us not being together one of those months,” head coach Lindsey Ellis said. “But it’s always good to be back and you can tell they are ready for a game with a lot to prove this weekend.”
The team has had three weeks of continuous practice to help prepare for this weekend against Minnesota.
“It’s been a lot especially with time off, we’ve been trying to get back into shape,” freshman forward Finn Larson said. “I think we are doing really well and I’m excited for this weekend.”
Out of 55 goals scored this season, freshman forward Kat Jones leads the team with 11 of those goals and seven assists. Her line mates Danielle Dupont and Amy Gulliksen have together tallied 17 assists.
Junior netminder Jordan Nash-Boulden has a .900 save percentage this season and is responsible for five of the seven Sun Devil wins.
“We have a lot to prove as a young program,” Ellis said. “They can do anything they can set their minds to and they have to show it on the ice.”
Last weekend, the Gophers were swept by Division 2 Minot State University, the No. 1-ranked team in the West Region. Despite losing the two games, they netted six goals while giving up nine.
Forward Livia Twohig leads Minnesota with right goals this season while her teammates Jessica Hagstrom, Cristi Oliver and Emily Rubins have scored six, respectively.
Goaltenders Alexandra Morris and Madaline Campbell have played the majority of the season for the Gophers, each sporting a .912 save percentage.
In the 2017-2018 season, ASU and Minnesota met once in Boulder, Colorado during the WWCHL showcase, when the Gophers beat the Sun Devils 6-1. The lone goal from the Devils came from now graduated Dannika Borges.
Then-sophomore Nash-Boulden saved 60 shots that night.
“We have a strong freshman core this year and in previous seasons that we played Minnesota it was a very defensive game pretty much for sixty minutes,” Ellis said. “I’m excited to get more offense on Minnesota this year and see what we can do.”
The puck will drop at 5:40 p.m. at Oceanside Ice Arena and then will be back early in the morning for a 7:30 a.m. drop against Minnesota, who will go on to play two games against GCU.
