(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
The Arizona State women’s hockey team fell short in overtime Sunday night against Grand Canyon, losing 3-2. Despite eight power play opportunities and 33 shots, the Sun Devils could not close out the game against the Lopes as two unanswered goals were scored a minute a part in the third period.
With ASU’s loss, the season series is tied at two wins a piece for each team.
Senior captain KC McGinley had an opportunity barely a minute into the game as a pass was slotted to her in the middle of the ice for a one-on-three, but she was unable to capitalize. Play went back and forth with chances for both programs in the first period, but the Sun Devils struck first.
ASU got a quick two-on-one break away in the offensive zone and Avery Chmelovksy buried a pass from Ashlyn Sunderman. Chmelovsky’s goal was her third in two games, all against GCU.
“I need to give a shout out to my line, playing with Cathy (Catherine Jones) and Danielle, I think we are just starting to work well together,” Chmelovsky said. “On that first goal, Ashlyn made a beautiful pass and I was just ready with my stick on the ice and just shot it.”
Jordan Nash-Boulden kept the Lopes scoreless as the first period winded down, including saves on a breakaway and a two-on-two.
The second period picked up, as there was more tempo in the air for both teams. More time was spent in the neutral zone as they were trying to capitalize on turnovers.
Defensively, the Sun Devils held down the fort allowing the Lopes minimal chances even though they were out-shooting ASU.
“I think we were just playing really well defensively, we were trying not to do other people’s jobs,” Sun Devil assistant coach Kaley Marino said. “That’s what we harp on a lot, that everyone has a responsibility and role and if we all do what we are supposed to do it makes it easier on everyone else.”
ASU went on the penalty kill after Danielle Dupont got called for tripping with four minutes remaining in the second period. During GCU’s power play, Kat Jones took advantage of a turnover, powered down the ice for a breakaway and sent the puck flying low glove side on Haylee Gannaway. Jones’ shorthanded goal put the Sun Devils up 2-0 and was the Devils’ second shorthanded goal of the season.
Lopes defenseman Alyssa Stanton was called for tripping at the end of the second, so the Sun Devils finished the final 30.8 seconds of the period on the power play, which was extended when another tripping call was made on GCU at the start of the third.
ASU spent almost the entire five-on-three in the Lopes’ zone without putting a goal in.
Nearly ten minutes into the third period, forward Kylie Kramer finished a rebound to cut the Sun Devil lead in half, but the Lopes were not done.
1:13 later, defenseman Megan Brodfuehrer shot the puck over Nash-Boulden’s pads on a breakout to tie the game at two.
McGinley and her teammates put pressure on Gannaway to try to sneak a goal in before the period ended, but nothing slide past her. Intensity continued to build, but with neither team scoring, overtime came into play.
“I think that we knew that we just wanted to get the win, even though that didn’t happen,” sophomore forward Aubrey Beskid said. “That was definitely driving us to get more shots to the net because the only way we knew we could win is by getting goals.”
GCU started overtime down a player for a hooking penalty that was called with a minute left in the third. With the penalty killed successfully, the Lopes’ power play unit came on as ASU’s Alisa Manny went to the box for elbowing.
With less than a minute remaining in overtime, Nash-Boulden faced a hard GCU shot that turned into a rebound and a minor scrum came out in front of the net. Hanna Joralmon found the loose puck to finish it and end the game.
After their second overtime loss to GCU this season, the Sun Devils will be out of game play for almost two months with their next game not until January 25 against the University of Minnesota.
“We set expectations for Christmas break,” Marino said. “They all have responsibilities and things they should been sticking to while they are at home and just sitting on the couch eating potato chips.”
