ASU Women’s Hockey Team Wins Season Opener 2-0

Photo credit: Chase Beardsley

Tempe, AZ: The Sun Devils women’s hockey team would destroy the Utah Utes for a 2-0 win in their first game of the season.

The Sun Devils would go to the power play early in the first period due to Utah taking a roughing penalty where the Sun Devils would find themselves in the Utes zone. A barrage of shots would come at Utes goalie Miranda De Antunano on the Sun Devils power play until a shot went off the post and bounced in front of the net. The Sun Devils would pounce on it and defenseman Sherdian Gloyd connected with freshman Tristan Craig as Craig shot it into the wide open net. Craig jumped into the arms of her teammates to open up the Sun Devils scoring for the season and Craig’s first as a Sun Devil. Her goal would make it a 1-0 game at the 4:01 mark of the period.

“It did not feel real. It literally did not feel real. That was the best thing ever,” Craig exclaimed about the goal after the game.

ASU would find themselves short handed soon after that but started the season perfect on the penalty kill with strong goaltending and a defense that kept the Utes out of their zone for the most part of the Utes power play. ASU goalie Haillie McClelland would once again play strong after a slashing penalty later in the period by Brooklyn Kallender and the Sun Devils would kill off.

That would pretty much end the first period except after a battle in front of the net, Mason Walker went to the box for roughing which put the Utes on the powerplay right before the period ended. The Sun Devils bluntly dominated Utah in the first period, outshooting them 16-6. The score would be 1-0 Sun Devils with the lone goal by Craig.

The Sun Devils as mentioned would start the second period shorthanded with Walker in the box. However this wouldn’t be a challenge for the Sun Devils as they forced the Utes to spend most of the penalty in their own zone.

Mason Walker would once again put her name out there midway through the period as she and Utah’s MaryKate Schutt would be placed in the box after a huge dogpile turned into an almost fight in front of Utah’s net. Both teams however failed to capitalize on the four on four.

“I don’t like when people touch my teammates. I’ve always been one to stand up for my teammates,” Walker responded when asked about her two penalties tonight.

Utah’s Halle Hansen would be sent to the box in the final two minutes of the period for slashing. Even with the incredible offensive pressure by the Sun Devils, Utes goalie De Antunano would stay strong keeping Utah in the game. The second period ended with ASU more than doubling their shots from the first with 33. The Sun Devils would also keep applying amazing pressure on Utah’s offense only allowing three shots the whole period for the Utes. It would remain 1-0 at the end of the second.

The third period would bring two penalties to Utah sending Arizona State to the power play. However strong goaltending once again by De Antunano kept the Sun Devils from capitalizing on both opportunities.

Late in the period, the Sun Devils had a close call with the Utes all over the net. Even with goalie Hallie McClelland falling out of position, Arizona State’s defense managed to keep the puck out of the net even with Utah’s real first chance of scoring looking really bright.

Utah would pull their goalie for the extra attacker with 1:34 left in the period. The Sun Devils would seize that opportunity to score the second goal of the game as freshman Camryn Kozak shot the puck from the ASU zone into the empty net. That would give the Sun Devils a 2-0 advantage to win the game 18 seconds later as ASU would shutout the Utes by that score.

“That was literally the best thing ever,” Kozak said with a huge smile in a postgame interview. “We (her and Tristan Craig) were talking about scoring before the game and we both did!”

“Camryn made an impact right away. She’s a freshman but she looked like a seasoned vet out there,” Coach Lindsey Ellis noted about Kozak.

The two freshmen scored the only two goals in the game.

Hallie McClelland would look strong in her first game of the season, turning away all 14 of Utah’s shots. The offense for Arizona State dominated Utah all game long with 49 shots of their own.

“We competed a full 60 minutes and I don’t think we’ve done that ever in ASU women’s hockey history so with 15 new players, I’m super happy with our group,” Coach Ellis said.

“It’s gelling really well and it’s going to be fun to watch,” veteran Mason Walker commented.

The Sun Devils are 1-0 to start the season off. The pair of goals scored by Craig and Kozak would lead them to that win.

“I could tell at the beginning of the year’s meeting that it was just different. This whole group, all 29 players are here and they believe in what we’re doing. They believe in the goal of a national championship,” Coach Ellis said about her team.

When asked about what could be different in their game against the Utes on Saturday, both Walker and Coach Ellis said the team would like to put more pucks in the back of the net.

Arizona State will have a rematch against the Utes tomorrow Saturday, October 1st once again at Oceanside Arena. Puck drop will be at 5:40. Sun Devil students get free admission so make sure to show up to support the program!