Devils smother Weber State

(Photo: Allyson Cummings/WCSN)

The Sun Devil hockey team won its third straight game against a Division II foe by double digits, beating the Weber State Wildcats 10-0 at Oceanside Ice Arena on Friday night.  ASU outshot the Wildcats 57-15 in the game.

Arizona State had control from the opening face-off, putting pressure on Weber State as early and as often as possible.  Sophomore goalie Ian Frank kept the Wildcats close early on, making some excellent saves.

After a Weber State penalty put the Sun Devils on the power play, it did not take long for ASU to break through: they put in a goal exactly how the coaches drew it up.  Danny McAuliffe dropped a pass to Kale Dolinski flanking Frank’s left side.  Sean Murphy streaked toward the net on the right side to take a perfect tape-to-tape feed from Dolinski and found twine to give ASU the advantage.

The scoring was nowhere near over.  About five minutes later, Dolinski and McAuliffe were at it again with regular linemate Liam Norris.  The three made a great triangle around the net, providing Dolinski with an open look for a goal.

In the final eight minutes of the first period, ASU put rubber to twine three more times.  At 7:50, a great deke move by Ryan Ostertag got the goalie down and out, allowing him to find last week’s WCHA Player of the Week Brian McGinty for an easy score.

Next, after a penalty put ASU down a man, Troy Scott found Zack Holstrom who put the puck top shelf and knocked Frank’s water bottle from its perch.  Finally, with just over one minute left, Liam Norris got a takeaway in the offensive zone and finished to put the team up 5-0.

The second period was a moral victory for Weber State, especially after how poorly the first stanza went.  The lone goal of the period was scored by Chris Blessing on a shot that looked to have been tipped in front of the net before it sailed past Frank to extend the lead to six.  Other than that play, Ian Frank played very well in the second. He made save after save as the Sun Devil dialed up their pressure.

The third period included Dolinski’s second goal of the evening along with two goals by Colin Hekle. With 1:54 remaining, a smooth wrister low glove side by Patrick Yudez on a pass from behind the net by assist-master Zack Holstrom.

Not to be overshadowed by the offense, ASU goalkeeper Robert Levin put up quite the game in his own right. Levin stopped all fifteen shots the Wildcats threw at him, but he refuses to take all the credit.

“The defense kept everything outside, and they made my job a whole lot easier today,” Levin said after the game. Coach Gary Powers said that this game would not have too much bearing on the ongoing competition to be the starting goaltender between Levin and senior Joe D’Elia.

“Robert played well tonight, but you will almost definitely see Joe on Friday against U of A,” Powers said after the game.

Eight different Sun Devils put the biscuit in the basket on Friday night, showing just how deep this team is. The team looked hungry throughout and, even with a lead as big as ASU’s was tonight, kept putting the puck on net and trying to make plays on the ice.

The Sun Devils will next take the ice on Friday against the rival University of Arizona Wildcats at Oceanside Ice Arena.

You can reach Matthew Tonis on Twitter @Tonis_The_Tiger or via email at mtonis@asu.edu

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