Kozak Scores In Second Straight, McClelland Backstops ASU To a 3-2 Win

Tempe, AZ: The Arizona State Sun Devils beat Utah 3-2 in a close game to go 2-0 to begin the season.

The game tonight would begin more physically than Friday’s game. Checks were being thrown including a couple of good ones by ASU. ASU would go on the powerplay halfway through the first period with Utes’ forward MaryKate Schutt going to the box for tripping but ASU would fail to score. The powerplay ended with Utah getting a good chance to score, forcing goalie Hallie McClelland to make a nice glove save for ASU.

McClelland would once again help ASU out as a Utes player managed to get behind the Sun Devil’s defense. McClelland stoned her cold to keep the scoresheet blank.

The period would end with a tied game at zero. The Sun Devils outshot the Utes however the Utes did keep the Sun Devils at 11 shots in this game with the Utes only getting four themselves. Both goalies made terrific saves and both teams managed to get good chances throughout the period.

Early in the period, the freshman duo of Tristan Craig and Camryn Kozak struck again. Craig set up Kozak for an easy shot into the Utes’ net. With the puck going in, Kozak rushed to the left faceoff dot for a huge dogpile for celebration. 

“Honestly I’m on cloud nine. This is crazy. I’m going to try to keep the streak going as the season goes,” Kozak exclaimed with jubilation after the game. 

Kozak gets her second goal of the season and second goal in two games. A huge accomplishment for the freshman as she would put her team up 1-0. I think we can now call her ASU’s rookie sensation.

“Sure! I love it,” Kozak replied when asked about her potential new nickname. 

McClelland would once again be brilliant shortly after that, stopping some quality opportunities from Utah. She would also stop all of Utah’s shots during a roughing penalty made by ASU’s Haley Martin. Tristan Craig who was on the powerplay also got a nice chance of scoring on a one-on-one but was stopped by Utah’s Miranda De Antuano.

If you remember Mason Walker from Friday’s game for being a physical presence, prepare to hear her name again. Once again sticking up for her teammates, she took a penalty leading to a Utah powerplay. While the first half of the penalty would see the Sun Devils keeping the puck in the Utes zone, the later half would see Utah end up in ASU’s zone. Utah’s Kamden Harris took a slapshot at McClelland which would trickle into the net. This would be Utah’s first goal of the game and their season. Harris’s goal would make it a tied game at one and would also break McClelland’s shutout streak of 93 minutes and 31 seconds.

The Sun Devils wouldn’t let that tie last long however as the puck once again in front of the Utes’ net saw numerous ASU players looking for it. Captain Andi Main would grab the loose change and bank it in for another Sun Devils’ goal. It would be assisted by Jill Ketchum and Elle McKenna. Later, the goal would actually be credited to Elle McKenna, her first ever as a Sun Devil! McKenna’s first goal of the season would break the tie and put the Sun Devils up 2-1.

Like ASU after Utah’s goal, Utah steamed into Arizona’s zone with a two-on-zero chance. McClelland would stand strong, stopping the Utes’ chances. McClelland would keep even more Utah chances out of the net stopping a hard slapshot from Utah as time went by in the second period.

ASU would shake the sudden pressure from Utah off as they stormed the Utes’ zone. Sami Lutsch who was at the bottom of the faceoff circle setup forward Hayley Martin for a snipe that went in. Martin’s first goal of the season was assisted by Lutsch and Jess Dorovenis who played her first game of the season tonight. That would make it a 3-1 ASU lead.

Martin’s goal would end the action in the second period. The Sun Devils put their shot totals up to 24. Meanwhile, Utah would show their improvement over Friday’s game putting up 14 shots for a game total of 18, more than all of Friday night’s game.

ASU would be on the power play at the beginning of the third period. Halle Hansen went to the box for Utah. The power play would be delayed a bit due to poor ice conditions at Oceanside but when play resumed, De Antuano remained perfect against ASU on the penalty kill, stopping all of ASU’s shots.

ASU would shortly go to the box after a penalty from Jill Ketchum. Utah’s powerplay would connect for a goal by Gracie Capps. Capps’s shot would slowly leak by McClelland for her goal assisted on by Hansen. That would cut the Sun Devils’ lead to 3-2.

The Utes would pull their goalie with a few minutes remaining. The Sun Devils had numerous chances at Utah’s empty net but would fail to get the empty netter. The Sun Devils would still get the win 3-2. 

ASU would put up 30 shots total while Utah put up 25. McClelland was in the net the whole game and stopped all but two of the shots made by Utah. 

“I’m feeling pretty good,” McClelland responded when asked about the past two games. “My goalie coach always told me though you gotta put it behind you and focus on the next one.”

McClelland stopped 37 of the 39 shots faced this weekend which included a 93-minute span of not allowing a goal.

“That’s a really crazy stat. I honestly don’t pay too much attention to my stats so hearing that is really crazy.” McClelland said about that streak. 

The Sun Devils are now an impressive 2-0-0 in the season.

“It feels great,” Kozak said when talking about her team’s record. “I’m so glad we beat them (Utah).”

“I definitely think we have the talent and the skill (to go far in the season). It’s just more so about us wanting it. It’s about our mental game. We have the talent and we definitely can win the national championship if we want to, it’s just about wanting it,” McClelland commented about her team’s winning streak and future. 

The team’s next game is scheduled for October 21st, where they’ll take on the University of Massachusetts-Amherst at Mullins Center in Massachusetts. The next scheduled home game is currently on November 4th. The Sun Devils will play Arizona rival Grand Canyon University. The location of the game is still TBD.

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