(Photo: Sun Devil Athleticf)
As the winter season starts to approach, college hockey season swings into full effect. Following its 4-1 win in Oxford over Miami Friday night, Arizona State hockey looked to complete the series sweep to open NCHC play. It took ASU five games to get its first two wins in the conference last year, as it had a chance to do it in as many games this year.
However, the Sun Devils (3-5-0, 1-1 NCHC) ran into a slew of defensive and special teams problems, finding themselves falling short to the RedHawks (7-1-0, 1-1 NCHC) by a score of 5-2, giving Miami its first NCHC win since January 13th, 2024, after it went winless in conference play last season.
ASU once again found itself down on the scoreboard early in Saturday’s contest. With just over two minutes played in the game, graduate transfer Maximilian Helgeson opened the scoring for Miami after ASU’s defense failed to clear the zone. The Sun Devils started the first period very sloppily, with missed passes left and right, which eventually led to the RedHawks’ opening goal. Failure to clear the puck was a problem all game long for ASU, as it led to both of Helgeson’s goals, including the one to tie the game up with 8:35 left in the second frame.
Although they started slow, the Sun Devils looked as if they had gotten themselves back in the game, with a goal from Ol’ reliable senior forward Cruz Lucius. Lucius has been ASU’s hottest player as of late, with seven goals in eight games for the senior. The Pittsburgh Penguins product has become ASU’s leading attacker, exceeding expectations following a disappointing junior campaign.
Lucius wasn’t the only NHL draftee on the ice for ASU Saturday afternoon. Freshman forward and New Jersey Devils product Ben Kevan helped lead the third line, but his impact was felt more on special teams. With 12:05 left in the second period, senior forward Johnny Waldron fed a cross-ice pass to Kevan off senior forward Kyle Smolen’s blocked shot, which gave ASU a 2-1 lead.
That Kevan goal was the first of two assists for Waldron in this game, as he also grabbed himself an assist on the Lucius opener. The two-point night for Waldron likely meant a little more to the senior, who transferred from Miami this past offseason. Facing a former team is difficult, but Waldron proved to be ASU’s standout performer in the loss.
Other than the Kevan power-play goal that gave the Sun Devils the lead, they finished 1-for-5 on the man-advantage. The special teams woes also came with giving up a shorthanded goal with 5:03 left in the second period, which came off the same mistakes ASU was let off the hook for in the first period: a lack of connecting passes. It turned the puck over in the offensive zone, which led to a breakaway that Miami finished off, leading the team to a 4-2 advantage after being down a goal early in the period.
The RedHawks’ surge in the second frame came from Arizona State’s sloppy play, which led to the Sun Devils only having 6 shots in the entire period. Relentless pressure from Miami followed the lack of offensive production, which eventually led to it flipping the game from 2-1 to 4-2 in a matter of five minutes. ASU would not be able to recover from its nightmare second period, only getting 5 shots in its third-period comeback effort. Miami sealed the deal with an empty net goal by sophomore forward Ryan Smith, his second goal of the game.
Overall, the flop of a second period combined with sloppy play in the offensive zone leaves the Sun Devils with a losing record and a series split with the team that finished last in the NCHC last season.
The Sun Devils will look to bounce back next weekend as they take on conference foe No. 15 Colorado College at Mullet Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
