(Photo: Sam Farsky/WCSN)
The No. 12 Sun Devils have seemed to flush last weekend’s split with Colorado College, where they gave up four goals in the third period en route to a 5-4 loss, as they trounced Miami on the way to their first-ever win over the Redhawks.
Arizona State (15-9-1, 10-5-0 NCHC) scored six times in the final 40 minutes en route to their 7–1 win over the Redhawks (3-20-2, 0-15-0 NCHC) as their losing streak moved to 17 — a school record. Miami’s last win was Oct. 26th against Lindenwood, 4-1.
The Sun Devils’ win nets them three important points in the race for the top spot in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) standings.
A weekend series that was supposed to be the first time all year that Arizona State Hockey was fully healthy. There were no injuries, no illness and every player was available to play if needed; however, as luck — or probably better said misfortune — had it, that didn’t happen.
It should have been sweet relief for head coach Greg Powers and company, but it came crashing down before the puck even dropped in Oxford. Graduate forward Benji Eckerle, who was supposed to be on the fourth line, became a late scratch after he was hurt during dry land warm-ups, thrusting sophomore Cole Gordon into his place. The injury bug continued in the game as sophomore forward Kyle Smolen took a cross-check to the numbers that sent him chest-first into the boards and down the ASU tunnel. Luckily for ASU, Smolen later returned in the third period.
The first period came and went with little to note; the Sun Devils netted one ironically thanks to the late addition of Gordon. Smolen started the scoring chance by throwing the puck on the net, and Gordon picked up the second chance opportunity, scoring his second goal in the last three games. ASU also outshot Miami, 7-6.
The second period is where ASU started to pull away, and it began with junior forward Bennet Schimek when he picked up the first of two short-handed goals for the Sun Devils. Schimek started the rush the other way with graduate forward Artem Shlaine in tow. The two played catch, with Schimek finishing it off to make it 2-0. Shlaine leads the NCHC in short handed goals with three. The scoring party continued when junior defenseman Zane Demsey was awarded a five-minute major and game misconduct after crumpling Smolen into the boards.
Senior Ryan Kirwan decided to turn the five-minute man advantage into his own personal playground as he netted not one but two goals in the five minutes. Graduate forward Lukas Sillinger found Kirwan in the circle for the first one, then proceeded to find Shlaine at the right circle, who hit Kirwan in front of the net for the second goal. The second assist for Sillinger set a new program record for career assists at 69.
ASU continued to dominate in the third period, adding on three more thanks to freshman forward Cullen Potter, Sillinger and Shlaine, who scored the game’s second shorthanded goal. The Redhawks managed to get one to bring the score to 5-1 before the Sun Devils put the game out of reach even more. Senior goaltender Luke Pavicich made 20 saves on 21 shots for a .952 save percentage.
The Sun Devils have shown this year how they get better as the game continues, getting one goal in the first and a subsequent three in the following two on Friday night. ASU has 18 goals in the first period this season, 28 in the second and 44 in the third. There have only been four games where ASU scored more than one goal in the first.
Game two between Miami and Arizona State is Saturday, Feb. 1, at 5 p.m. MST.
