(Photo: Sammi Maxwell/WCSN)
For No. 14 Arizona State Men’s Hockey, the depth of its roster has been its biggest strength, entering Sunday’s series finale with 14 goal-scorers and all but six players without a single point. Sophomore forward Ryan Alexander and graduate defenseman Brandon Tabakin added to that list, each scoring their first goals of the season, en route to the Sun Devils’ 3-0 win over Alaska Anchorage.
“Today was really good, minus a stretch of about six minutes in the third period,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said.” [Anchorage] found some energy after Dylan’s penalty, but we played really good clean, hard hockey for most of the game.”
ASU’s 3-0 victory marks just its second shutout of the year, but the seventh of junior goalie TJ Semptimphelter’s career in Tempe, putting him one shy of Joey Daccord’s school record of eight. As a result of the team’s strong defensive showing, Semptimphelter earned just 19 saves in a low-action afternoon. The Sun Devils held the Seawolves to just eight shots on goal through the first two periods of play and 19 overall, the second-fewest allowed this season.
ASU’s depth was put on display once again as three players earned their first points of the season, including Alexander. He got things started for the Devils early, scoring on the breakaway up the middle just over five minutes into the first period, while senior defenseman Tim Lovell picked up his eighth assist of the year.
“It feels great. It’s been a rough start to the year, but I try to keep a positive mindset and try to believe that I can do it,” Alexander said after the game. “I don’t want to focus on points. I just want to play and be the most effective player on the ice. Then the points will come.”
“He’s one of our best players,” Powers said of Alexander. “Tonight, he’s back. He got that goal, was floor checking and playing hard. He’s been putting in a lot of extra work to get his legs firing [after his offseason surgery], and they were firing today.”
“He brought that entire line’s energy. I thought that was Alex Young and Charlie [Schoen’s] best game. Even though they didn’t find the score sheet, they both played really well,” Powers added.
In spite of the loss, Anchorage freshman goalie Greg Ososz put on an impressive performance, compiling 31 saves. However, with just under five minutes remaining in the second period, senior forward Ty Jackson found the back of the net after senior forward Matthew Kopperud’s slapshot rebounded off Ososz and landed in front of the crease for Jackson.
“That [second period] was maybe our best period all year,” Powers said. “We were that good. That kid made five, probably circus grade-A saves. They were really impressive in his only second start of his career. He was really good and he held them in it there. (…) It could have easily been a five-, six-goal game.”
Anchorage’s status as an independent added a little extra competition on Sunday as ASU senior forward Dylan Jackson was caught halfway through the third period for extracurricular activity with Anchorage freshman forward Riley Thompson. Both players were given two minutes for roughing and an additional 10 minutes for misconduct, ending their afternoons early due to the time left on the clock.
“We smothered them today on the floor check,” Powers said. “We had a nonexistent floor check on Friday and we addressed it by showing some things on film. When we were floor checking and have good sticks, we’re tough to beat. We had a couple turnovers in neutral ice [on Friday] that led to goals. It was just a good, hard effort today. I don’t think anyone wasn’t going tonight. All the effort was there, where I could honestly say Friday, I wasn’t really happy with any one player. It went from a game where I couldn’t really point to one player who had a good game and I couldn’t point to one who didn’t have a good game today.”
With the sweep, No. 14 ASU now improves to 9-2-1 overall and 9-1 at home, continuing the best start in program history. The Sun Devils will have another big test over the Thanksgiving weekend as welcome No. 5 Providence to Tempe for the first time, wrapping up an eight-game homestand.
