No. 16 Sun Devils resume NCHC play against No. 14 North Dakota

(Photo: Marina Williams/WCSN)

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Arizona State hockey has been red-hot over the past five weeks. Ending 2024 with five straight victories before beginning the new year with a second consecutive Desert Hockey Classic championship, the Sun Devils look to continue riding the wave of momentum into the return of in-conference competition to Mullett Arena.

ASU (10-7-1, 5-3 NCHC) plays host to No. 14 North Dakota (11-7-1, 6-2 NCHC) for a home series this Friday and Saturday. The Fighting Hawks are a tough draw for a team that hasn’t played a NCHC opponent in over a month, boasting a recent winning streak of their own that helped them surge to second in the conference table.

“This is generally when they’re good every year,” head coach Greg Powers said. “They make their push to win the league and they’re in a great spot to win the league so they know from experience how big a weekend like this is, playing a team right behind them in the standings.

The core aspect that has made North Dakota one of the premier programs within NCAA hockey is consistently having a top-tier power play unit. This season is no exception with the Fighting Hawks sporting a 27.6% success rate which has them sitting at fourth in the country.

This could potentially spell trouble for the Sun Devils since establishing an effective penalty kill remains a work in progress. ASU has 16th worst in penalty-killing percentage at 80%, and although the team saw improvement when it went 1-for-1 in a win over Cornell, the unit still isn’t up to standard.

“We’ve played really elite teams all year so understanding the importance of killing plays when you can kill plays,” Powers said. “You have to have great sticks and take pride in the defensive side of the puck.”

In hopes of offsetting this area of concern, Arizona State will receive a huge addition to its lineup with junior forward Cruz Lucius returning from injury. After spending the entirety of the season thus far on the sideline, the Wisconsin transfer fresh off a 34-point season will finally step onto the ice as a Sun Devil for the first time.

“I don’t expect Cruz to be Superman this weekend and I don’t think anybody should expect that with that long of a layoff,” Powers said. “But he will make an impact. Cruz at 80% is really really high-end college hockey player, so we’re excited to get him in the lineup and get a jersey on him.”

Between the pipes for the Fighting Hawks will be a very familiar face in former Sun Devil T.J. Semptimphelter. The graduate goaltender spent two seasons in maroon and gold that saw him rank second all-time in wins and tie the program record in career shutouts. Carrying a 10-5 record and .903 save percentage amid his final season at the college level, Semptimphelter makes his return to the arena where he secured a legacy as one of the best netminders in program history.

“It’s always weird playing one of your old players,” Powers said. “It’s always good to see those guys. They did a lot for our program and we’re pulling for them every weekend minus when we play them. It’s going to be mostly an interesting and kind of weird experience for him more than anybody.”

While ASU ended the first half of the 2024-25 season on a strong note, having to take on North Dakota right out of the gate to begin the second is the perfect reminder that the job is far from finished for the Sun Devils. Another potential statement for the Sun Devils comes down to who has the greater momentum and if special teams play continues to trend upward.

“It’s just getting everybody on the same page on the kill,” Powers said. “Making sure our goalies understand they have to be our best killer and on the power play, just a little bit more intensity. A little bit more focus and drive. Understanding that that pressure is a privilege and whether it’s tying a game up or extending the lead in a crucial moment, using those situations to our advantage and really embracing them.”

Game one of the series starts at 7:00 p.m. MST Friday followed by the finale on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. MST.