Sun Devils Drop Home Opener To Wolverines

(Photo: Marina Williams/WCSN)

Sensational goaltending and a slow start in the second period made the difference in the Sun Devils’ physical home opening loss at Mullett Arena on Friday.

The Sun Devils (1-2-0) may have lost 4-1 to No. 10 Michigan (2-1), but the score does not tell the whole story. ASU kept pace with Michigan for most of the game and even controlled possession for a good chunk of the first and third periods.

“I don’t have a problem with how we played overall, minus the first 10 minutes in the second period,” head coach Greg Powers said. “We did it to ourselves. You give a talented team like Michigan odd man opportunities and two-on-ones, they’re going to put them in the back of the net. They’re one of the best teams in the country for a reason.”

ASU held the shot advantage at 36-33, but Michigan graduate goaltender Logan Stein was a brick wall, stopping 35 shots. Stein came through with impressive stops on odd man rushes and cross-ice one-timers throughout the game to keep Michigan on top.

“Their guy was just probably the best player on the ice,” Powers said.

ASU’s best period was the opening frame, when it controlled the puck in Michigan’s zone quite often and created numerous high-danger scoring chances. Although Michigan ended the period with a 13-12 shot advantage, Michigan still spent more time in its own zone.

“It was a whole team buy-in,” senior defensemen Ethan Szmagaj said. “Every guy was hunting pucks, whether it was in the D-zone or offensive zone.”

Both teams were deadlocked for the majority of the opening period until sophomore left winger Garrett Schifsky tapped in a cross-ice pass from junior right winger Josh Eernisse to break the ice and give Michigan a 1-0 lead.

The first period ended with an ASU power play after graduate student defenseman Tim Lovell, a former Sun Devil, took a cross-checking penalty with 22 seconds left. ASU seemed poised to get some early momentum in the second period as they possessed 1:38 of carry-over time on a power play, but it did not work out for ASU.

Just 45 seconds into the period, Schifsky scored his second goal of the game short handed on a 2-on-1 with junior left winger Jackson Hallum. Then, with 14 seconds left on ASU’s power play, graduate student defensemen Noah Beck took a slashing penalty to negate the remainder of the power play.

Michigan took advantage of the power play and freshman center Michael Hage deflected a shot from the point by junior center T.J. Hughes into the net to make it 3-0 Michigan. Michigan’s second goal of the period in the first 3:20.

After that, ASU settled back into the game and continued to match Michigan, but Stein stood tall and kept ASU off the board. Once ASU settled back in, the physicality picked up again, with graduate student left winger Lukas Sillinger leading the way for ASU by throwing hits along the board and getting involved in skirmishes after whistles.

The physicality boiled over just over halfway through the third period when Sillinger laid a huge open-ice hit on freshman left winger Christian Humphreys that sparked a Donnybrook. By the time the referees were able to settle things down, both teams combined for 30 minutes of penalties; four roughing minors and two 10-minute misconducts. Senior defenseman Ty Murhcison and Eernisse both received 10-minute misconducts.

Shortly after the stoppage in play, ASU went back on the power play when sophomore right winger William Whitelaw took a high-sticking penalty. The Jackson twins connected on the power play for ASU’s lone goal on the night when graduate student right winger Dylan Jackson enter the offensive zone and handed off the puck to graduate student center Ty Jackson, who fired a snapshot from the left hash marks.

ASU kept the momentum and outshot Michigan 15-9 in the final period, but Stein stood tall once more.

Powers called a timeout with two minutes left and pulled the goaltender for the extra attacker and then Hallum took a hooking penalty with 1:52 to go. With a 6-on-4 advantage, things looked like they might finally go ASU’s way.

But the hope was short lived as Schifsky completed his hat trick by scoring a short-handed empty-net goal to settle things at 4-1 Michigan — his second short-handed strike of the evening.

“We’ve got to manage pucks,” Powers said. “We’ve got a tough schedule, so if you don’t manage pucks, you’re going to end up paying the price.”