(Photo: Sammi Maxwell/WCSN)
TEMPE – With under a minute to go in the second period, freshman forward Kyle Smolen was sent to the penalty box for a face-off violation that would extend into the third period. At the time, Lindenwood had scored on two of its three power-plays so far, the last of which was as early as the 2/3 mark of the first period.
But as No. 17 Arizona State looked to kill off yet another penalty, a struggle in the Augustana series two weeks earlier, Lindenwood junior defenseman Chase Price found the back of the net to put the Lions ahead 4-3. As demonstrated many times this season, the Sun Devils showed their grittiness in Friday’s series opener, ending in a 4-4 tie, their sixth of the year and fourth at Mullett.
“We controlled pretty much every facet of the game,” head coach Greg Powers said. “They had one shift where someone was on them, and that was on their third goal. Again, it was a really fortunate bounce that went in, off our guy’s stick, into the open net. When you score four goals at home two Fridays in a row and you hold them to two shots in regulation two Fridays in a row, you need to win those two games.”
“We played well enough to win both of these games, and it just didn’t go our way. Whether you want to call it puck luck, you want to call it whatever, four goals – two Friday nights in a row – 15 shots and 18 shots in regulation, we’re playing good hockey,” Powers added.
Forward Ryan O’Reilly was one of two seniors who achieved a milestone, scoring three goals, including the shootout game-winning goal that does not count toward any official stats or records. It was his first goal since Jan. 6 vs. Omaha in the Desert Hockey Classic and just his second multi-goal game of the year.
His most impactful of the three goals was a short-handed slapshot at the right face-off dot after a pass from Smolen late in the third period, answering back Price’s power-play goal from earlier in the period. Smolen also earned an assist on O’Reilly’s second period goal, where he forced a wide open shot from mid-range between the face-off circles.
“He’s just played mean hockey for us, really all year,” Powers said of O’Reilly. “He’s a great leader, a great kid, and he was really good tonight. He had some huge goals, two seamers coming off the way those two did, it was good for our team.”
Earning two goals in Friday’s contest, senior forward Matthew Kopperud was awarded the second star of the game, answering both of Lindenwood’s goals in the first period and tying the game at 2-2 within the first 10 minutes of play. Collectively, five penalties were assessed in the first period
He earned his 100th career point while helping senior defenseman Tim Lovell set the program record for most assists in a season by a defenseman. As his team was on the power-play, Kopperud received Lovell’s pass at the opposite face-off dot and immediately fired for his 100th point and Lovell’s program record 24th assist. Kopperud’s power-play goal extended his NCAA lead with 12 on the season, and ranked him ninth all-time at the NCAA Division I level.
“He’s a goal scorer and is playing well,” Powers said of Kopperud. “He’s playing with some desperation. I was really happy with his game and he’s been playing his best hockey of his career in the last three to four weeks.”
Friday’s contest saw parallels to ASU’s previous Friday opener against Augustana. Unlike the Augstana game, ASU junior goalie TJ Semptimphelter played the full 65 minutes, and made three monumental saves in overtime, despite a rocky first period. Lindenwood junior goalie Trent Burnham compiled 16 on the night.
After the game, Powers’s biggest need for improvement was saves and announced that sophomore Gibson Homer will start between the pipes on Saturday, for the sixth time this season. In other roster news after the game, Powers said that senior forward Ty Jackson was not cleared in time, but will return next week against Alaska Fairbanks.
Against Augustana, the Sun Devils allowed five goals on just 15 shots. On Friday, the Lions scored four on 20 shots on goal.
“The only difference tonight was that we didn’t give up a breakaway with 30 seconds left,” Powers said. “I don’t think there’s a person in that building that watched that game who doesn’t think we were the better team tonight and probably deserved a better fate, but it didn’t go our way. It was a hard-earned tie and shootout win. Tomorrow, we can’t leave no chance.”
Following the tie and some key upsets around college hockey, the Sun Devils have now dropped three spots in the USCHO Pairwise rankings and currently tie with Northeastern at No. 20. Thus, Saturday’s finale brings a heightened importance for the slight postseason odds that may remain. A loss or another tie would almost certainly push them out of the running for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. Game Two is set to begin at 5 p.m. MST.
