Sun Devils top Sharks 4-2, tie program record for Wins

(Photo: Marina Williams/WCSN)

Tempe, AZ – The game felt different from the drop of the puck in Sun Devil hockey vs Long Island. ASU struggled early to get their legs going, allowing LIU to have a strong first period. Secord period comes along, ASU seems to find their footing, and away the game goes.

With plenty of momentum and slow legs, No. 20 Arizona State Hockey (22-7-6) beat Long Island University 4-2, tying their single-season program record in wins.

However, it took work for ASU.

“First period, I thought we were clearly sleepwalking.” Head coach Greg Powers said. “It just was quiet, and there was no passion really either way. But we picked it up in the second and started playing with some pace and moving our feet, and getting pucks in and establishing a little bit of a forecheck. Then most importantly, guys started to put pucks on net and just drive the net, and that’s when good things start to happen, and we opened it up a bit.”

Sleepwalking is precisely how it felt. Despite ending the first period with a goal, ASU hockey only mustered up three shots on goal to LIU’s nine. ASUs lone goal from junior forward Jackson Niedermayer was the lone bright spot.

Senior forward Alex Young made an excellent play, dancing through three Sharks on his way to the net before getting tripped up. While falling toward the ice, Young slid the puck across the ice to Niedermayer (who was trailing in on the play). Niedermayer buried the pass in the net behind graduate student goaltender Brandon Perrone.

Not long after, though, Long Island found the answer on the power play, ending the first period tied 1-1.

“Honestly, I felt like we kind of came out of the gates a little bit flat-footed,” senior forward Lukas Sillinger said.

“It was ridiculous; it was all east-west, no north-south,” Powers said when asked if the first period was too cute. “We had a two-on-one and tried to drop and pass it to a trailer instead of just driving to the net, and playing it the right way, so once we simplified and started playing the right way, we were pretty good.”

Simplicity was the change from the first 20 to the remaining 40, as ASU came out strong, potting two quick goals just past the period’s halfway point. Amid an offensive zone chance for ASU, senior forward Ryan O’Reilly went to the front of the net and found the puck there almost waiting for him thanks to the work of senior forward Benji Eckerle and freshman forward Kyle Smolen, who had both worked the puck around the perimeter before sending it net front.

Not even three minutes later, sophomore forward Charlie Schoen kept the momentum in ASU’s corner, cleaning up the lost chance from senior forward Tim Lovell’s slap shot. Lovell’s slap shot bounced off Perrone straight to Schoen, who showed no hesitation in his shot. Sillinger was also credited with an assist, breaking the single season program record for assists with 32.

However, with under a minute to go and on the man advantage – due to a Dowd cross-check penalty – LIU cut the deficit back to one with their second power-play goal of the night. However, that was as close as they could come.

Through 40 minutes, the game had changed from a sloppy ASU start to a more regulated approach. Shots on goal showed more promise, with ASU outshooting LIU 14 to six in the second.

Quickly into the third, the momentum carried Niedermayer to another goal. Sophomore defenseman Aj Casperson was trying to break the puck out of the defensive zone for LIU before Niedermayer committed highway robbery to steal the puck at the circle, resulting in an unassisted goal.

“I think the first one was all [Young],” Niedermayer said. “I kind of just went to the net; good things happen. Second one, I kind of read the guy, saw he was kinda trying to go to the middle, and I just cut him off. Luckily, the puck stayed within reaching grasp and just put it five hole.”

With a chance to set the single-season record for program wins on Senior Night this coming Saturday, ASU can not afford a slower start.

“There’s no reason on senior night tomorrow for our guys not to come out and put their very best effort of the season on the ice,” Powers said. “Most importantly, we want to send the seniors out, but we want to send fans home that have supported us so well all year, feeling really good about the trajectory of where our programs going.”