ASU Hockey: Sun Devils Split Series With No. 10 Ohio State

The ASU Hockey Team traveled to Columbus, Ohio, this weekend for a two-game series against the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes. The match-up was the first ever in program history.

In the first game on Friday night, No. 10 Ohio State got off to a fast start. The Buckeyes scored four, first period goals in the first 10 minutes and never looked back taking a 6-1 victory.

The story of the game was Ohio State’s deadly Power Play. The Buckeyes came into the series against the Sun Devils with one of the best man advantages in the nation.

Ohio state capitalized on their first three Power Play chances in the game with two in the first period and one in the second period.

The Buckeyes leading-scorer, senior forward Nick Schilkey, was responsible for two of those Power Play goals. Schilkey leads the entire Big Ten in scoring.

Despite the big loss, the Sun Devils out-shot the Buckeyes, 36-33.

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Arizona State’s only goal was scored by Brinson Pasichnuk half-way through the 2nd period. The freshman defenseman buried his sixth goal of the season from the top of the slot.

The second game of the series was a thriller. Arizona State tied the game at two with just 26 seconds left in the third period leading to a shootout win.

In the first period, both teams had even chances. The big impact on the game was when Nick Schilkey had to leave the game due to injury.

The Sun Devils would end up getting the scoring going half-way through the second period. The redshirt junior forward and Nashville Predators prospect, Wade Murphy, scored his seventh goal of the season on the Power Play to take a 1-0 lead.

Ohio State, however, would not be denied. The Buckeyes scored two goals in less than a minute near the end of the 2nd period, one of them short-handed.

Senior goaltender Robert Levin stood on his head for most of the game to keep the Sun Devil’s upset chance alive.

An ASU turnover led to a breakaway opportunity by sophomore forward John Wiitala that could potentially seal the win for the Buckeyes. Levin squared up with the shooter and made a huge save with his left pad denying a goal to keep the score 1-2.

With the game on the line and time ticking down at the end of the third period, Sun Devil head coach Greg Powers pulled Levin to have an extra attacker on the ice.

In the final minute of play, Arizona State went on the offensive attack looking for the game-tying goal. Sophomore defenseman Jakob Stridsburg sent a shot towards the net with just under 30 seconds to play.

Ohio State goaltender Christian Frey let up a big rebound off the shot from Stridsburg. Freshman forward, and former Ohio State Buckeye commit, Tyler Busch gathered the puck on his stick and netted the tying goal with just 26 seconds left in the game.

Overtime hockey would ensue. Ohio State had plenty of chances but Arizona state’s Robert Levin came up big again sending the game into a shootout.

The Sun Devils sent out Wade Murphy for the first attempt. He made a quick move and put the puck past Frey to score the first and only goal in the shootout.

Arizona State’s Robert Levin stopped all three Ohio State attempts for an upset victory over the Buckeyes.

In the NCAA, shootout games are recorded as ties. The Sun Devils move to 7-17-2 on the season and Ohio State is now 11-4-5.

Next: ASU Basketball: The True Test Starts Now

Arizona State returns home to Tempe next weekend to take on Southern New Hampshire in a two-game series. Both games will be at 7:05 p.m. MST on Friday and Saturday.