Devils in Detail
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ASU Hockey: Sun Devils Sweep Simon Fraser in Final Home Series

By Nicholas Badders

Nov 8, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky enters the stadium prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky enters the stadium prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /
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With only three games remaining, the ASU hockey team hosted the Simon Fraser Clan for one last game at home, a night removed from topping the best team in the BCIHL by a score of 8-1.

Before the game was even underway, there were many factors surrounding the conclusion of ASU hockey’s home schedule. After an aggressive second half the previous night, many wondered how much aggression would be on the ice on Saturday. In addition, Simon Fraser’s undefeated goalie Lyndon Stanwood allowed eight goals, five in the second period and three in total to Brinson Pasichnuk.

The first period started off with a significant amount of pressure from SFU, something that was few and far between the previous night for the Clan. The added pressure resulted in the first three penalties of the game being called on Arizona State, the second of the three resulting in a Simon Fraser power play goal.

Despite a 2-13-2 record when their opponent scores first, Arizona State did not let up, quickly retaliating just minutes later, as Anthony Croston scored yet another goal, with assists coming from Jake Clifford and Louie Rowe to tie the game at one.

Moving forward, the rest of the game was dominated by Arizona State. Jakob Stridsberg gave the Sun Devils the lead heading into the second period, with a goal at 18:49 at the end of the first frame.

Edward McGovern and Jaret Babych were given coincidental minors with 23 seconds left in the first period for roughing after a tussle broke out in front of the Arizona State bench. The 4-on-4 action carried into the second period, a period that quickly turned disastrous for Simon Fraser.

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On Friday night, the second period was where the game slipped away from Arizona State and Saturday gave the fans Déjà vu, with the Devils once again putting the game out of reach for their opponent in the middle period.

Brandon Tidy was called for holding at 1:28 into the first, mere seconds after both teams were back to full strength on the ice. 26 seconds after that, Darnel St. Pierre joined him in the Simon Fraser sin bin for slashing, giving Arizona State a huge 5-on-3 opportunity.

As the 2-man advantage was coming to a close, ASU’s Wade Murphy found an opening, squaring up with the goal and firing in a shot to give ASU their 3rd power play goal of the series. On the goal, graduate transfer Robbie Baillargeon notched his second secondary assist of the night, also getting the credit for one on Stridsberg’s goal at the end of the first, one that freshman Riley Simpson was giving an assist for as well.

Darnel St. Pierre was able to escape the penalty box without leaving any more damage on the ice, but it was captain Brandon Tidy once again who hurt the SFU Clan, as a slashing call at 8:19 gave ASU the momentum they needed to extend their lead. Brett Gruber gave ASU back-to-back nights of scoring two power play goals as the penalty kill for Simon Fraser was winding down once again.

Two more penalties were handed out to Simon Fraser and one was given to Arizona State before the close of the second period, at which point the Devils had a comfortable 4-1 lead.

In the first two periods, one of the few bright spots for Simon Fraser was 3rd year goalie Jordan Liem. With Lyndon Stanwood being blown apart the night before, shattering his goals per game, save percentage and win-loss record, Liem held his own against a strong ASU team, saving 29 shots and allowing 4 goals, compared to the 24 shots saved and 6 goals allowed the night before.

Once again, the third period was the sloppiest by far for these two teams, with passes from both teams looking much less crisp and fatigue starting to set in. After a Jakob Stridsberg slashing penalty, things remained fairly calm for the rest of the period, or at least until the final five minutes, when the chirping and rough play began to escalade quickly.

Simon Fraser’s Daniell Lange brought SFU closer with a goal at the 15:44 mark, seemingly giving the Clan the momentum they needed, but that momentum was killed just a few minutes later, when Zack Klebaum was sent to the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Exactly one minute after the Klebaum penalty, the game exploded. A full fight broke out between the two teams, sending three players to each respective penalty box.

After everything was sorted out, ASU’s Drew Newmeyer, Louie Rowe and Brinson Pasichnuk were given two-minute minors for roughing, meaning they were going to be out for the rest of the game. Simon Fraser’s Sam Chatterley and Darnel St. Pierre were also called for roughing, with Newmeyer, Rowe, Chatterly and St. Pierre also being given 10-minute game misconduct penalties.

In the third period, Drew Newmeyer, one of four seniors on the team, stepped away from playing his usual defensemen position and played up front as a forward, as he was one of a few Sun Devils without a goal on the season. It was while he was up front that the scrap broke out, a scrap where Newmeyer sent a Simon Fraser player to the ground, before being broken up by the referees.

“Yeah, I just couldn’t score, so I thought I’d try something else,” Newmeyer said. “Things happen, emotions get going. Maybe not the smartest thing to do, but it is what it is.”

Newmeyer and senior goalie Robert Levin were the lone players on this Arizona State team still with the program after their ACHA Championship win in 2014.

When asked about Levin, coach Greg Powers said, “He’s everything to our program. Him and Drew (Newmeyer), they’re pioneers, you know, they won a national championship, that put us on the map, that raised awareness, that did everything that put us to where we are now.”

As the Sun Devils closed their home slate, players took time to reflect on their season. While only with the program for one year and believes it went by too quickly, transfer Robbie Baillargeon is very glad he came to the west coast.

“I don’t regret this decision at all to come here.” Baillargeon stated. “It was probably one of the best years of my life playing hockey with this group of guys. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Next: Top Storylines for ASU Athletics in 2017

Moving Forward

With only two games left on the schedule, ASU hockey has a week off, then heads to Kalamazoo, Michigan for a series with the United States Under-18 Developmental Team, a series that will close out their first full season as an NCAA team.