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ASU Hockey: Sun Devils Outlast Minutemen in Season Opener

By Ethan Schmidt

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the Oregon Ducks T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oregon won 80-57. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the Oregon Ducks T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oregon won 80-57. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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ASU hockey opened its NCAA regular season against UMass-Amherst holding off a late attack by the Minutemen to win 5-3.

ASU hockey (1-0-0) and its leaders came to play on Friday night. Captain Dylan Hollman and alternatives Anthony Croston and Louie Rowe showed up big time as their line finished with a combined two goals and six assists.

“That’s what you want out of your leaders,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said of his top line. “They really stepped up tonight.”

Redshirt junior Louie Rowe was the first star of the game. He tallied a goal and earned two assists against the Minutemen (0-1-0).

“I thought our speed was great and I thought our decision-making was fast,” Rowe said. “I think we really pushed the pace.”

Both teams brought physicality to the battle. The Sun Devils and the Minutemen combined for 15 penalties.

Arizona State was the only team that found the back of the net on one of the many power play opportunities on both sides. Sophomore defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk scored a power-play goal late in the second period to take a 2-1 lead that the Sun Devils never lost.

Rowe scored just over a minute later in the last minute of the second period. The Sun Devils took a 3-1 lead into the locker room.

Sophomore goaltender Joey Daccord had a solid night in net for ASU recording 18 saves and shutting out the Minutemen power play five times.

“We’re always confident with him back there,” Rowe said of Daccord. “I think it shows we are more aggressive and being more offensive and taking more risks. We know we have a solid guy back there that we can trust and that we can lean on him when we need him.”

The Sun Devils extended their lead with just over six minutes remaining in the third period. Hollman threaded the needle on a pass across ice to junior defenseman Joey Raats for a perfect one-timer.

UMass fought back with two goals in just two minutes toward the end of the third period, cutting the deficit to one goal, 4-3. Freshman Marc Bozzo and sophomore Jake McLaughlin were the Minutemen responsible.

“They had a couple of opportunities, and those two kids buried those two goals,” Powers said. “Good for them and we will go back at it tomorrow.”

Minutemen freshmen Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro, the two highest draft picks in program history, each had an assist in the loss to the Sun Devils. Makar was selected fourth overall by the Colorado Avalanche and Ferraro was taken 49th-overall by the San Jose Sharks.

Hollman sealed the 5-3 victory with an empty net goal on a wrap-around chance. The Sun Devils notched a season-opening win for the first time in Division-I program history.

Next: ASU Hockey: 2017-18 Season Preview

The Sun Devils and Minutemen will meet again at Oceanside Ice Arena on Saturday, Oct. 7th, to finish the series. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m. MST.