As ASU hockey prepares for the biggest test of the season in No. 1 Ohio State, they await some of the top athletes in college hockey.
ASU hockey got this season started with a series sweep over the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks. Captain Brinson Pasichnuk and sophomore forward Johnny Walker shined for the Sun Devils, scoring goals in each of the games to cap off two shutout victories.
Head coach Greg Powers assured that he is confident in his players, especially Walker.
“He is the epitome of ‘you want him on your team and you don’t want to play against him,'” Powers said. “He can play on my team anytime.”
ASU is 2-0 for the first time in program history, but the team must brace for an Ohio State squad that features the best of the best.
“We’ve got a few seniors and a few guys that have been around, and they are kind of the nucleus. The culture of our program is kind of surrounding these guys,” said Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik.
These key players include one of the top college hockey players today in junior Tanner Laczynski.
Last season, Laczynski was named the “B1G Player to Watch” for the 2018-19 conquest. He was also named First Team All-Big Ten, along with being a top three finalist for player of the year in the conference.
Laczynski was a dominant factor for the Buckeyes, who made the Frozen Four just a season ago.
Another top forward for Ohio State is senior Mason Jobst who will start his campaign widely feared by opponents.
Jobst is the NCAA leading active scorer with 128 points and is tied for second with 52 goals. He is also the top power play scorer in the country.
Ohio State’s offense has been nothing short of successful.
“We want to get up the rink. We want to be a transition team. I want guys to come in here and develop as they are a part of this program,” Rohlik said. “I always think a good defense leads to a good offense. I certainly think we incorporated that end of it last year, and that’s very important.”
Another key player for Ohio State is senior goalie Sean Romeo.
Romeo was a wall for the Buckeyes last season and was the first Mike Richter Award semifinalist in school history.
The Sun Devils will be tested on both sides of the puck in this series, yet the players are feeling confident.
“It’s just another hockey game,” said freshman forward Demetrios Koumontzis. “That’s another hockey team that’s coming here for a win and we’re doing the same thing.”
The first game of the series is this evening at 7 p.m. at Oceanside Ice Arena.
All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.