Arizona State closes out homestand with NCHC-leading North Dakota

How is it already the closing stages of the season? It seems like only yesterday that the season kicked off by welcoming Gavin McKenna and Penn State to Tempe.

As unbelievable as it sounds, the Sun Devils are down to 12 games left in the regular season, and will have a very pivotal series against the No. 3 (NPI) ranked North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

The second of three consecutive rematch series, the Sun Devils achieved a weekend split in Grand Forks in November, falling 5-2 in the opener but winning the finale 4-2.

Since closing that series at 4-7-1, the Sun Devils have posted an 8-4-0 record to stay at the top of the bottom half of the NCHC standings, currently sitting in a tie for 5th place with 17 points. North Dakota however has been nearly unbeatable in that same stretch. With a 10-2-0 record since that November series, the only game where the Fighting Hawks have failed to claim a point in the conference standings was a 3-2 loss last Saturday against Denver. At 32 points through 14 conference games, North Dakota holds a 5 point edge in the race for the Penrose Cup and the top seed in the NCHC tournament.

North Dakota's top-6 is where their strength lies, and especially in their second line. Freshman Cole Reschny has been as advertised since being drafted 18th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2025, leading the Hawks in scoring with 4 goals and 20 assists for 24 points. Linemates Ben Strinden and Dylan James share the team goal scoring lead with 13 goals apiece, combining for 41 points. The top line is just as dangerous, with Will Zellers putting up a 10 G-7 A-17 P line alongside Mac Swanson (4 G-11 A-15 P) and Ellis Rickwood (5 G-13 A-18 P).

If the forwards don't get you, then the defense will. Arizona native Jake Livanavage leads a trio of talented defensemen with 21 points this season (4 G-17 A), joined by Abram Wiebe (3 G-11 A-14 P) and future top-3 draft pick Keaton Verhoeff (4 G-8 A-12 P). Graduate student Bennett Zmolek is widely considered to be the glue of the team, using his physical stature to shut down opposing offenses and lead the penalty kill unit. His physical style of play has been a downfall, missing the entire 2022-23 season and playing just one game in 2024-25 due to injuries. His time off the ice hasn't taken away from his impact on the team, being voted team captain for 2025-26.

After relying on the transfer portal for goaltenders in recent years, North Dakota seems to have found their long term goaltender in freshman Jan Špunar. He's been nothing short of spectacular, taking control in net to open the 2026 side of the schedule. His 1.64 goals against average and .927 save percentage lead the NCHC in both categories, and 3 shutouts are in an 11-way tie for third most in the nation, trailing only Augustana's Josh Kotai and Northestern's Lawton Zacher. With 4 consecutive starts coming in to this weekend, expect to see Gibson Homer get the net in one of the games in his return to Tempe. The former Sun Devil holds the 5th best GAA in the NCHC at 2.43, but a subpar .895 SV%. The chance to play in front of his former home fans and get revenge for November's loss will be a motivating factor in his performance.

From an overall team play standpoint, North Dakota stands out on the special teams. One of the best power play units in the country (3rd ranked at 28.7%), the penalty kill has been stellar as well at 83.1%, outperforming their opposition by an 11.8% margin. The defensive scoring comes in as a high point as well, with 62 points coming from the blue line. The Sun Devils can steal some points in this series however if they can shut down the top two lines for the Hawks. The top-6 have carried the play with a combined 49 G-66 A-115 P, but the remaining forwards don't offer a ton of scoring depth, recording just 27 G-35 A-62 P collectively. If the Sun Devil defense can lock down the top two lines, the offense will just have to put pucks past Špunar. Easier said than done.

Working in the Devils' favor is history against North Dakota. Arizona State is one of six Division 1 teams to have a winning record against the Fighting Hawks, holding a 3-2 edge all time. The challenge will be how this team rebounds from injuries. Cullen Potter joined Jack Beck on the injury report for the rest of the season, and the status of Bennett Schimek is still to be determined as the week goes on. He was on the ice in practice on Tuesday in a non-contact jersey, but Coach Powers stated on Hell Frozen Over that no determination on his ability to play has been made. Johnny Waldron and Lincoln Kuehne should return to the lineup, but the depth that Coach Powers has touted all season long will be tested in these final 12 games.

An added bonus for the Devils is their recent play at home, winning 6 of their last 7 home games. Furthermore, Arizona State has won their last 7 Saturday games dating back to November 15th against these same Hawks. The play of Cruz Lucius keeps the offense for the Sun Devils alive, his 32 points being the most for any Sun Devil through the first 24 games of the season. Arizona State is most successful when he finds the scoresheet multiple times, going 9-1-1 when he registers at least 2 points in a game. Defensively, sophomore Joel Kjellberg has put his body on the line (literally), tied for the lead in the NCHC with 42 blocked shots. Brasen Boser also ranks in the top-5 in the conference with 40 blocked shots, despite missing 6 games to start the season.

The Sun Devils kick off the final third of their season on on Friday night from Mullett Arena. Friday's game will start at 7pm, with Saturday being the usual 5pm matinee. Both games will be broadcast in the Phoenix market on Fox 10, and streaming nationally on NCHC.tv (subscription required). Tyler Paley and Alex Coil will have the call on the radio on Fox Sports 910 Phoenix.