Arizona State prepares for weekend series against regional rival Denver

Arizona State and Denver are set to write another chapter into their rivalry this weekend at Mullett Arena.

With 17 games played dating back to the 2016-17 season, the Pioneers are tied with Alaska-Anchorage for the most frequent opponent in Arizona State's young program history. The Pioneers own the all-time series with an 11-5-1 record, but recent history has been kinder to the Sun Devils. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Arizona State holds a slight 4-3-0 edge over Denver, including winning the 2024-25 regular season series 3-1-0 before falling in the semifinal of the 2025 Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul.

The first matchup of last year's home-and-home season series in November was akin to David slaying Goliath as the Sun Devils reeled off unlikely 3-2 and 5-2 wins, with the return series in Tempe producing a split that saw both games decided in overtime.

At 8-3-1, the Pioneers enter this weekend on a 5-game winning streak after a couple of growing pains getting used to the new normal on the roster. Gone are playmakers such as Jack Devine, Zeev Buium, and Aidan Thompson who were instrumental in the offensive success of their recent championship years. A youth movement has taken place in Magness Arena, led by freshman forward Clarke Caswell. A 2024 draft pick of the Seattle Kraken, Caswell has been a point machine for the Pioneers, recording a point in all but three games so far with a scoring line of 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points. Fellow freshmen Kristian Epperson (2025, Los Angeles Kings) and Brendan McMorrow (2025, Los Angeles Kings) bolster the freshman corps, which is set to thrive under a strong group of returning forwards including seniors Rieger Lorenz and Samu Salminen, junior Sam Harris, and sophomores Hagen Burrows and James Reeder.

It's rare to see a defenseman leading a team in scoring, but that's exactly what junior Eric Pohlkamp brings to the ice for the Pioneers. With 8 G-3 A-13 P, Pohlkamp is the only Pioneer registering at least a point per game on this balanced Pioneer roster. Defensive partner Boston Buckberger is nipping at his heels with 10 points (2 G-8 A), returning for his junior season after missing the NCAA tournament last year with an upper body injury suffered during the Frozen Faceoff championship game. Youth once again plays a role on the blue line with freshman Eric Jamieson showing offensive skill with his 5 G-3 A-8 P line to start the season. Senior captain Kent Anderson and junior Garrett Brown provide leadership and depth for the Pioneers defensive corps.

The big question mark for the Pioneers was how they would overcome the departure of goaltender Matt Davis. Freshman Quentin Miller has resoundingly put to rest any hint of regression with a 7-2-1 record in 10 games so far, posting a 1.58 goals against average and a .942 save percentage. On the chance that head coach David Carle gives Miller a night off, junior Paxton Geisel offers little deviation in play, posting a 1-1-0 record with a 1.53 GAA and .943 SV%. No matter who is in net for the Pioneers, the puck stops with them having allowed two or fewer goals against in 9 of their 12 games so far.

Long a hallmark of David Carle's teams, the Pioneers are a disciplined team, averaging 8.5 penalty minutes per game. Their penalty kill rate of 87.9% ranks in the top 10 in the nation, challenging the Sun Devils' power play unit that has shown some improvement to climb to 23.7% on the season (16th nationally). Conversely, Arizona State's 31st ranked penalty kill (81.3%) will need to buckle down and hold the line against Denver's 36th ranked power play (17.5%).

Top to bottom, Denver is the toughest opponent on the Sun Devils' schedule this season. Any player on the roster is capable of scoring, with Kent Anderson being the only skater to appear in a majority of games to not record a single point. Both teams will be entering this weekend with bulletin board material on their minds. Denver won't soon forget the sweep at the hands of the Sun Devils a year ago, while Arizona State will be looking to avenge their season-ending loss in the Frozen Faceoff this past March.

The Sun Devils and Pioneers will play their two game set from Mullett Arena on November 21st and 22nd. Limited tickets remain through the box office for both games to be a part of another thrilling weekend of hockey.