Critical final series awaits Arizona State on the road in Denver

How quickly the 2025-26 season for Sun Devil hockey has passed.

Five months of ups and downs, hope and heartbreak, have all led to this weekend's final series of the regular season at Denver (19-11-3, 15-6-1 NCHC).

At 14-19-1 (7-14-1 NCHC), the second season for the Sun Devils in the toughest conference in college hockey has not gone according to plan. Injuries, player departures, and an all-around reality check have put the team into a humbling position, clinging to 8th place in the conference but controlling their own destiny with a 1-point lead over Omaha to avoid missing the postseason entirely.

Arizona State will be hoping to pull off the same Magness Magic that they did last November, but will be tasked with taking on the 10-time national champions who are still in the mix to lift the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions.

The Pioneers boast seven players with at least 20 points scored this season, led by defenseman Eric Pohlkamp. His 16 goals this season put him in a tie for 4th place in Denver history for goals by a defenseman, while his 31 points lead all NCAA defensemen in scoring. The top line of Rieger Lorenz, James Reeder, and Samu Salminen have been a headache for opposing goaltenders all season long, combining for 26 G-44 A-70 P, combining for a +40 rating. Junior Sam Harris anchors the second line with freshmen Clarke Caswell and Kristian Epperson, giving the Pioneers a formidable top-6.

Scoring comes from all over the lineup, as Denver enters the weekend 10th in the nation with 113 goals scored on the season. Pohlkamp represents the Pioneers as the highest ranked scorer (T-24th), showcasing how deep their scoring is as a team. All eight freshman skaters have registered at least one goal this season, while their defensive scoring is second to none. Junior Boston Buckberger (8 G-16 A-24 P) and freshman Eric Jamieson (6 G-9 A-15 P) have the Pioneers as the only program in the nation with three defensemen to have recorded 6+ goals. A true Hydra on the ice, the Pioneers present a many-headed attack that will be difficult to combat.

The injury to starting goaltender Quentin Miller could have been a major speed bump for the Pioneers down the stretch, but freshman Johnny Hicks has more than picked up the slack. Since entering as an injury replacement for Miller against St. Cloud State on January 24th, Hicks has been literally unbeatable. A 6-0-1 record in 7 games while Miller remains week-to-week, posting a shutout in 55:11 of relief in that first game with a miniscule 1.02 goals against average. If Miller is deemed healthy to start, that could be more favorable for the Sun Devils to face a goaltender coming off an injury, but at the time of this writing, Hicks appears likely to start.

Of note coming in to this series, Denver's historically strong special teams have not been a game-changing strength, entering tied for 37th nationally with an 18.9% power play and 25th nationally with an 81.3% penalty kill rate. Arizona State's penalty kill has unfortunately fared poorly this season, killing off only 77.3% of penalties taken and ranking 45th in the nation. 29 power play goals against rank second worst in the nation ahead of only Ferris State (31 PPGA), presenting a huge area of opportunity to avoid going to the penalty box against the vaunted Pioneers offense.

That being said, how can the Sun Devils knock off the Pioneers and secure a berth in the NCHC tournament? It all starts at the top with the play of seniors Cruz Lucius and Bennett Schimek. Both skaters got back to the scoresheet after long droughts, the Lucius' 7 point weekend earning him NCHC Forward of the Week honors. Cruz has set career highs in all three scoring categories (15 G-30 A-45 P), with Schimek right on his heels with new career highs in assists (30) and points (42). It will take some elite goaltending from Connor Hasley and Samuel Urban to withstand the pressure from the Pioneers, as the Sun Devils have been outshot 37-30 in 14 road games so far this season. Lastly, as mentioned above, avoiding penalties and giving Denver power play opportunities will be a critical point to pull off an upset.

The importance of this series cannot be overstated. While the Sun Devils do control their own destiny by holding the 8th and final tournament spot, the last place Omaha Mavericks will be hosting the Miami RedHawks with their season on the line, trailing the Sun Devils in the standings 22 points to 21. A regulation win for Arizona State plus a regulation loss by Omaha will lock up that 8th spot, setting the Sun Devils up with a first-round matchup at North Dakota.

Don't miss out on the final series of the regular season. Both games will stream nationally on NCHC.tv (subscription required); Friday coming at you with a 7pm puck drop and Saturday's finale at 6pm. Tyler Paley and substitute color commentator Steve Peters will have the radio call for you on Fox Sports 910 Phoenix.