In its season-opening series, Arizona State hockey played two very similar games against Penn State on Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday night, hockey was up to begin the third period and let in four goals, losing the game. It was a similar story on Saturday.
No. 14 Arizona State hockey (0-2) lost to No. 5 Penn State (2-0) in a third-period meltdown that saw the Nittany Lions score their only four goals in the game. The collapse ended in a 4-2 loss.
“I probably should have put the second unit out, but I believe in our guys and I thought that they could go out there and win us a game,” head coach Greg Powers said. “I was wrong, they lost us the game.”
The power play was inefficient for the Sun Devils. They went 0-6 and allowed a shorthanded goal, including going 0-4 in the third period. That shorthanded goal made the score 2-1 Arizona State, but it was the momentum shift Penn State needed.
The Sun Devils' power play unit did not have many chances to shoot, as at times they struggled to get into the offensive zone. It failed to convert a five-on-three opportunity as well. It is 1-12 (8.35) on the season, a far cry from last year’s 29.6%.
“We just weren't hard enough,” senior forward Bennett Schimek said. “We were turning over too many pucks.”
Schimek and senior forward Cruz Lucius each had their first goal of the season as the duo played on the first line. Schimek, freshman defenseman Justin Kipke and junior center Sean McGurn all collect an assist each, all of their first on the season. Sophomore forward Cullen Potter had an assist, his second of the season.
Arizona State only committed four penalties as junior defenseman Anthony Dowd had two costly penalties in the third period. His first one was a retaliation cross-check after Penn State junior forward Matt DiMarsico plowed into Arizona State senior goaltender Connor Hasley. If Dowd does not commit a penalty, the Sun Devils go up five-on-three for a minute and six seconds, followed by another 54 seconds of a one-man advantage.
Dowd’s second penalty was the more costly one. He was called for elbowing at 2:47 left in the third, as the play was reviewed to be upgraded to a major penalty, but it was kept a two-minute minor. On the Penn State power play, freshman forward Gavin McKenna scored, making the game 3-2 in favor of the Nittany Lions. That was the projected first pick of the 2026 NHL entry draft's first collegiate goal.
The Sun Devils went 1-3 on the penalty kill. The unit is 3-8 (37.5%) for the year, a downturn from last year’s 16.5%.
Hasley had a solid game in net despite the loss. He racked up a .933 save percentage with 42 saves. That is two nights in a row that Hasley has made 40 saves or more, as it is a high workload.
“He (Hasley) was lights out,” Schimek said. “I feel like we let him down a lot of ways in the third period in both those games.”
Unlike last year, the Sun Devils won the majority of their faceoffs, winning 42/71. McGurn and sophomore center Logan Morrell went 16-21 and 14-21, respectively.
The Sun Devils host the Icebreaker tournament next week, as they will play Notre Dame and one of No. 13 Quinnipiac or Alaska Fairbanks.
The weekend was a decent showing for the Sun Devils with 17 new players, as at times looked to be the better team, but they could not finish games off.
“We can clearly play with anybody, but we're beyond moral victories here,” Powers said.