TEMPE, Ariz. – Senior night always brings out emotions. Tears fell on the ice as the four Sun Devil seniors met with their families. During the game, the Sun Devils played with emotion, and the seniors performed well.
Arizona State hockey (14-19-1, 7-14-1 NCHC) beat Nebraska Omaha (11-21, 7-15 NCHC) 6-3. Senior forward Cruz Lucius scored a goal and four assists, a single-game high in points, and senior forward Bennett Schimek logged a goal and an assist.
“Cruz led the way; he wasn’t going to let us lose tonight,” Powers said. “Tonight he was (a) possessed kid.”
Lucius has set single-season high marks in goals and assists this season with 15 and 30, respectively. Schimek has set single-season career highs in assists with 30 and points with 42. He needs four goals to set his career high in that statistic.
There was one goal all weekend that Lucius did not score a point on.
“Our line was clicking a lot, I thought we had a lot of chances,” Lucius said. “Finishing our chances was a big part of it, too.”
Junior center Sean McGurn scored three assists. That was his first career game with multiple points.
The future is bright, as the youngest player on the team, freshman defenseman Lincoln Kuehne, scored his first career goal and assist. The 18-year-old is one of the youngest players in the NCAA and he came to college a year earlier than the conventional route for young talent, like what current Sun Devil Cullen Potter did last season.
“His (Kuehne) upside is tremendous,” Powers said. “I think that’s a big confidence builder for a young kid like that.”
Freshman defenseman Justin Kipkie scored the goal that broke the Sun Devils out of a 3-3 tie. Kipkie has lit the lamp four times this season, the most of the Sun Devil defensemen.
Sophomore defenseman Brasen Boser scored a goal as well. He has two goals and five assists this season, matching his freshman totals.
Freshman forwards Ben Kevan and Carmelo Crandell both had an assist.
“I think the growth of this season has been evident,” Schimek said. “I think a lot of them (the younger guys) have taken big steps.”
Sophomore forward Noah Powell had an assist, which set his single-season career high for that mark. He already logged his career highs in goals and points.
Junior forward Kyle Smolen scored the team’s only power play goal, which came in a five-minute power play. The unit went one-for-two on the night.
The penalty kill was okay, stopping three of five Maverick power plays, three of which were consecutive. Smolen took two penalties and senior defensemen Tucker Ness took one, and both players are regularly featured on the kill.
“They were all good calls,” Powers said. “Our guys got to keep their feet moving and their sticks down.”
The Sun Devils blocked 28 shots, most on the season and most since this same date last year against Western Michigan when they had 33. Boser led the team with six blocks. Sophomore forward Logan Morell set a single-game career high in blocks with five.
Arizona State won 33 of 55 faceoffs, with all five players who took faceoffs with a 50% or higher win rate. The Sun Devils were outshot 36 to 30.
Senior goalie Connor Hasley had a solid game in net. He saved 91.7% of the shots he faced.
The Sun Devils finished the game in the third period when it was tied, unlike how most of the season has gone. They scored three key goals to put the game away.
Arizona State moves up to eighth in the NCHC standings. Sixth is attainable, but the Sun Devils travel to Denver next week. Omaha, last in the conference, hosts Miami, which is tied for sixth. Colorado College is tied with Miami, and it heads to Duluth next week.
Schimek and Lucius spent the majority of their childhood playing together. They were at Providence and Wisconsin for their first two years of college, respectively, before coming to Arizona State.
“I was just a little disappointed that my last goal at Mullett was a Cruz Lucius highlight,” Schimek said.
“I’m not as disappointed,” Lucius said.