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Devils are the Predator of Oceanside in 2-1 Win Over Sharks

by thesundevils.com
Mar 11, 2022

TEMPE, Ariz. –  The Arizona State men's ice hockey team (16-17-1) started its last weekend of the season with a 2-1 victory against the Long Island Sharks (10-21-3) on Friday night at Oceanside Ice Arena. Josh Doan and Colin Theisen were feeling the Sun Devil connection as they both enjoyed one goal and one assist in the game. 

Tomorrow's tilt starts at 4:05 p.m. MST and is the final game of a storied era at Oceanside. The seniors and fifth years will also be honored in a ceremony that starts at approximately 3:50 p.m.. 

Theisen got the Sun Devils on the board late into the first period with a power play goal from Doan and Matthew Kopperud. ASU then held the Sharks scoreless for the remainder of the first period. The Sharks came back early in the second to tie the game, but the score didn't remain knotted for long. Doan answered the Sharks' goal shortly after, at the eight-minute mark in the second period.
 

ASU dominated defensively and swarmed the Sharks with major help from goaltender Ben Kraws, who collected 35 saves in Friday night's tilt. It's Kraws' eighth 30+ save game of the season. 

"He's a great kid," said head coach Greg Powers on Kraws. "He's a great teammate. He is one of the hardest workers in practice every day and he was good tonight. He did what he had to do to get us the win… we got the better of the game for sure, and Ben held us in it and did what he had to do to get us a win. Anytime you hold a team to one goal it's a good thing."

Theisen's goal and assist in the opening game against LIU bumped him up to 40 total points on the season - a mark that ties an ASU program record set by James Sanchez in 2019-20 for most points in a single season. 

Kopperud extended his point-scoring campaign as well - notching his 39th point of the season with an assist on Theisen's goal. 

Josh Doan collected the game-winner with his 12th of the season. He reclaimed his reign as the nation's leading rookie point-scorer with 37 through 34 games. 

The Sun Devils play their final game at Oceanside tomorrow at 3:50 p.m. in anticipation of moving to the new on-campus arena. 

"We've both been here for five years– this is where we played our first division one game," said graduate defenseman Jacob Wilson. "There are a lot of good memories. We want to shut this place down the right way, so we're taking it all in."
 

GOAL SUMMARY
First Period
16:23 - ASU (1-0): Colin Theisen got the Sun Devils on the board with his power play goal, thanks to assists from Matthew Kopperud and Josh Doan. 

Second Period
3:44 - LIU (1-1): Former Sun Devil PJ Marrocco scored LIU's opening goal. 
7:51 - ASU (2-1): Josh Doan netted the difference maker during the four-on-four skating as a result of offsetting roughing calls. Tim Lovell and Colin Theisen were credited for the assists to give Doan and Theisen each two points on the night. 

Head Coach Greg Powers

On getting back in the win column: 
"It feels good. College hockey is hard to win and you take a win any way you can get them. You never frown upon them, and we'll take the win and focus on tomorrow."

On the pace of the game: 
"If we look at grade A's in the game, we grossly had more. Hopefully we can bear down and finish some more tomorrow, but it is what it is. It's a game for them where they've been on a long road trip, and I'm sure we're going to get there very best tomorrow and close up their season like we are going to try to close ours out. I expect a little more pace tomorrow." 

On Kraws' play tonight:
"He's a great kid. He's a great teammate. He is one of the hardest workers in practice every day and he was good tonight. He did what he had to do to get us the win. Again, I felt like if you look at grade A's, we got the better of the game for sure, and Ben held us in it and did what he had to do to get us a win. Anytime you hold a team to one goal it's a good thing."

On it being a better game this season for Kraws:
"He was just steady. He was steady and confident, and playing hard and aggressive and he played great. If he does that again tomorrow we're in great shape."

On staying aggressive up one in the third:
"Neither team has anything to lose, so I want the guys to just enjoy this and go have fun. Especially these two guys (Wilson and Walker), and the guys that have been here the longest. They've helped us build this. The message before the game was that the last month hasn't been great. That month cannot and will not define their work and what they've done for our program, and all the seniors have done for this program. If we get another win tomorrow, we want to remember this series and the tremendous things that these guys have done for us."

On Theisen's play:
"He buried the chance, and power play had some really good looks. Their goalie was really good. He made some big saves. The power play has been good for us all year, and it's been one of our real bright spots all year and they have done a great job. 

Jacob Wilson
On what it means to be at Oceanside one last time:
"We've both been here for five years– this is where we played our first division one game. There are a lot of good memories. We want to shut this place down the right way, so we're taking it all in."

Johnny Walker  
On what it means to be at Oceanside one last time:
"Yeah it was really cool to take a step back and realize what a privilege it's been. A couple times this week Jacob and I were talking about being together for five years and we were like 'should we go to dinner to say goodbye?' I don't know. It's been a privilege to be here."

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