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Home Sweep Home; Hockey Locks Up Tigers in 6-1 Victory

by thesundevils.com
Oct 22, 2022

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Sun Devil men's ice hockey team (4-4-0) improved to .500 on the season after getting their first home sweep since Jan. 1-2, 2022 with a 6-1 win over Colorado College (2-4-0) on Saturday night. The Devils put on a clinic on both sides of the puck and aced the special teams efforts, going perfect on the penalty kill and capitalizing on two power play opportunities. New faces introduced themselves to a near sold out crowd as three Sun Devil skaters found the back of the net for the first time this season.

"It was a fun game, we did so many things well and with so many assets," said head coach Greg Powers. "Special teams was tremendous tonight, goaltending was tremendous, we got some freshmen on the board that played really well in some big moments, it was just a great team win."

The two wins against CC this weekend adds up to the first sweep at Mullett Arena for Sun Devil Hockey.

"It's our first sweep in this building and an emphatic one and it feels good," continued Powers.

The Sun Devils came out the gate swinging and scored their quickest goal of the season just 2:43 into the first period with a power play goal from Robert Mastrosimone, good for his fourth of the season and marking his second-straight game with a goal. 

At the midway point of the opening frame, Jack Jensen ferried the puck from the ASU defensive zone and rattled a shot onto the CC goalie from the hash marks. In tandem, Ryan O'Reilly was left wide open on the sprint and collected the rebound from Jensen for the backdoor goal. Freshman Charlie Schoen was also credited with the secondary assist. 

ASU was perfect on the kill in the first period, but would have a big call to answer after the second five-minute major against the Sun Devils was called with just four seconds remaining in the first period. Extra curricular activities behind the CC net resulted in five total penalties called between the two teams and ASU would start the second frame on another penalty kill. 

The Sun Devils had two-straight penalty kills to open the second period, including the five-minute major, adding up to their fourth and fifth kill of the night. ASU followed up the two first period goals with another pair in the second. The duo of scorers for the Sun Devils each netted their first in the maroon and gold as Teddy Lagerback and Ty Jackson pushed ASU to a 4-0 lead. 

Good things come in threes and for the third time on Saturday, ASU netted two goals in the period. Another freshman, Charlie Schoen, got in on the scoring with the first goal at 2:12 in the third period to match ASU's season-high goals scored this season.

Shortly after CC got its first of the game, but the Sun Devils clutched onto the four-goal lead. After notching two assists in the game, Tim Lovell got a goal of his own on the final power play of the night to cap off the Sun Devils' highest scoring game this season.

UP NEXT: After enjoying four games at home, the Sun Devils return to the road with a trip to Las Vegas next week for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game on October 29 against the University of North Dakota. The single game is the first time the two teams will meet in program history. 

QUOTES
Sun Devil Head Coach Greg Powers:
On Sweeping Colorado College:
"It's up there obviously, since it's our first sweep in this building and an emphatic one and it feels good. It was a fun game, we did so many things well and with so many assets. Special teams was tremendous tonight, goaltending was tremendous, we got some freshmen on the board that played really well in some big moments, it was just a great team win."

On the contributions from everyone tonight:
"We're deep, we're deep and that was one of the frustrating things in the first three weekends is that we knew we had way more and there's 15 new kids on this team. It takes time to find some chemistry and start to gel and find some confidence so this weekend was big for that."

On enjoying the win before moving on to North Dakota:
"The boys are going to enjoy their Saturday night, that's what we try to preach here is earning your Saturday by not splitting. So whatever they do I'm sure they'll behave themselves but I'm going to go home and go to bed but that's how I'll enjoy my Saturday night, but tomorrow it's turn the page and we'll wake up and get back to work on Monday."

On multiple players scoring points & creating opportunities:
"It doesn't matter who we throw out, there's really no lines on the team, we're dangerous and we're very dangerous. The goal from day one with this group was let's be hard, heavy, lets be physically aggressive and heavy on sticks and then when you play the right way you become dangerous. Tonight we were all of that, we have a high level of skill on this team and when you have kids like Teddy (Lagerback) come into his own who is a workhorse, and Ryan Alexander who is a workhorse and they're hard on pucks and getting everything into the fore check. They complement one another really well and it came together for us tonight."

On the five minute penalty kill in the second period:
"We killed seven straight minutes in the second period and really the kill was tremendous. They didn't have much they had a couple of opportunities and TJ (Semptimphelter) stood his ground and the kill was really good. We're trying to find the spear and I couldn't find it and I don't know where they found it. To come out of that scrum for five minutes was insane. I didn't agree with it but we got through it and our guys picked Dylan (Jackson) up and we got through it and I'm proud of them.

Freshman Forward Teddy Lagerback:
On his breakaway goal:
"I was pretty fond, pretty mad about the breakaway but it was a brutal move. But it was worth it since we put it in the back of the net so pretty good."



 

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