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(K)nights Don't Scare The Devils

by thesundevils.com
Nov 17, 2022

Potsdam, N.Y. – The Arizona State ice hockey team (7-4-0) seeks to build upon a five-game winning streak as they travel to Upstate New York to take on the Clarkson Golden Knights (5-6-0). ASU is on a three-game winning streak against the Golden Knights dating back to 2020 and swept them last year when they made the trip down to Tempe. The two-game series airs on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. MST on Friday and Saturday, November 18-19. 

The road trip is the first for the Sun Devils since beating then-No. 6 North Dakota in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in Las Vegas. ASU's current road record is 2-3-0 after starting the season on a 10-day road trip which included stops at then-No. 5 Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State. In the series history between Clarkson and ASU, the Sun Devils are 3-0 when scoring more than three goals against the Golden Knights.
 

Clarkson looks to this weekend's matchup for revenge after ASU completed the two-game home sweep last December. The Sun Devils scored four goals against the Golden Knights in each game to secure the 4-3 and 4-1 wins at Oceanside Ice Arena. At the time, Clarkson was ranked No. 18 in the USCHO.com Poll and the sweep became the start of ASU's five-game win streak against opponents ranked in national polls, which also included then-No. 9 Cornell and then-No. 9 Northeastern. 

In 2022-23, the Golden Knights had a slow start at home with a 4-4 record heading into this weekend's series. Forward Alex Campbell leads the goal scoring category for Clarkson with five goals through 11 games. Campbell scored a hat trick against Colgate earlier this season. Junior defender Noah Beck - no, not the TikTok Noah Beck - leads the Golden Knights in points with 12, including eight assists.    

It might be 35 degrees and snowing in Potsdam, New York, but the Sun Devils packed the charter with some heat. ASU boasts a five-game winning streak including the toppling of then-No. 6 North Dakota as the cherry on top. The Sun Devils completed back-to-back home sweeps of Colorado College and Alaska Anchorage to bookend the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game victory against the Fighting Hawks in Las Vegas on Halloween Weekend. 
 

Pacing the Sun Devil scoresheet through 11 games this season is winger Lukas Sillinger with 10 points (3G, 7A). He's closely trailed by linemates Robert Mastrosimone (5G, 4A) and Josh Doan (3G, 6A). Junior forward Matthew Kopperud is tied for the team lead in power play goals (2) with Sillinger and Mastrosimone. 

Semptimphelter has protected the net this season in all 11 games with a .934 save percentage earning himself the number eight spot in the national rankings. Semptimphelter has a total of 342 saved goals with three recorded shutouts as a Sun Devil this season putting him at third-most shutouts in the Sun Devils program.   

SUN DEVIL NOTABLES

  • During the Alaska Anchorage series, eight different Sun Devil skaters got in on the scoring action
  • ASU dominated the offensive efforts on Saturday night against the Seawolves - putting up a season-high 43 shots on goal 
  • Senior Jack Judson is on a three-game point scoring streak
  • Arizona State's power play unit is tied for No. 6 in the nation at 27 percent. The Sun Devils have scored 10 power play goals through 11 games. 
  • TJ Semptimpheter is third in the nation for saves with 342
  • Third line magic: Jack Jensen, Ryan O'Reilly, and Ryan Alexander outpace their fellow forwards in the plus/minus category. Jensen and O'Reilly tied at +6, the high amongst forwards. Jacob Semik, the third line denseman, leads the entire team in plus/minus with a +7. 

HISTORY vs. CLARKSON
(3-4-0, 7 games since 2015)
W, 4-1 - December 11, 2021 (home)
W, 4-3 - December 10, 2021 (home)
W, 3-2 - January 25, 2020 (away)
L (OT), 1-2 - January 24, 2020 (away)
L, 0-3 - December 28, 2018 (home - Desert Hockey Classic)
L, 1-4 - November 28, 2015 (away)
L, 2-3 - November 27, 2015 (away)

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