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Champions of the Adirondack!

by thesundevils.com
Dec 30, 2023

LAKE PLACID, NY – Champions of the Adirondack! The No. 13/14 Arizona State ice hockey team (14-3-5) are champions of the inaugural Adirondack Winter Invitational after defeating No. 17 Cornell in a shootout. Kyle Smolen scored the shootout winner supplemented by goaltender TJ Semptimphelter's standout performance against the Big Red.

For the second-straight night, the Sun Devils came back after being down 2-0 in the middle frame. Jackson Niedermayer and Matthew Kopperud combined for ASU's two goals. 

The championship tilt is officially recorded as a 2-2 tie in the NCAA records and is the second tournament championship win in program history. ASU won the inaugural Ice Vegas Invitational during the 2017-18 season with a 3-2 victory over Michigan Tech. 

Game Notables

  • On Friday night against Clarkson, Kyle Smolen scored the game-winning goal. In Saturday's tilt he played the shootout hero to secure the Sun Devils' tournament victory. 
  • Senior Matthew Kopperud scored his 10th power play goal of the season to extend his NCAA lead. He's tallied seven points in the last four games (4G, 3A). 
  • Junior forward Jackson Niedermayer scored ASU's opening goal for the second-straight game. He now boasts three goals in the last four consecutive games. 
  • Niedermayer scored just 17 seconds after a Big Red goal, becoming the fastest time between goals for both teams for ASU this season. Previous high was 19 seconds versus Stonehill on Nov. 3, 2023. 
  • Rookie Tony Achille recorded his first collegiate point with a secondary assist on Niedermayer's goal. 
  • With two assists on Saturday night, Tim Lovell extended his point-scoring streak to four games (9A). 
  • Junior goaltender TJ Semptimphelter made his fourth consecutive start and finished the evening with 25 saves. 
  • ASU is now 4-1-5 in overtime games. 

First Period
Both teams battled in a back-and-forth standoff. ASU enjoyed the first power play opportunity but wasn't able to capitalize. Fifteen minutes into the frame, Cornell scored on a power play and held the 1-0 lead through the end of the period. 

Second Period
The Big Red extended their lead with another power play goal at 4:55 into the period. Seventeen seconds later, Jackson Niedermayer scored his second goal of the weekend to cut the score in half. He was assisted by Tim Lovell and Tony Achille. 

Third Period & Overtime
The Sun Devils started the final frame with one minute left on a power play. Forty-three seconds into play, Matthew Kopperud, the nation's leading power play scorer, netted his 10th PPG of the year with assists from Lukas Sillinger and Tim Lovell. Neither team could break the 2-2 tie in regulation, pushing the championship game to overtime. Despite several big chances and a continued standout performance from Semptimphelter, the game went to a shootout. 

Shootout

  1. ASU Lukas Sillinger - No score 
  2. Cornell Dalton Bancroft - No Score
  3. ASU Matthew Kopperud - No Score 
  4. Cornell Gabriel Seger - No Score 
  5. ASU Kyle Smolen - Score
  6. Cornell Winter Wallace - No Score 

UP NEXT: ASU hosts Omaha, Harvard, and UMass Lowell in the Desert Hockey Classic at Mullett Arena on Jan. 5-6. The Sun Devils will then faceoff against the Big Red again in two weeks for a two-game home series in Tempe on Jan. 12-13.

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