TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil Hockey starts their third season of NCAA Division I play this weekend, as they host Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in an exhibition game on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at Oceanside Ice Arena. A limited amount of tickets are still available here or by calling 480-727-3530.
Head coach Greg Powers' squad features 10 new faces on the 28-man roster – the largest over the past three seasons. The nine freshmen combined for the 9th-ranked recruiting class in the country, according to NeutralZone.net.
Powers and his staff are looking forward to seeing the team build off the momentum gained down the stretch in 2016-17, and the improved level of talent across the board.
"We're figuring out if line combos are right and make any tweaks before heading into our first official week of practice," said Powers of the exhibition. "It'll be good to get a look at special teams and where we need to improve in what areas on the power play and the kill. The guys are going to make mistakes because of the limited amount of time we've been able to spend with them, but we have a good team that is going to come in and challenge us really well. We'll figure out what we have trial by fire."
The Devils return all three captains, including leading scorer in junior forward and Phoenix-native Anthony Croston. Alberta's own Dylan Hollman continues to don the 'C' for ASU, and he'll continue his chemistry with fellow alternates Croston and redshirt junior Louie Rowe on a line. The trifecta totaled 17 goals and 26 assists in 17 games together beginning in late November.
Along with the nine freshmen, the Sun Devils welcome another graduate senior for 2017-18 in forward Gage Hough. The 6-foot-1, 201-pound winger transfers from UMass-Lowell, where he played for a short stint with Hollman. In the USHL, he also shared ice time with Rowe with the Omaha Lancers in 2013-14.
Powers says fans can expect a "hard and heavy" style of play from his team in 2017-18, and that can easily be seen when looking up and down the roster.
In 2017-18, the average size of a Sun Devil skater is 6-foot-1, 195-pounds.
NAIT plays in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), and won two of the last three conference championships with a runner-up finish in 2016-17.
"I know that they're going to be really good. They have a proud history and I know their coach pretty well – he's a great guy. Their roster is littered with Alberta kids and we've made no secret how much we love Alberta kids and how hard they play. They're going to be tough to play against and are going to compete their butts off. It's going to be a great challenge. They just beat the Edmonton Oilers rookie team a couple weeks ago, so we know they have some skill and good goaltending.
"It'll be a great test for us before we head into the home opener against UMass-Amherst."
Connect with Sun Devil Hockey and the hockey community
Join the Sun Devil Hockey Pitchfork and Puck Club and help fund scholarships, enhance recruiting efforts, support academic programs, improve facilities, and provide student-athletes with a world-class training environment. This year, a $300 tax-deductible charitable contribution to the Sun Devil Hockey Pitchfork and Puck Club gives you the opportunity to attend Hockey Socials at all home games at Oceanside Arena, where you'll enter the arena 90 minutes before puck drop, hear a preview of the game from Coach Powers, and receive a free drink.
Head coach Greg Powers' squad features 10 new faces on the 28-man roster – the largest over the past three seasons. The nine freshmen combined for the 9th-ranked recruiting class in the country, according to NeutralZone.net.
Powers and his staff are looking forward to seeing the team build off the momentum gained down the stretch in 2016-17, and the improved level of talent across the board.
"We're figuring out if line combos are right and make any tweaks before heading into our first official week of practice," said Powers of the exhibition. "It'll be good to get a look at special teams and where we need to improve in what areas on the power play and the kill. The guys are going to make mistakes because of the limited amount of time we've been able to spend with them, but we have a good team that is going to come in and challenge us really well. We'll figure out what we have trial by fire."
The Devils return all three captains, including leading scorer in junior forward and Phoenix-native Anthony Croston. Alberta's own Dylan Hollman continues to don the 'C' for ASU, and he'll continue his chemistry with fellow alternates Croston and redshirt junior Louie Rowe on a line. The trifecta totaled 17 goals and 26 assists in 17 games together beginning in late November.
Along with the nine freshmen, the Sun Devils welcome another graduate senior for 2017-18 in forward Gage Hough. The 6-foot-1, 201-pound winger transfers from UMass-Lowell, where he played for a short stint with Hollman. In the USHL, he also shared ice time with Rowe with the Omaha Lancers in 2013-14.
Powers says fans can expect a "hard and heavy" style of play from his team in 2017-18, and that can easily be seen when looking up and down the roster.
In 2017-18, the average size of a Sun Devil skater is 6-foot-1, 195-pounds.
NAIT plays in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), and won two of the last three conference championships with a runner-up finish in 2016-17.
"I know that they're going to be really good. They have a proud history and I know their coach pretty well – he's a great guy. Their roster is littered with Alberta kids and we've made no secret how much we love Alberta kids and how hard they play. They're going to be tough to play against and are going to compete their butts off. It's going to be a great challenge. They just beat the Edmonton Oilers rookie team a couple weeks ago, so we know they have some skill and good goaltending.
"It'll be a great test for us before we head into the home opener against UMass-Amherst."
Connect with Sun Devil Hockey and the hockey community
Join the Sun Devil Hockey Pitchfork and Puck Club and help fund scholarships, enhance recruiting efforts, support academic programs, improve facilities, and provide student-athletes with a world-class training environment. This year, a $300 tax-deductible charitable contribution to the Sun Devil Hockey Pitchfork and Puck Club gives you the opportunity to attend Hockey Socials at all home games at Oceanside Arena, where you'll enter the arena 90 minutes before puck drop, hear a preview of the game from Coach Powers, and receive a free drink.