Shorthanded Squad Stymied by #12 Wisconsin

MADISON, Wisc. -- A shorthanded Sun Devil Hockey team suffered their first loss to No. 12 Wisconsin this season, as the Badgers took a three-goal lead in the first period and never looked back on the way to a 4-0 win at LaBahn Arena on Saturday night. 

The Sun Devils (5-10-2) weren't able to get one past freshman goaltender Cameron Rowe who stopped all 11 shots he faced. 

"We're not going to make any excuses. We were just flat and bad," said head coach Greg Powers of missing four key starters. "That was really the first time in a while we just couldn't couldn't put it together, you know, the guys just didn't have it tonight, they didn't have legs, they didn't have energy."

Game two against the Badgers is set for Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. CT / 5:30 p.m. MT on FOX Sports Arizona. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• A breakdown in the defensive zone led to Wisconsin opening up the scoring, as Jack Gorniak was found backdoor unattended for a 1-0 lead.
• Nearly five minutes later, Josh Ess fired a shot through a Sun Devil defenseman that beat Justin Robbins for the 2-0 lead.
• Late in the 3rd, Ty Pelton-Byce made it 3-0 on a redirect in front off a shot from Linus Weissbach.
• Tyler Inamoto wristed a shot from the top of the slot that beat Evan DeBrouwer through traffic for a 4-0 Badger lead late in the 2nd period.

QUOTES OF THE GAME:

• "We're not gonna make any excuses. We were just flat and bad, that was really the first time in a while we just couldn't couldn't put it together, you know the guys just didn't have it tonight. They didn't have legs, they didn't have energy." -Head coach Greg Powers on the team's performance
• "The week was odd, obviously with what happened and it was tough, but not knowing exactly who was going to be able to play and who was in and who was out and it got down to the wire where we thought we would have even more guys out. You don't want to chop it up to that, but at the end we got to be better and tonight we were just flat." -Head coach Greg Powers on dealing with COVID-19 developments within the program
• "We've beaten good teams this year with some guys out. Everybody has guys out. Last time we played these guys, they had a ton of guys out. So we can't use it as an excuse, we have what we have. Yes, we're shorthanded but it doesn't excuse you to be flat and effortless and lifeless like we were tonight." -Head coach Greg Powers on being shorthanded with players out
• "It's kind of a badge of honor. We go through more adversity than anybody, especially with the nature of what we have to do the season to play, but we don't we don't want to lose. Another thing that really is a pillar of our culture is we don't make excuses. There's no excuses with us, and I'm not gonna allow COVID to be an excuse." -Head coach Greg Powers on being shorthanded
• "Those guys are huge minute eaters. Gourley is one of our biggest shutdown guys and he eats pucks, he's starting to give us more possession, picking his spots on the jump -- he had that big second goal against Notre Dame, the game that we won. And then Willie's our leader. He's our leader and he gives us that energy on the bench to how hard he plays and how hard he defends, and just kind of inserts confidence in our team. So obviously the two big losses, but guys have to step up, you know, and that's it's got to be next man up" -Head coach Greg Powers on missing Wilson and Gourley

GAME NOTES:  

• The Sun Devils were missing three key starts in the game, including the team's third-leading point earner and top power-play unit forward Ryan O'Reilly. Jarrod Gourley and Jacob Wilson also missed their first game of the season as two of the team's top-four defensemen.
• This is the second time the Sun Devils have been shutout this season with the last being at Michigan State on Nov. 20. 
• The Sun Devil penalty kill negated both penalties in the game, moving their streak to 12-straight penalties dating back to the last game against Ohio State on Dec. 18.
• Eleven shots on goal is the fewest by the Sun Devils in a game in program history. ASU put up 12 against UMass-Lowell on Jan. 30, 2016. 
• ASU's streak of five-straight games with a power-play goal ended Saturday, as the Sun Devils went 0-for-3 on the night.
• Walker's three-game goal and point streak ended against the Badgers.