TEMPE – The Arizona State ice hockey team (7-7-0) fought until the final buzzer in the 3-2 loss against No. 2/2 Minnesota (11-4-0) in what is just the second defeat at home this season for the Sun Devils. ASU brought the pressure to Minnesota, holding the Golden Gophers to a season low for shots on goal but a late third period goal was eventually the deciding factor in favor of Minnesota. Dylan Jackson and Ryan Alexander scored for the Sun Devils in front of a sellout crowd on Black Friday at Mullett Arena.
ASU has now held six of its last seven opponents to 30 shots on goal or less. On Friday night, ASU held UMN to 24 while the Sun Devils tacked 30 onto the Golden Gopher netminder. The Sun Devils tallied 30 or more shots in four of the last five games.
The two teams of Maroon and Gold will rematch tomorrow, Saturday, November 26 at 7 p.m. MST at Mullett Arena.
QUICK BITES
Minnesota landed on the board first with two unanswered goals in the first period to take the 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.
The Sun Devils didn't take long to light the lamp in the second period as Dylan Jackson bolted onto the score sheet with a shot that defelected off the heel of his stick thanks to a shot from Tim Lovell at the blue line. Lovell and Tanner Hickey were awarded the assists. Minnesota managed just six shots on goal in the second and were held scoreless in the frame which cut the Sun Devil deficit to one heading into the second intermission.
An early goal came for the Golden Gophers in the third period allowed the second-ranked team in the country to take back their two-goal cushion, but the Sun Devils didn't falter. Ryan Alexander netted a goal off a scrum in front of the net and gave ASU a surge of hope with three minutes remaining in regulation. ASU took the timeout and decided to pull goaltender TJ Semptimphelter in favor of the extra skater with two minutes remaining. The empty net created chaos and the energy at Mullett Arena swelled as ASU managed a few tough shots, and a few empty net misses from Minnesota sure helped, but ASU ultimately fell just short of the upset victory in exchange for a 3-2 loss.
The Sun Devils have a chance at redemption tomorrow night to close out the series against Minnesota. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 pm and will be streamed again via Pac-12 Insider.
QUOTES FROM THE POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
Head Coach Greg Powers
On tonight's game:
"I am really happy with how our team played. I thought that our guys played really well and they battled really hard. That's an unbelievably good team that probably deserved a better fate but we made it through mistakes. That team is so good that they are going to pave their way when you make mistakes. Tomorrow hopefully we can capitalize on some chances that we didn't tonight."
On it feeling like the North Dakota game:
"We never lacked belief on our bench, even when down two. We've been there, against North Dakota, and I thought it was an opportunistic two-nothing lead by them. They are incredibly good, but we just couldn't find the equalizer. Mastrosimone had a breakaway in the second, Kopperud had an open net on the power play and missed it, Sillinger missed the tap in there at the end. It's just how it goes. I thought their goalie was really good."
On creating more opportunities tomorrow:
"It's how you have to score against teams like this. You just have to hold in the paint, and tonight we did. They had a nice power play goal, then a really good goal off the rush through a really good transition. That's what we try to limit, their transition, because they are so dangerous at it."
On Michigan goal changing the bench vibe:
"No. I didn't see a shift, didn't feel a shift. There was no lack of belief. Guys fought, literally, till the final horn. I'm happy with how our guys played, I'm proud of them. They battled their tails off for 60 minutes and played hard. I think we had one guy not go in tonight, and that's what it takes against a team that good."
On TJ's game evolution:
"Their two goals in the first were pretty opportunistic of them and I don't think anybody is going to stop those. And certainly the third one, nobody would stop that. It's just out of the world skill. But, he was good. He probably made four or five really big saves for us that held us in the game. And he had a huge save when down two-nothing that allowed us to stay in it. He did his part, he did his job tonight. We held that team to 24 shots. I thought defensively the effort was really good. It's now six out of the last seven games that we have held out opponent to under 30 shots, and that is a winning recipe. We'll start scoring, it will happen, we just really have to push."
On what needs to be done to fire up the pp:
"Tonight it was disappointing, we could have tied it up in the second there. They had a pretty sloppy one in the first. I think it needs to be a little more intense. Passes going through sticks, it just needs to be more intense. Just because you have one more player on the ice doesn't mean you can run it up. Their kill is going to be going super hard."
On what was learned about Minnesota that will help win tomorrow:
"They're really good. Their first line is probably the best line in college hockey and their d-core is out of this world deep and very talented. They have four, probably five, guys that are going to be in the NHL in four months. That's pretty good, they're well coached. Tonight they had very good goaltending, so they're going to be a really tough outlook for anyone who gets in the NCAA tournament, no doubt."
On season defining wins:
"It's not a make or break game, but it could make us, tonight could have too. Our guys have a belief, a genuine belief, every time we take the ice that we're going to win. And you saw that tonight. We don't feel like we are a 7-7-0 team. Two overtime losses and one with 16 seconds left against Clarkson. Tonight I thought we carried plenty more stretches then they did. We just have to find a way to start winning these close games, and when we do we're a team that can reel off a lot of wins on their own."
Junior forward Dylan Jackson
On going against a top ranked team:
"They're a really skilled team, but I thought we battled hard. We were good on the forecheck and we had a lot of positive chances so we just have to bury them tomorrow."
On being down then picking up pace:
"We weren't too worried about being down two-to-nothing because we have been there before. We thought we were going to be able to battle back, but it was just too bad that we couldn't."
On what's going to put them above them tomorrow:
"I think we found out that we can play with them tonight, so just go into the game confident. We can't start down two-nothing. I think if we get the lead or have a better first period, then we might have a better result."
On timeout message:
"We have our systems there for the six on five, so we know what we need to do there. But just putting pucks on the net and crashing the net. We had a close one at the end there, but just putting pucks on net."
On message in locker room for tomorrow:
"Just stick with it, we found out we can play with these guys. Obviously starting down two-nothing isn't great, but having a better first and competing like we did in the second and third."
On bearing down with a hard schedule:
"It's tough, but I think starting off the game on the right foot and getting the lead early helps. But like you said, they are all great teams but we are too."
ASU has now held six of its last seven opponents to 30 shots on goal or less. On Friday night, ASU held UMN to 24 while the Sun Devils tacked 30 onto the Golden Gopher netminder. The Sun Devils tallied 30 or more shots in four of the last five games.
The two teams of Maroon and Gold will rematch tomorrow, Saturday, November 26 at 7 p.m. MST at Mullett Arena.
QUICK BITES
- Friday night's extra defenseman Tanner Hickey tallied his first point of season, a secondary assist on Dylan Jackson's opening goal for ASU.
- Ryan Alexander's goal was his first since scoring at home against Colorado College on Oct. 21
- Third line stays humming: Ryan O'Reilly, Demetrios Koumontzis, and Ryan Alexander all finished the night with +1 while the latter two both notched points versus UMN
- Defenseman Tim Lovell is on a three-game point scoring streak with his primary assist tonight (1G, 3A). Lovell has tallied a point in five of the last seven games and is also one of only three Sun Devil skaters to record a three point night so far this season.
- In three of the last four games against ranked opponents this season, the final score has always been within one
- L, 2-3 vs. No. 2 Minnesota, Nov. 25, 2022
- W, 3-2 vs. No. 9 North Dakota, Oct. 29, 2022
- L, 2-3 vs. No. 5 Minnesota Duluth, Oct. 1, 2022
Minnesota landed on the board first with two unanswered goals in the first period to take the 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.
The Sun Devils didn't take long to light the lamp in the second period as Dylan Jackson bolted onto the score sheet with a shot that defelected off the heel of his stick thanks to a shot from Tim Lovell at the blue line. Lovell and Tanner Hickey were awarded the assists. Minnesota managed just six shots on goal in the second and were held scoreless in the frame which cut the Sun Devil deficit to one heading into the second intermission.
talk about threading the needle ??@timlovell18 ?? #TwitterlessDylan for an absolute MASTERPIECE ?? pic.twitter.com/Ek7Q0obanp
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) November 26, 2022
An early goal came for the Golden Gophers in the third period allowed the second-ranked team in the country to take back their two-goal cushion, but the Sun Devils didn't falter. Ryan Alexander netted a goal off a scrum in front of the net and gave ASU a surge of hope with three minutes remaining in regulation. ASU took the timeout and decided to pull goaltender TJ Semptimphelter in favor of the extra skater with two minutes remaining. The empty net created chaos and the energy at Mullett Arena swelled as ASU managed a few tough shots, and a few empty net misses from Minnesota sure helped, but ASU ultimately fell just short of the upset victory in exchange for a 3-2 loss.
MAMA THAT MAN IS FEASTING ??@ryanalex333 /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/sbAq9GWTkx
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) November 26, 2022
The Sun Devils have a chance at redemption tomorrow night to close out the series against Minnesota. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 pm and will be streamed again via Pac-12 Insider.
QUOTES FROM THE POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
Head Coach Greg Powers
On tonight's game:
"I am really happy with how our team played. I thought that our guys played really well and they battled really hard. That's an unbelievably good team that probably deserved a better fate but we made it through mistakes. That team is so good that they are going to pave their way when you make mistakes. Tomorrow hopefully we can capitalize on some chances that we didn't tonight."
On it feeling like the North Dakota game:
"We never lacked belief on our bench, even when down two. We've been there, against North Dakota, and I thought it was an opportunistic two-nothing lead by them. They are incredibly good, but we just couldn't find the equalizer. Mastrosimone had a breakaway in the second, Kopperud had an open net on the power play and missed it, Sillinger missed the tap in there at the end. It's just how it goes. I thought their goalie was really good."
On creating more opportunities tomorrow:
"It's how you have to score against teams like this. You just have to hold in the paint, and tonight we did. They had a nice power play goal, then a really good goal off the rush through a really good transition. That's what we try to limit, their transition, because they are so dangerous at it."
On Michigan goal changing the bench vibe:
"No. I didn't see a shift, didn't feel a shift. There was no lack of belief. Guys fought, literally, till the final horn. I'm happy with how our guys played, I'm proud of them. They battled their tails off for 60 minutes and played hard. I think we had one guy not go in tonight, and that's what it takes against a team that good."
On TJ's game evolution:
"Their two goals in the first were pretty opportunistic of them and I don't think anybody is going to stop those. And certainly the third one, nobody would stop that. It's just out of the world skill. But, he was good. He probably made four or five really big saves for us that held us in the game. And he had a huge save when down two-nothing that allowed us to stay in it. He did his part, he did his job tonight. We held that team to 24 shots. I thought defensively the effort was really good. It's now six out of the last seven games that we have held out opponent to under 30 shots, and that is a winning recipe. We'll start scoring, it will happen, we just really have to push."
On what needs to be done to fire up the pp:
"Tonight it was disappointing, we could have tied it up in the second there. They had a pretty sloppy one in the first. I think it needs to be a little more intense. Passes going through sticks, it just needs to be more intense. Just because you have one more player on the ice doesn't mean you can run it up. Their kill is going to be going super hard."
On what was learned about Minnesota that will help win tomorrow:
"They're really good. Their first line is probably the best line in college hockey and their d-core is out of this world deep and very talented. They have four, probably five, guys that are going to be in the NHL in four months. That's pretty good, they're well coached. Tonight they had very good goaltending, so they're going to be a really tough outlook for anyone who gets in the NCAA tournament, no doubt."
On season defining wins:
"It's not a make or break game, but it could make us, tonight could have too. Our guys have a belief, a genuine belief, every time we take the ice that we're going to win. And you saw that tonight. We don't feel like we are a 7-7-0 team. Two overtime losses and one with 16 seconds left against Clarkson. Tonight I thought we carried plenty more stretches then they did. We just have to find a way to start winning these close games, and when we do we're a team that can reel off a lot of wins on their own."
Junior forward Dylan Jackson
On going against a top ranked team:
"They're a really skilled team, but I thought we battled hard. We were good on the forecheck and we had a lot of positive chances so we just have to bury them tomorrow."
On being down then picking up pace:
"We weren't too worried about being down two-to-nothing because we have been there before. We thought we were going to be able to battle back, but it was just too bad that we couldn't."
On what's going to put them above them tomorrow:
"I think we found out that we can play with them tonight, so just go into the game confident. We can't start down two-nothing. I think if we get the lead or have a better first period, then we might have a better result."
On timeout message:
"We have our systems there for the six on five, so we know what we need to do there. But just putting pucks on the net and crashing the net. We had a close one at the end there, but just putting pucks on net."
On message in locker room for tomorrow:
"Just stick with it, we found out we can play with these guys. Obviously starting down two-nothing isn't great, but having a better first and competing like we did in the second and third."
On bearing down with a hard schedule:
"It's tough, but I think starting off the game on the right foot and getting the lead early helps. But like you said, they are all great teams but we are too."