TEMPE – Despite a third period push, an injury-riddled Arizona State hockey team fell 4-2 to Alaska Fairbanks on Friday night's series opener at Mullett Arena. Josh Doan and Jack Judson scored for the Sun Devils (15-19-0), who were forced to play a man short against the Nanooks (19-10-2) due to mounting injuries to regular starters.
Doan extended his point streak to four games and scored his third goal in two games late in the opening period. In every game against the Nanooks of his collegiate career, Doan boasts at least one point. His 11 goals this season makes him the new team leader. Robert Mastrosimone assisted in a third-straight game for ASU, his fourth in three games.
Senior defenseman Jack Judson set a new career high with his fifth goal that came in the third period. He also set career highs earlier in the year with 11 assists and 16 points and leads the team in plus/minus being at +8.
Tim Lovell made an impact on both goals for the Sun Devils with two assists, which is the sixth multi-assist game of his Sun Devil career and his third-straight game with an assist. Ryan O'Reilly is also on a point-scoring streak with his fourth point in three-straight games (2G, 2A).
ASU played tonight's game without a fourth line center due to injuries suffered by six of ASU's eight scratches. Consistent starting forwards Lukas Sillinger, Benji Eckerle, and Matthew Kopperud remain uncleared to play and season-ending injuries to defensemen Tanner Hickey and Jackson Niedermayer has forced forward Demetrios Koumontzis to play back with the d-men.
How It Happened:
First Period
Less than five minutes into the game the Nanooks struck first off of a rebound to take an early 1-0 lead. On a power play, the Nanooks thought they had doubled their lead, but after video review the goal was taken away after an offsides was called. ASU killed the first power play of the contest.
After ten minutes of hard-hitting play, ASU was put on the penalty kill for the second time of the night, but the Nanooks were successful and extended their lead to 2-0.
A five-minute penalty was called on Alaska for cross-checking, giving ASU its first power play opportunity of the night. Thirty-three seconds later, a tripping call went against Alaska to give the Sun Devils a two-man advantage.
The power play was successful and helped the Sun Devils pull within one as Josh Doan netted his third goal in two games. Robert Mastrosimone was credited with his 24th assist this season and Tim Lovell with his 12th. However, within a minute the Nanooks scored a shorthanded goal to bring their lead to two once again.
Heading into the first intermission, the Sun Devils will return for the second period with 1:42 remaining on the power play.
Second Period
The Sun Devils started the frame on the power play with multiple shots on net but couldn't sneak one past the Alaska goaltender, bringing the game back to full strength.
Shots for both teams were even through the middle frame and the game remained locked at 3-1 heading into the second intermission.
Third Period
The Sun Devils crept closer after Jack Judson won the scramble to the puck and snuck in his sixth goal of the year with 9:42 remaining in the contest. The goal was not recognized at first and play resumed. The goal was eventually awarded to ASU with credit to Judson after official video review.
ASU was able to outshoot the Nanooks 8-2 in a four-minute span but were unable to find the back of the net.
The Sun Devils pulled TJ Semptimphelter with 2:30 remaining in the contest and after many quality looks to equalize the game, the Nanooks netted an empty net goal to put away the game.
Up Next:
The Sun Devils look to split the series against the Nanooks tomorrow at 5 p.m. Coverage can be seen on ASU-Live-stream and can be heard on FOX SPORTS 910 KGME, the home of Sun Devil hockey.
Quotes:
Arizona State Head Coach Greg Powers:
On the third period:
"Alaska had a push in the first (period) obviously, came out really hard, which we knew they would. It was just work effort, it was work output. Their guys were out working ours. I love their push in the third. I thought we had the game winner on our stick six, seven times. Thought it would take a lead and we just didn't put it in the net. Their goalie was really good. It's just one of those games, it was winnable though."
On Alaska's play:
"I don't think they activate too much, they just do a good job holding the walls and holding the zone. They're good. That team is hard to play against, there's a reason why they are on the cusp of making the tournament, they're a top-15 team. I feel like two out of three games we should have won. It just hasn't gone our way. Their goalie is tremendous, he's been really, really good all season and really good against us. Hopefully tomorrow we can get to him."
On changes into third:
"They're five back, they're tough to get back to neutral ice on. You have got to put it in behind them and get in. You have got to have a good, hard F1 to disrupt their breakout, and we were doing that. We had good sticks and were getting in on them and putting them in places where we could get it back. Sustaining o-zone pressure that way."
Sophomore forward Josh Doan:
On his goal:
"That's a play that Coach Hicks likes to work on with us on our 5-on-3. We work on it a lot, we are pretty comfortable hitting that shot. When Timmy (Lovell) rolls there and gives it down to Mastrosimone, I know that hes looking for me for the backdoor. To get an opportunity to get a shot on goal is what we are aiming for there. Fortunately, it went in this time."
Doan extended his point streak to four games and scored his third goal in two games late in the opening period. In every game against the Nanooks of his collegiate career, Doan boasts at least one point. His 11 goals this season makes him the new team leader. Robert Mastrosimone assisted in a third-straight game for ASU, his fourth in three games.
Senior defenseman Jack Judson set a new career high with his fifth goal that came in the third period. He also set career highs earlier in the year with 11 assists and 16 points and leads the team in plus/minus being at +8.
Tim Lovell made an impact on both goals for the Sun Devils with two assists, which is the sixth multi-assist game of his Sun Devil career and his third-straight game with an assist. Ryan O'Reilly is also on a point-scoring streak with his fourth point in three-straight games (2G, 2A).
ASU played tonight's game without a fourth line center due to injuries suffered by six of ASU's eight scratches. Consistent starting forwards Lukas Sillinger, Benji Eckerle, and Matthew Kopperud remain uncleared to play and season-ending injuries to defensemen Tanner Hickey and Jackson Niedermayer has forced forward Demetrios Koumontzis to play back with the d-men.
How It Happened:
First Period
Less than five minutes into the game the Nanooks struck first off of a rebound to take an early 1-0 lead. On a power play, the Nanooks thought they had doubled their lead, but after video review the goal was taken away after an offsides was called. ASU killed the first power play of the contest.
After ten minutes of hard-hitting play, ASU was put on the penalty kill for the second time of the night, but the Nanooks were successful and extended their lead to 2-0.
A five-minute penalty was called on Alaska for cross-checking, giving ASU its first power play opportunity of the night. Thirty-three seconds later, a tripping call went against Alaska to give the Sun Devils a two-man advantage.
The power play was successful and helped the Sun Devils pull within one as Josh Doan netted his third goal in two games. Robert Mastrosimone was credited with his 24th assist this season and Tim Lovell with his 12th. However, within a minute the Nanooks scored a shorthanded goal to bring their lead to two once again.
a four-game point scoring streak is pretty good, right?@JTDoaner19 /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/dVicR3fMQP
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) February 25, 2023
Heading into the first intermission, the Sun Devils will return for the second period with 1:42 remaining on the power play.
Second Period
The Sun Devils started the frame on the power play with multiple shots on net but couldn't sneak one past the Alaska goaltender, bringing the game back to full strength.
Shots for both teams were even through the middle frame and the game remained locked at 3-1 heading into the second intermission.
Third Period
The Sun Devils crept closer after Jack Judson won the scramble to the puck and snuck in his sixth goal of the year with 9:42 remaining in the contest. The goal was not recognized at first and play resumed. The goal was eventually awarded to ASU with credit to Judson after official video review.
don't count these Sun Devils out yet
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) February 25, 2023
it took a while, but after review WE HAVE A GOAL ??
??: https://t.co/eBEtm4lNbf pic.twitter.com/iwwV2d6e6Y
ASU was able to outshoot the Nanooks 8-2 in a four-minute span but were unable to find the back of the net.
The Sun Devils pulled TJ Semptimphelter with 2:30 remaining in the contest and after many quality looks to equalize the game, the Nanooks netted an empty net goal to put away the game.
Up Next:
The Sun Devils look to split the series against the Nanooks tomorrow at 5 p.m. Coverage can be seen on ASU-Live-stream and can be heard on FOX SPORTS 910 KGME, the home of Sun Devil hockey.
Quotes:
Arizona State Head Coach Greg Powers:
On the third period:
"Alaska had a push in the first (period) obviously, came out really hard, which we knew they would. It was just work effort, it was work output. Their guys were out working ours. I love their push in the third. I thought we had the game winner on our stick six, seven times. Thought it would take a lead and we just didn't put it in the net. Their goalie was really good. It's just one of those games, it was winnable though."
On Alaska's play:
"I don't think they activate too much, they just do a good job holding the walls and holding the zone. They're good. That team is hard to play against, there's a reason why they are on the cusp of making the tournament, they're a top-15 team. I feel like two out of three games we should have won. It just hasn't gone our way. Their goalie is tremendous, he's been really, really good all season and really good against us. Hopefully tomorrow we can get to him."
On changes into third:
"They're five back, they're tough to get back to neutral ice on. You have got to put it in behind them and get in. You have got to have a good, hard F1 to disrupt their breakout, and we were doing that. We had good sticks and were getting in on them and putting them in places where we could get it back. Sustaining o-zone pressure that way."
Sophomore forward Josh Doan:
On his goal:
"That's a play that Coach Hicks likes to work on with us on our 5-on-3. We work on it a lot, we are pretty comfortable hitting that shot. When Timmy (Lovell) rolls there and gives it down to Mastrosimone, I know that hes looking for me for the backdoor. To get an opportunity to get a shot on goal is what we are aiming for there. Fortunately, it went in this time."