TEMPE – The Sun Devils continued to battle puck luck despite scoring three goals from three different skaters against the Tigers on Saturday night. The Arizona State ice hockey team (11-16-0) massively outshot No. 20 RIT (17-6-1) but could not evade the series sweep and 5-3 loss on Saturday night.
The game seemed ready for the Sun Devils' taking as goals from Ryan Alexander, Matthew Kopperud, and Chris Grando put ASU up 3-2 by the beginning of the third period. RIT went on to score three unanswered goals, flipping the switch and securing the 5-3 win.
The Sun Devils outshot the Tigers, 35-20 and, counterintuitively, are now 0-8-0 when shooting between 30-39 shots in a single game. TJ Semptimphelter made his 27th consecutive start and tallied 15 saves, mostly all from the second period when the Tigers put up 12 shots on goal.
ASU came out strong in the first, holding RIT to only one shot on goal for the entire opening frame. The one shot on goal by an opponent is tied for the fewest shots on goal allowed in a period all-time. The feat has happened once before in program history against Alabama-Huntsville on Nov. 3, 2017.
ASU continues to fight injuries among its core starting group. The need for experience in the d-group with the absence of Tanner Hickey and Timmy Lovell brought graduate alternate captain Demetrios Koumontzis, normally a forward, into the game as a top line left defenseman. It was the first time that Koumontzis had ever played defense. He answered the call of duty, blocking a game-high four shots.
Power play chances for both units were aplenty, but neither squad could secure a man-advantage goal. ASU had seven opportunities - four in the first period and three in the third - while RIT had four changes - three in the second and one in the third.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
ASU had four power play opportunities, including a five-minute major on RIT, but could not find the back of the net for the elusive power play goal.
Inside the final two minutes of the opening frame, freshman forward Ryan Alexander lit Mullett Arena with his seventh goal of the season to give the Sun Devils a 1-0 lead, assisted by Robert Mastrosimone with his team-leading 19th assist of the season and second-straight game with an assist. The first period would end with ASU only allowing one shot while having 12 of its own heading into the intermission.
Second Period
The ASU aggression persisted into the middle frame as junior forward Matthew Kopperud smoothly put away the second goal for the Sun Devils after receiving a beautiful pass from Josh Doan and defensemen Jacob Semik. It's Doan's 13th assist of the season and Semik's first assist since Nov. 25, 2022 against #2 Minnesota, to bring his total to four on the year.
Over the next ten minutes, the 12th-best penalty kill in the nation showed its grit as ASU was able to kill off two penalties to return to full strength. RIT eventually cut the Sun Devil lead in half to make it 2-1 with 7:17 remaining in the middle frame.
The Tigers equalized the game at two-all with 3:48 remaining following the third killed penalty by the Sun Devils. The remainder of the second period would include chances on both sides, but the game remained tied as ASU outshot the Tigers, 19-15, heading into the final period.
Third Period
The first minute of the third offered much entertainment before spectators could return to their seats. Graduate Chris Grando netted his third goal of the season to break the tie for the Sun Devils with an assist by Ryan O'Reilly, his sixth of the year. Eighteen seconds later RIT would respond by tying the game - all within 45 seconds of the period's commencement.
Three minutes after the equalizer, the Tigers took their first lead of the game to make it 4-3.
Over the last seven minutes, ASU was the aggressor as they attempted to tie the game with 12 shots on goal in a seven-minute span. With two minutes left, ASU pulled TJ Semptimphelter but was unable to score as RIT eventually recorded the 5-3 win and series sweep.
UP NEXT:
ASU continues the final weekend of its month-long home stretch with a showdown against St. Thomas (MN) at 7 p.m. MST at Mullett Arena on Jan. 27-28. Coverage can be found on ASU Live Stream and on FOX SPORTS 910 KGME, the home of Sun Devil Hockey.
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES:
Arizona State Head Coach Greg Powers
Opening Statement:
"Overall I thought we played well, I didn't mind how our team played well. I didn't mind how our team played tonight. I think that game is played the exact same way ten times and we probably win it nine times. Again, puck luck hasn't gone our way, since that what happens when you're in a rut. It's tough to pull out of and seems to get a little worse before it gets better. I thought our guys played well, the effort was there tonight but I'd like to see us finish more chances. We played well enough to win, it just didn't happen."
On the back-to-back weekends with no win:
"Making sense of it, last week was really poor, last night was just a team in a rut that put four goals in on itself and tonight we're up 2-0 with chances to go up three. You want to extend the lead when you have the chance to do it and they put one on us out of the gate. So it's how it's going. Our guys have to stick with it, one win will become two and you can't win more than one game at a time so that's going to be the focus."
On being frustrated when playing well:
"It's frustrating, I thought we were the better team tonight, I really did. It was really great to see (Chris) Grando make one for us in the start of the third. You think we're going to play downhill from there and they get a stinker to tie it up on us 20 seconds later. TJ (Semptimphelter) had kind of an off-weekend but he's due for that. He's been a rock and he's still our rock and I know he probably wants that third one back but he's been wonderful for us all season."
On if he liked the changes to the lineup:
"I thought we were really balanced, they got some chances but I thought we were balanced offensively and everyone was chipping in and had good energy. I thought (Matthew) Kopperud being back on defense was really pretty good. He was impressive in his first game he's ever played on D. He was moving his feet and breaking bucks out and helping with the transition so he did a great job."
On Forward Benji Eckerle's line tonight:
"They were really good, it was good to see and they scored that huge goal to give us the lead there and we couldn't capitalize. 17 seconds later they tied it up. Benji and (Chris) Grando were really good tonight, (Josh) Doan was better tonight and they're really good on the kill too.
On the lack of success on the power play:
"Yeah we had some chances but it didn't deliver. It's been really the difference in our season right now has been tight games when it has a chance to get us a lead or win us the game. When you go 0-7 it's a tough pill to swallow."
On moving on next week and the rest of the season:
"The last two weeks honestly, I know we're 0-4 and on a four-game skid here. It feels like a 14 game skid. It's just the way it works but you can't think about that. The focus has to be one game at a time and we have 12 left. We can't win all 12 at once, you have to get one, and then we have a good team, we really like our team in there. It's been a frustrating season with a lot of tight, close losses and not a lot of puck luck. It seems like everybody we play gives us their best effort. I don't feel we've caught anybody on an off-night yet. It just hasn't gone our way. In a season where you've told me after 27 games you'd have a win against North Dakota, a win against Minnesota, a win against Boston College and a sweep over a really good team in Colorado College and we'd be five games under, I would've thought 'that's crazy' since I'd think we would be eight games over (.500). It's been an up-and-down year and all we can do s build off of the effort tonight and come here and try to get a win Friday night
Arizona State Defenseman Matthew Kopperud
On return and playing valuable minutes:
"I'm just trying to come back and help the team as much as I can, produce, whether that is offensively or playing a good defensive role. Just get back and help the team as best as I can."
On building off of a performance like today:
"I think we just have to keep working. We know as a group inside, within our group, that we have a team to still win out the rest of the year. We just have to get some puck bounces and eventually we will start scoring a lot more too."
Arizona State Forward Jacob Semik
On shot opportunities in the first period:
"I thought in the first we obviously had a pretty offensive period. We are obviously trying our best and sometimes the bounces don't go your way offensively, but I thought tonight was a good, especially in the first, a good step forward to where we want to be. I thought the forwards did a good job getting the pucks to the net and reloading to get them back, but obviously not the result we wanted."
On playing tough teams as an independent:
"It's something that we are used to, been here a couple of years, played a whole year in the Big-10. I think obviously there are games we think we can win. We just didn't get the result tonight, but I thought there were a lot of good things in the loss that we can look forward to using next weekend."
On performing at home:
"I think, obviously, we want to be better at home. This is our home ice and it took a lot of people to get to this arena, especially alumni. Obviously, we're not where we want to be at with our home record, but it is something that we're looking to improve upon in this home stretch."
The game seemed ready for the Sun Devils' taking as goals from Ryan Alexander, Matthew Kopperud, and Chris Grando put ASU up 3-2 by the beginning of the third period. RIT went on to score three unanswered goals, flipping the switch and securing the 5-3 win.
The Sun Devils outshot the Tigers, 35-20 and, counterintuitively, are now 0-8-0 when shooting between 30-39 shots in a single game. TJ Semptimphelter made his 27th consecutive start and tallied 15 saves, mostly all from the second period when the Tigers put up 12 shots on goal.
ASU came out strong in the first, holding RIT to only one shot on goal for the entire opening frame. The one shot on goal by an opponent is tied for the fewest shots on goal allowed in a period all-time. The feat has happened once before in program history against Alabama-Huntsville on Nov. 3, 2017.
ASU continues to fight injuries among its core starting group. The need for experience in the d-group with the absence of Tanner Hickey and Timmy Lovell brought graduate alternate captain Demetrios Koumontzis, normally a forward, into the game as a top line left defenseman. It was the first time that Koumontzis had ever played defense. He answered the call of duty, blocking a game-high four shots.
Power play chances for both units were aplenty, but neither squad could secure a man-advantage goal. ASU had seven opportunities - four in the first period and three in the third - while RIT had four changes - three in the second and one in the third.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
ASU had four power play opportunities, including a five-minute major on RIT, but could not find the back of the net for the elusive power play goal.
Inside the final two minutes of the opening frame, freshman forward Ryan Alexander lit Mullett Arena with his seventh goal of the season to give the Sun Devils a 1-0 lead, assisted by Robert Mastrosimone with his team-leading 19th assist of the season and second-straight game with an assist. The first period would end with ASU only allowing one shot while having 12 of its own heading into the intermission.
they don't ask how, they ask how many#BeTheTradition /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/Y1cyrviEWM
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) January 21, 2023
Second Period
The ASU aggression persisted into the middle frame as junior forward Matthew Kopperud smoothly put away the second goal for the Sun Devils after receiving a beautiful pass from Josh Doan and defensemen Jacob Semik. It's Doan's 13th assist of the season and Semik's first assist since Nov. 25, 2022 against #2 Minnesota, to bring his total to four on the year.
we're blessed to be watching @kopper303 play hockey ??#BeTheTradition /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/FXFQsU52hB
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) January 22, 2023
Over the next ten minutes, the 12th-best penalty kill in the nation showed its grit as ASU was able to kill off two penalties to return to full strength. RIT eventually cut the Sun Devil lead in half to make it 2-1 with 7:17 remaining in the middle frame.
The Tigers equalized the game at two-all with 3:48 remaining following the third killed penalty by the Sun Devils. The remainder of the second period would include chances on both sides, but the game remained tied as ASU outshot the Tigers, 19-15, heading into the final period.
Third Period
The first minute of the third offered much entertainment before spectators could return to their seats. Graduate Chris Grando netted his third goal of the season to break the tie for the Sun Devils with an assist by Ryan O'Reilly, his sixth of the year. Eighteen seconds later RIT would respond by tying the game - all within 45 seconds of the period's commencement.
easy money sniper ??@C_GRAND_3 /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/VDcSDWfixk
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) January 22, 2023
Three minutes after the equalizer, the Tigers took their first lead of the game to make it 4-3.
Over the last seven minutes, ASU was the aggressor as they attempted to tie the game with 12 shots on goal in a seven-minute span. With two minutes left, ASU pulled TJ Semptimphelter but was unable to score as RIT eventually recorded the 5-3 win and series sweep.
UP NEXT:
ASU continues the final weekend of its month-long home stretch with a showdown against St. Thomas (MN) at 7 p.m. MST at Mullett Arena on Jan. 27-28. Coverage can be found on ASU Live Stream and on FOX SPORTS 910 KGME, the home of Sun Devil Hockey.
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES:
Arizona State Head Coach Greg Powers
Opening Statement:
"Overall I thought we played well, I didn't mind how our team played well. I didn't mind how our team played tonight. I think that game is played the exact same way ten times and we probably win it nine times. Again, puck luck hasn't gone our way, since that what happens when you're in a rut. It's tough to pull out of and seems to get a little worse before it gets better. I thought our guys played well, the effort was there tonight but I'd like to see us finish more chances. We played well enough to win, it just didn't happen."
On the back-to-back weekends with no win:
"Making sense of it, last week was really poor, last night was just a team in a rut that put four goals in on itself and tonight we're up 2-0 with chances to go up three. You want to extend the lead when you have the chance to do it and they put one on us out of the gate. So it's how it's going. Our guys have to stick with it, one win will become two and you can't win more than one game at a time so that's going to be the focus."
On being frustrated when playing well:
"It's frustrating, I thought we were the better team tonight, I really did. It was really great to see (Chris) Grando make one for us in the start of the third. You think we're going to play downhill from there and they get a stinker to tie it up on us 20 seconds later. TJ (Semptimphelter) had kind of an off-weekend but he's due for that. He's been a rock and he's still our rock and I know he probably wants that third one back but he's been wonderful for us all season."
On if he liked the changes to the lineup:
"I thought we were really balanced, they got some chances but I thought we were balanced offensively and everyone was chipping in and had good energy. I thought (Matthew) Kopperud being back on defense was really pretty good. He was impressive in his first game he's ever played on D. He was moving his feet and breaking bucks out and helping with the transition so he did a great job."
On Forward Benji Eckerle's line tonight:
"They were really good, it was good to see and they scored that huge goal to give us the lead there and we couldn't capitalize. 17 seconds later they tied it up. Benji and (Chris) Grando were really good tonight, (Josh) Doan was better tonight and they're really good on the kill too.
On the lack of success on the power play:
"Yeah we had some chances but it didn't deliver. It's been really the difference in our season right now has been tight games when it has a chance to get us a lead or win us the game. When you go 0-7 it's a tough pill to swallow."
On moving on next week and the rest of the season:
"The last two weeks honestly, I know we're 0-4 and on a four-game skid here. It feels like a 14 game skid. It's just the way it works but you can't think about that. The focus has to be one game at a time and we have 12 left. We can't win all 12 at once, you have to get one, and then we have a good team, we really like our team in there. It's been a frustrating season with a lot of tight, close losses and not a lot of puck luck. It seems like everybody we play gives us their best effort. I don't feel we've caught anybody on an off-night yet. It just hasn't gone our way. In a season where you've told me after 27 games you'd have a win against North Dakota, a win against Minnesota, a win against Boston College and a sweep over a really good team in Colorado College and we'd be five games under, I would've thought 'that's crazy' since I'd think we would be eight games over (.500). It's been an up-and-down year and all we can do s build off of the effort tonight and come here and try to get a win Friday night
Arizona State Defenseman Matthew Kopperud
On return and playing valuable minutes:
"I'm just trying to come back and help the team as much as I can, produce, whether that is offensively or playing a good defensive role. Just get back and help the team as best as I can."
On building off of a performance like today:
"I think we just have to keep working. We know as a group inside, within our group, that we have a team to still win out the rest of the year. We just have to get some puck bounces and eventually we will start scoring a lot more too."
Arizona State Forward Jacob Semik
On shot opportunities in the first period:
"I thought in the first we obviously had a pretty offensive period. We are obviously trying our best and sometimes the bounces don't go your way offensively, but I thought tonight was a good, especially in the first, a good step forward to where we want to be. I thought the forwards did a good job getting the pucks to the net and reloading to get them back, but obviously not the result we wanted."
On playing tough teams as an independent:
"It's something that we are used to, been here a couple of years, played a whole year in the Big-10. I think obviously there are games we think we can win. We just didn't get the result tonight, but I thought there were a lot of good things in the loss that we can look forward to using next weekend."
On performing at home:
"I think, obviously, we want to be better at home. This is our home ice and it took a lot of people to get to this arena, especially alumni. Obviously, we're not where we want to be at with our home record, but it is something that we're looking to improve upon in this home stretch."