MOON TOWNSHIP, Penn. – The No. 13 Arizona State hockey team (11-3-4) heads to the Steel City this weekend to face Robert Morris (4-11-3) on Saturday, Dec. 16 and Sunday, Dec. 17. Both games can be heard on the airwaves at Fox Sports 910AM radio, the home of Sun Devil Hockey. The two programs will faceoff for only the second time in program history.
The last time the Sun Devils tussled with the Colonials was during the 2019-2020 season where ASU collected the series sweep in 3-2 and 5-4 victories at Oceanside Ice Arena.
ASU is 17-7-0 all-time against Atlantic Hockey opponents, including the 2-0-0 record versus Robert Morris. Of all Atlantic Hockey teams, ASU has faced Air Force most for a total of seven times, featuring a 4-3-0 record and a 1-0 win in the last meeting in January 2023.
ASU logged two straight ties this past weekend against Dartmouth where the Sun Devils won both shootouts with the help of Lukas Sillinger on Friday night and Jackson Niedermayer on Saturday night. This was the first meeting between the two teams in program history.
SUN DEVIL NOTABLES
RANKED DEVILS
ASU continues its ninth-straight week in the national polls. Two weeks ago The Sun Devils earned a tie and win at Colorado College, holding strong at a No. 12 ranking in the polls. After two ties this weekend against Dartmouth, ASU came in at No. 13 and No. 14 in the USCHO.com and USA Hockey/The Rink Live polls, respectively. The highest national poll ranking ever received by the Sun Devils was No. 9 on Feb. 17, 2020 in the 2019-20 season.
POWERED UP POWER PLAY
ASU ranks eighth in the nation among NCAA Division I teams for best power play percentage at 26.3 though 18 games. The special teams unit held strong this weekend and scored two power play goals including Matthew Kopperud's 30th career power play goal. Lukas Sillinger continues to lead the power play scoring for the Sun Devils with two goals and 11 assists for 13 points after two power play assists this past weekend. Matthew Kopperud is second on the team in power play scoring with 10 points (6G, 4A). Kopperudhas been the go-to goal scorer on the man-advantage with six PPG so far this season. Kopperud tallied his 30th power play goal of his career against Dartmouth on Friday night to further extend his program record-setting career PPG.
CAREER MILESTONES
Lukas Sillinger and Alex Young are in the chase for 100 career points. Sillinger currently boasts 93 total points through four years of college hockey. Through his two years at Bemidji State and two at ASU, Sillinger tallied 37 goals and 56 assists for 93 points. Young is close behind with 91 career points. He transferred to ASU this year after three seasons at Colgate and has 43 goals and 48 assists for his 91 career points.
CENTURY CLUB CHASE
Tim Lovell encloses on his 100th NCAA game after competing in his 99th game vs. Dartmouth on Saturday night. Matthew Kopperud will reach his 100th NCAA game in two games, after playing in his 98th career game vs. Dartmouth on Saturday. Benji Eckerle follows them in the chase for 100 career games - he played in his 97th on Saturday vs. the Big Green.
SUPER SENIORS CLASS
The senior class is made up of Matthew Kopperud, Ty and Dylan Jackson, Lukas Sillinger, Ryan O'Reilly, Tim Lovell, Alex Young, and Benji Eckerle combine to be ASU's largest point scoring class this season. The seniors scored 33 of ASU's 57 goals this season and assisted on nearly half of all goals (48 of 98). Kopperud leads the class in goal scoring with eight. Sillinger leads the entire team in points and assists with 19 and 14, respectively. Multiple seniors are instrumental in ASU's special teams, especially the power play unit. Fifteen of ASU's 20 power play goals were scored by members of the senior class.
BETWEEN THE PIPES
Sophomore Gibson Homer got the nod to start on Saturday vs. Dartmouth - his fourth NCAA start. He boasts an undefeated record at 2-0-2, complete with 92 saves and a 1.90 goals against average and .920 save percentage. His counterpart, TJ Semptimphelter, still stands within the national rankings in goalie winning percentage, most wins, and save percentage. In game two at Colorado College two weeks ago, Semptimphelter tied a program record for career shutouts set by ASU alum and current NHL Seattle Kraken netminder Joey Daccord (8). Semptimphelter completed the shutout with 38 saves against the Tigers.
The last time the Sun Devils tussled with the Colonials was during the 2019-2020 season where ASU collected the series sweep in 3-2 and 5-4 victories at Oceanside Ice Arena.
ASU is 17-7-0 all-time against Atlantic Hockey opponents, including the 2-0-0 record versus Robert Morris. Of all Atlantic Hockey teams, ASU has faced Air Force most for a total of seven times, featuring a 4-3-0 record and a 1-0 win in the last meeting in January 2023.
ASU logged two straight ties this past weekend against Dartmouth where the Sun Devils won both shootouts with the help of Lukas Sillinger on Friday night and Jackson Niedermayer on Saturday night. This was the first meeting between the two teams in program history.
SUN DEVIL NOTABLES
- Junior goaltender TJ Semptimphelter remains in the top-ten nationally for best goalie winning percentage and is tied at eighth in the NCAA with a .714 percentage.
- Brian Chambers took his 400th faceoff of the season against Dartmouth last Saturday night. The graduate center ranks 10th in the nation for faceoffs won with 200 so far this season.
- ASU freshman Kyle Smolen has a sister who skates for Robert Morris women's hockey. Lindsey Smolen is the older sister of Kyle, who is also a freshman for the Colonials.
- ASU's 20 power play goals ranks second in the NCAA
- ASU's 56 goals this season is tied at 11th in the country
RANKED DEVILS
ASU continues its ninth-straight week in the national polls. Two weeks ago The Sun Devils earned a tie and win at Colorado College, holding strong at a No. 12 ranking in the polls. After two ties this weekend against Dartmouth, ASU came in at No. 13 and No. 14 in the USCHO.com and USA Hockey/The Rink Live polls, respectively. The highest national poll ranking ever received by the Sun Devils was No. 9 on Feb. 17, 2020 in the 2019-20 season.
POWERED UP POWER PLAY
ASU ranks eighth in the nation among NCAA Division I teams for best power play percentage at 26.3 though 18 games. The special teams unit held strong this weekend and scored two power play goals including Matthew Kopperud's 30th career power play goal. Lukas Sillinger continues to lead the power play scoring for the Sun Devils with two goals and 11 assists for 13 points after two power play assists this past weekend. Matthew Kopperud is second on the team in power play scoring with 10 points (6G, 4A). Kopperudhas been the go-to goal scorer on the man-advantage with six PPG so far this season. Kopperud tallied his 30th power play goal of his career against Dartmouth on Friday night to further extend his program record-setting career PPG.
CAREER MILESTONES
Lukas Sillinger and Alex Young are in the chase for 100 career points. Sillinger currently boasts 93 total points through four years of college hockey. Through his two years at Bemidji State and two at ASU, Sillinger tallied 37 goals and 56 assists for 93 points. Young is close behind with 91 career points. He transferred to ASU this year after three seasons at Colgate and has 43 goals and 48 assists for his 91 career points.
CENTURY CLUB CHASE
Tim Lovell encloses on his 100th NCAA game after competing in his 99th game vs. Dartmouth on Saturday night. Matthew Kopperud will reach his 100th NCAA game in two games, after playing in his 98th career game vs. Dartmouth on Saturday. Benji Eckerle follows them in the chase for 100 career games - he played in his 97th on Saturday vs. the Big Green.
SUPER SENIORS CLASS
The senior class is made up of Matthew Kopperud, Ty and Dylan Jackson, Lukas Sillinger, Ryan O'Reilly, Tim Lovell, Alex Young, and Benji Eckerle combine to be ASU's largest point scoring class this season. The seniors scored 33 of ASU's 57 goals this season and assisted on nearly half of all goals (48 of 98). Kopperud leads the class in goal scoring with eight. Sillinger leads the entire team in points and assists with 19 and 14, respectively. Multiple seniors are instrumental in ASU's special teams, especially the power play unit. Fifteen of ASU's 20 power play goals were scored by members of the senior class.
BETWEEN THE PIPES
Sophomore Gibson Homer got the nod to start on Saturday vs. Dartmouth - his fourth NCAA start. He boasts an undefeated record at 2-0-2, complete with 92 saves and a 1.90 goals against average and .920 save percentage. His counterpart, TJ Semptimphelter, still stands within the national rankings in goalie winning percentage, most wins, and save percentage. In game two at Colorado College two weeks ago, Semptimphelter tied a program record for career shutouts set by ASU alum and current NHL Seattle Kraken netminder Joey Daccord (8). Semptimphelter completed the shutout with 38 saves against the Tigers.