LAKE PLACID, NY – The No. 13/14 Arizona State ice hockey team plays in the presence of hockey history this weekend as participants of the Adirondack Winter Invitational on Dec. 29-30. The holiday tournament is hosted at Herb Brooks Arena at the Olympic Center, the site of the 1980 USA Hockey victory over the Soviet Union immortalized as the "Miracle on Ice."
The Sun Devils (13-3-4) compete against the Clarkson Knights (8-5-1)on Friday, Dec. 29 at 5:30 p.m. MST on ESPN+ and Fox Sports 910, the home of Sun Devil Hockey Radio Network. In addition to ASU, the tournament includes Clarkson, No. 17 Cornell (6-4-1), and No. 11 Massachusetts (11-4-1). Depending on Friday's results, ASU will play either Cornell or UMass on Saturday, Dec. 30.
This is the first holiday tournament that the Sun Devils have competed in since traveling to Las Vegas for the Ice Vegas Invitational in 2017-18. ASU won that tournament after defeating Northern Michigan, 7-3, and Michigan Tech, 3-2.
TOP IN THE COUNTRY
After a big road sweep of Robert Morris two weeks ago, the Sun Devils head to Lake Placid as national top-10 performers in multiple statistical categories:
PLAYERS IN THE NATION'S TOP 15
Senior alternate captain Lukas Sillinger put on a massive seven-point weekend at RMU to catapult him into one of the nation's top scorers. With 20 assists this season, the winger ranks No. 2 in the country. He boasts 26 total points which ranks third in the NCAA. Over the weekend he reached 100 career points which makes him a top-10 career point scorer among current skaters in the NCAA. He leads the team in points and points per game at 1.30.
KOPP'IN THE POWER PLAY
Alternate captain and senior forward Matthew Kopperud has stolen the power play spotlight for the Sun Devils. The Colorado native netted three power play goals at RMU two weeks ago to further extend his nation-leading PPG this season to nine. He boasts 33 career power play goals which continues to set the ASU program record and lead the NCAA in career PPG among all skaters. He also reached 50 career goals over the weekend and finished the first half of the schedule with 52 career goals which ranks No. 3 in career scoring among all NCAA players. His nine game-winning goals, six of which were netted this season, is tied at fourth in NCAA career game-winning goal scoring.
SCORING SENIORS
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 41 of ASU's 69 goals this season and assisted on nearly half of all goals (65 of 119). Kopperud leads the class in goal-scoring with 11. Sillinger leads the entire team in points and assists with 26 and 20, respectively. Multiple seniors are instrumental in ASU's special teams, especially the power play unit. Eighteen of ASU's 25 power play goals were scored by members of the senior class.
POWERED UP POWER PLAY
ASU ranks fifth in the nation among NCAA Division I teams for best power play percentage at 28.4 though 20 games. ASU's power play unit kicked into high gear two weeks ago at Robert Morris. The team scored five goals on the man-advantage from two players - Matthew Kopperud and Tyler Gratton. ASU scored three power play goals on Saturday night - the second time this season the Sun Devils have scored so frequently on the PP. Matthew Kopperud scored his 50th career goal on the power play. Lukas Sillinger continues to lead the power play scoring for the Sun Devils with two goals and 16 assists for 18 points. Matthew Kopperud is second on the team in power play scoring with 14 points (9G, 5A). Kopperud has been the go-to goal scorers on the man-advantage with his nation-leading nine PPG.
NOTABLES
The Sun Devils (13-3-4) compete against the Clarkson Knights (8-5-1)on Friday, Dec. 29 at 5:30 p.m. MST on ESPN+ and Fox Sports 910, the home of Sun Devil Hockey Radio Network. In addition to ASU, the tournament includes Clarkson, No. 17 Cornell (6-4-1), and No. 11 Massachusetts (11-4-1). Depending on Friday's results, ASU will play either Cornell or UMass on Saturday, Dec. 30.
This is the first holiday tournament that the Sun Devils have competed in since traveling to Las Vegas for the Ice Vegas Invitational in 2017-18. ASU won that tournament after defeating Northern Michigan, 7-3, and Michigan Tech, 3-2.
TOP IN THE COUNTRY
After a big road sweep of Robert Morris two weeks ago, the Sun Devils head to Lake Placid as national top-10 performers in multiple statistical categories:
- No. 1: ASU has scored 25 power play goals in 20 games which leads the NCAA
- Tied-No. 2: ASU's 13 wins is second-most in the country
- Tied-No. 3: Winning percentage at 75 percent
- No. 4: Power play unit converts at a 28.4 percent success rate
- No. 6: ASU has scored 69 goals in 20 games so far this season
- Tied-No. 23: ASU's penalty kill unit boasts a 83.1 percent success rate
- ASU is in the top-15 for fewest goal against per game at 2.5
PLAYERS IN THE NATION'S TOP 15
- Team points leader Lukas Sillinger stands at third in the NCAA with 26 pts
- Matthew Kopperud's nine power play goals this season ranks No. 1
- Tim Lovell's 18 assists is tied at No. 4 in the country
- Brian Chambers' 216 faceoff wins ranks sixth in the NCAA
- TJ Semptimphelter is tied at No. 2 in the country in goaltender winning percentage at 75 percent. His 11 wins this season is third in the NCAA. With eight career shutouts, Semptimphelter is tied at fifth in the NCAA in career shutouts. His three shutouts this season is tied for first in the country
- Tyler Gratton and Matthew Kopperud are tied at No. 9 in the country in goals with 11 each
- Brandon Tabakin's +15 plus/minus is tied at No. 4 in the country. He has never finished a game less than even this season.
Senior alternate captain Lukas Sillinger put on a massive seven-point weekend at RMU to catapult him into one of the nation's top scorers. With 20 assists this season, the winger ranks No. 2 in the country. He boasts 26 total points which ranks third in the NCAA. Over the weekend he reached 100 career points which makes him a top-10 career point scorer among current skaters in the NCAA. He leads the team in points and points per game at 1.30.
KOPP'IN THE POWER PLAY
Alternate captain and senior forward Matthew Kopperud has stolen the power play spotlight for the Sun Devils. The Colorado native netted three power play goals at RMU two weeks ago to further extend his nation-leading PPG this season to nine. He boasts 33 career power play goals which continues to set the ASU program record and lead the NCAA in career PPG among all skaters. He also reached 50 career goals over the weekend and finished the first half of the schedule with 52 career goals which ranks No. 3 in career scoring among all NCAA players. His nine game-winning goals, six of which were netted this season, is tied at fourth in NCAA career game-winning goal scoring.
SCORING SENIORS
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 41 of ASU's 69 goals this season and assisted on nearly half of all goals (65 of 119). Kopperud leads the class in goal-scoring with 11. Sillinger leads the entire team in points and assists with 26 and 20, respectively. Multiple seniors are instrumental in ASU's special teams, especially the power play unit. Eighteen of ASU's 25 power play goals were scored by members of the senior class.
POWERED UP POWER PLAY
ASU ranks fifth in the nation among NCAA Division I teams for best power play percentage at 28.4 though 20 games. ASU's power play unit kicked into high gear two weeks ago at Robert Morris. The team scored five goals on the man-advantage from two players - Matthew Kopperud and Tyler Gratton. ASU scored three power play goals on Saturday night - the second time this season the Sun Devils have scored so frequently on the PP. Matthew Kopperud scored his 50th career goal on the power play. Lukas Sillinger continues to lead the power play scoring for the Sun Devils with two goals and 16 assists for 18 points. Matthew Kopperud is second on the team in power play scoring with 14 points (9G, 5A). Kopperud has been the go-to goal scorers on the man-advantage with his nation-leading nine PPG.
NOTABLES
- ASU allowed two power play goals for the first time since competing against then-No. 2 Denver on Nov. 11, 2023
- First back-to-back road series for the Sun Devils since ASU traveled to then-No. 1 Denver on Dec 2-3, 2022 followed by New Hampshire on Dec. 9-10, 2022.