TEMPE – The No. 11 Arizona State ice hockey team (14-8-1, 9-4-0 NCHC) took revenge in dominant fashion with a 4-1 victory over No. 19 Colorado College (11-11-1, 5-7-1 NCHC) to continue its hold on the number one spot in NCHC standings. After dropping their first two matchups against the Tigers on the road in the opening weekend of NCHC play, the Sun Devils bounced back with a well-rounded 200-foot game on Friday at Mullett Arena.
ASU's four goals came from four different skaters up and down Friday night's lineup. Cole Gordon, ASU's fourth line center, opened the goal-scoring with a backhand at the crease. Within the next eight minutes, ASU scored two more times: first shorthanded by captain Ethan Szmagaj, listed as ASU's extra defenseman, followed by third line winger Dylan Jackson, in his first game back from injury. Second line center Kyle Smolen added the insurance in the third period with ASU's fourth goal of the game.
"Every guy we can count on. So if you're in the lineup, if you're not in the lineup, third line, first line, it doesn't matter. Everybody's ready to go and we proved that tonight," said captain and senior defenseman Ethan Szmagaj.
Luke Pavicich made his 13th start in the maroon and gold, collecting another win to improve to 8-5-0 on the season. Pavicich made 24 saves against the Tigers and allowed only one goal for a .960 save percentage.
Special teams proved to be the difference maker on both ends of the ice. ASU shut down CC on the penalty kill, posting four stops including the shortie by Szmagaj. The Sun Devils also capitalized on their power play going 1-for-2 against the Tigers who previously held a top-10 penalty kill unit in the nation.
GAME NOTABLES
PERIOD BREAKDOWN
First Period
Defense and goaltending ruled the opening frame, as both teams' offenses were held scoreless. Sun Devil goaltender Luke Pavicich made some crucial saves to prevent the Tigers from landing on the board first. Late in the period, CC forward Gavin Lindberg was called for slashing, giving ASU a power play that it carried into the second period. The Sun Devils had most of the scoring chances, outshooting the Tigers 8-4.
Second Period
The Sun Devils started the second period with 1:43 left on the power play. Despite getting some good chances, ASU was unable to capitalize and the stalemate continued. A few minutes later, ASU went to the penalty kill for having too many men on the ice. The kill unit proved strong and the game remained locked at zero. Just over halfway through the period, the Sun Devils broke through with a goal from forward Cole Gordon. It was Gordon's second of the year and was assisted by Sam Court and Ryan Alexander. ASU again found itself on the penalty kill after Court was called for slashing. Being a man down didn't faze the Sun Devils, as captain and senior defenseman Ethan Szmagaj netted a shorthanded goal from Bennett Schimek and Artem Shlaine to double the lead. It was Szmagaj's first tally of the season and first career shortie. The Sun Devils' dominant play continued, and with just 6.5 seconds left before intermission, forward Dylan Jackson found the back of the net for his sixth goal this season to make it a 3-0 game. Assists on the goal came from Ty Jackson and Joel Kjellberg. Pavicich continued to protect his fort, stopping all eleven shots from the Tigers in the period.
Third Period
ASU forward Lukas Sillinger was called for tripping early in the final frame which put the Sun Devils on the penalty kill. Late in the Tigers power play, defenseman Ty Gallagher landed in the penalty box for hooking. After Arizona State began its own power play, forward Kyle Smolen extended the lead to four with his seventh goal of the season. Assists on the goal came from Shlaine and Ryan Kirwan. The score would remain 4-0 until Colorado College forward Owen Beckner got the Tigers on the scoresheet. ASU forward Charlie Schoen was called for cross checking late in the game, but nothing would come of it as the Sun Devils claimed a 4-1 victory.
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils will look to complete the home sweep of the Tigers tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. MST. The game can be seen on Fox 10 Xtra and NCHC.tv and heard on Fox Sports 910.
QUOTES
Head Coach Greg Powers
Opening Statement:
"It was a really deliberate dissection of a win. I liked how we started. We weren't generating a ton, but we were not giving up anything. We were patient and stuck to our game. We relied on our depth that we have which showed tonight to take over."
On what allowed for the second period breakthrough:
"We stuck with it. We stuck with what we are, our identity, and our standard. Again, a fourth line gives you a big goal to start and then we just went downhill from there. Everybody chipped in, it was a good team effort from the net out and a really good win ... .We stayed patient and we managed the puck through the first two periods pretty well. We're just deep, skilled, and fast and we showed our depth tonight. If we can have a mature game like that the rest of the way, you're going to see a lot of results."
On how the team compares to a heavily talented league:
"Yeah, for the most part through our independent era we tried to play the toughest schedule that we could. We played all these teams, we understand what they're about and how difficult they are to play. Is it different to face a team like we are every single night? It is. But looking at the history of our program, we've always played up to competition and risen to the challenges. Our guys embrace the great competition. Six of the last eight National Champions and we're in first place."
Senior Defenseman Ethan Szmagaj
On his shorthanded goal:
"That was good. It was like the monkey off the back."
On the message being sent to the rest of the NCHC and the country:
"We're not to be looked over. Our squad is deep and we're ready to play every game. So it's just building momentum every game."
Sophomore Forward Cole Gordon
On his goal that broke the scoreless tie:
"I just planted myself in front of the net and then it kind of just happened. RA (Ryan Alexander) made a good dish to me and I kind of just got lucky there."
On if his goal ignited a spark in the team:
"Definitely, we were kind of slow at the start. In the intermission, coach said to go in front of the net so I kind of had to."
On the transition to playing a NCHC schedule:
"Obviously, the NCHC is such a tough division and you have to prepare every week. I think we just have to keep going and have that hat on."
ASU's four goals came from four different skaters up and down Friday night's lineup. Cole Gordon, ASU's fourth line center, opened the goal-scoring with a backhand at the crease. Within the next eight minutes, ASU scored two more times: first shorthanded by captain Ethan Szmagaj, listed as ASU's extra defenseman, followed by third line winger Dylan Jackson, in his first game back from injury. Second line center Kyle Smolen added the insurance in the third period with ASU's fourth goal of the game.
"Every guy we can count on. So if you're in the lineup, if you're not in the lineup, third line, first line, it doesn't matter. Everybody's ready to go and we proved that tonight," said captain and senior defenseman Ethan Szmagaj.
HANG IT IN THE LOUVRE ??? pic.twitter.com/MfqebcW5Bk
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) January 25, 2025
Luke Pavicich made his 13th start in the maroon and gold, collecting another win to improve to 8-5-0 on the season. Pavicich made 24 saves against the Tigers and allowed only one goal for a .960 save percentage.
Special teams proved to be the difference maker on both ends of the ice. ASU shut down CC on the penalty kill, posting four stops including the shortie by Szmagaj. The Sun Devils also capitalized on their power play going 1-for-2 against the Tigers who previously held a top-10 penalty kill unit in the nation.
GAME NOTABLES
- ASU is on a seven-game winning streak against ranked opponents, boasting 11 wins in their last 12 games.
- The Sun Devils have scored 80 goals this season which is tied for eighth in the nation and second in the NCHC. ASU has scored 3+ goals in every game since mid-November.
- The secondary assist by Artem Shlaine on Ethan Szmagaj's shorthanded goal was Shlaine's 100th career point. Shlaine's collegiate career spans five years and three colleges including UConn, Northern Michigan, and Arizona State.
- Shlaine extended his point scoring streak to five games with two assists. He boasts 10 points in the last five games.
- ASU's shorthanded goal by Ethan Szmagaj was the first of his career
- The Sun Devils special teams was on point in the opening game, scoring goals on both the penalty kill and power play
- ASU has 20 power play goals on the season for a 27 percent success rate which ranks seventh in the country. The team has notched a power play in seven consecutive games dating back to Saturday night at Robert Morris on Jan. 3, 2025. The seven game streak includes 11 PPG.
- With assists by Bennett Schimek and Ryan Kirwan, there's now a three-way tie at the top of the point scoring leaderboard for the Sun Devils. Schimek and Kirwan, with Noah Beck, lead ASU with 22 points each.
- The twins: Ty and Dylan Jackson were finally reunited after injury took both of them out of play for a period of time in 2025. Dylan scored in his return with assists from his brother, Ty, and another apple from Joel Kjellberg. Ty extended his point scoring streak to four games.
- Kyle Smolen has been a lethal component of the ASU power play, tallying two on the man-advantage in the last three games. The sophomore boasts seven points in the last five games (3G, 4A).
- In his first game back from suffering an injury in the exhibition series against the U.S. National Development Team, Ryan Alexander tallied an assist. He continues to boast the second-highest plus/minus on the team with +10.
PERIOD BREAKDOWN
First Period
Defense and goaltending ruled the opening frame, as both teams' offenses were held scoreless. Sun Devil goaltender Luke Pavicich made some crucial saves to prevent the Tigers from landing on the board first. Late in the period, CC forward Gavin Lindberg was called for slashing, giving ASU a power play that it carried into the second period. The Sun Devils had most of the scoring chances, outshooting the Tigers 8-4.
Second Period
The Sun Devils started the second period with 1:43 left on the power play. Despite getting some good chances, ASU was unable to capitalize and the stalemate continued. A few minutes later, ASU went to the penalty kill for having too many men on the ice. The kill unit proved strong and the game remained locked at zero. Just over halfway through the period, the Sun Devils broke through with a goal from forward Cole Gordon. It was Gordon's second of the year and was assisted by Sam Court and Ryan Alexander. ASU again found itself on the penalty kill after Court was called for slashing. Being a man down didn't faze the Sun Devils, as captain and senior defenseman Ethan Szmagaj netted a shorthanded goal from Bennett Schimek and Artem Shlaine to double the lead. It was Szmagaj's first tally of the season and first career shortie. The Sun Devils' dominant play continued, and with just 6.5 seconds left before intermission, forward Dylan Jackson found the back of the net for his sixth goal this season to make it a 3-0 game. Assists on the goal came from Ty Jackson and Joel Kjellberg. Pavicich continued to protect his fort, stopping all eleven shots from the Tigers in the period.
THAT'S OUR CAPTAIN ?? @SzmagajEthan pic.twitter.com/t6dIWa1f2a
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) January 25, 2025
Third Period
ASU forward Lukas Sillinger was called for tripping early in the final frame which put the Sun Devils on the penalty kill. Late in the Tigers power play, defenseman Ty Gallagher landed in the penalty box for hooking. After Arizona State began its own power play, forward Kyle Smolen extended the lead to four with his seventh goal of the season. Assists on the goal came from Shlaine and Ryan Kirwan. The score would remain 4-0 until Colorado College forward Owen Beckner got the Tigers on the scoresheet. ASU forward Charlie Schoen was called for cross checking late in the game, but nothing would come of it as the Sun Devils claimed a 4-1 victory.
DON'T LEAVE SMOLEN OPEN DOWN LOW ?????
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) January 25, 2025
Kyle Smolen gets his seventh goal of the season pic.twitter.com/ZcavGjCPEh
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils will look to complete the home sweep of the Tigers tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. MST. The game can be seen on Fox 10 Xtra and NCHC.tv and heard on Fox Sports 910.
QUOTES
Head Coach Greg Powers
Opening Statement:
"It was a really deliberate dissection of a win. I liked how we started. We weren't generating a ton, but we were not giving up anything. We were patient and stuck to our game. We relied on our depth that we have which showed tonight to take over."
On what allowed for the second period breakthrough:
"We stuck with it. We stuck with what we are, our identity, and our standard. Again, a fourth line gives you a big goal to start and then we just went downhill from there. Everybody chipped in, it was a good team effort from the net out and a really good win ... .We stayed patient and we managed the puck through the first two periods pretty well. We're just deep, skilled, and fast and we showed our depth tonight. If we can have a mature game like that the rest of the way, you're going to see a lot of results."
On how the team compares to a heavily talented league:
"Yeah, for the most part through our independent era we tried to play the toughest schedule that we could. We played all these teams, we understand what they're about and how difficult they are to play. Is it different to face a team like we are every single night? It is. But looking at the history of our program, we've always played up to competition and risen to the challenges. Our guys embrace the great competition. Six of the last eight National Champions and we're in first place."
Senior Defenseman Ethan Szmagaj
On his shorthanded goal:
"That was good. It was like the monkey off the back."
On the message being sent to the rest of the NCHC and the country:
"We're not to be looked over. Our squad is deep and we're ready to play every game. So it's just building momentum every game."
Sophomore Forward Cole Gordon
On his goal that broke the scoreless tie:
"I just planted myself in front of the net and then it kind of just happened. RA (Ryan Alexander) made a good dish to me and I kind of just got lucky there."
On if his goal ignited a spark in the team:
"Definitely, we were kind of slow at the start. In the intermission, coach said to go in front of the net so I kind of had to."
On the transition to playing a NCHC schedule:
"Obviously, the NCHC is such a tough division and you have to prepare every week. I think we just have to keep going and have that hat on."