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Hockey opens NCHC play against unbeaten Miami on Friday

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Hockey opens NCHC play against unbeaten Miami on FridayHockey opens NCHC play against unbeaten Miami on Friday
Emma Jeanson/Sun Devil Athletics

TEMPE – Sun Devil Hockey (2-4-0) is set to begin NCHC play, facing off against Miami (6-0-0) on Friday and Saturday at the Goggin Ice Center in Oxford, Ohio. Miami has started the season with a perfect 6-0-0 mark through three weekends, as it is the only Division I school to have won every game played.

Arizona State will see two skaters make their season debuts this weekend: the highly anticipated NCAA debut of former AHL standout Jack Beck and sophomore defenseman Brasen Boser's first appearance of the season.

Beck is also the brother of Sun Devil alum and fellow defenseman Noah Beck, who signed an entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks this past offseason. Boser skated in every possible game during his rookie campaign (37 games played) - the most of any freshman on ASU’s team while recording 60 blocks on the blue line.

Tune in
All of this weekend’s action will be streamed on NCHC.TV and radio broadcasts will be available over the local airwaves on FOX 910 AM, with the voices of the Sun Devils, Tyler Paley, and Alex Coil on the call.

History vs. Miami (OH): (2-1-1)
In 2024-25, ASU took both games at Miami, defeating the Redhawks 7-1 and 4-1 in the series. The Sun Devils hold a 2-1-1 record against Miami dating back to 2023. 

Scouting the opposition 
Coming off a 3-28-3 season, the Red Hawks have gone undefeated to start the 2024-25 campaign. Anthony Noreen is behind the bench for Miami, replacing head coach Chris Bergeron after five seasons. The Red Hawks are coming off a pair of overtime victories over Lindenwood and have scored 5+ goals in five of their last six games this year after not scoring 5+ goals in a game at all in the 2024-25 season. They currently rank second in the country in scoring offense, averaging 4.83 goals per game. 

Quick hits

  • Senior forward Cruz Lucius ranks third nationally, averaging a goal per game (1.00). The Minnesota native has scored five goals in the last three games.
  •  Lucius is one of three NCHC players that’s recorded a hat trick this season.
  • Lucius is tied for second in the country with four power-play goals.
  • Lucius is one of six players in the NCAA to record a goal-per-game average (six goals in six games).
  • Senior Bennett Schimek is tied with Lucius with a team-best seven points this season, averaging 1.17 points per game. The forward leads the team with seven assists.
  • The team ranks eighth in the country in face-off percentage, winning 56.1% of faceoffs on the dot. It ranks second in the NCHC, trailing only St. Cloud State.
  • Junior Anthony Dowd is currently riding a three-game assist streak, the longest of his collegiate career.
  • Jack Beck and Brasen Boser are expected to make their season debuts for the Sun Devils this weekend.
  • Defenseman Lincoin Kuehne received a 'B' grade as part of NHL Central Scouting's top ‘Preliminary Players to Watch List’ last Monday. The 'B' rating indicates a second or third-round candidate in the 2026 NHL draft.


An ASU victory would …

  • snap a two-game skid and give the Sun Devils their first NCHC conference win of the year.
  • give Arizona State its third straight win at Miami (OH) and improve their record against the Red Hawks to 3-1 all-time.
  • give the Red Hawks their first loss of the season and the Sun Devils their first road win of the year.

    Milestone watch
  • Goaltender Connor Hasley is three saves away from 2,000 career saves between his time at Bentley and ASU.
  • Hasley is two wins away from reaching 40 wins in his NCAA career.  
  • Forward Johnny Waldron is three games away from 100 career NCAA games between his time at Miami and ASU.
  • Co-Captain Bennett Schimek is 19 points away from 100 career points.
  • Schmiek is five assists away from 50 career assists.
  • Sophomore Cullen Potter is four points away from 30 career points. 

Cruz control
The senior forward Cruz Lucius continued his hot streak with a pair of goals against Augustana on Oct. 18, scoring his fifth and sixth goals of the season and his sixth multi-goal game of his collegiate career. He recorded his first career hat-trick on Oct. 11 against Alaska Fairbanks in the Ice Breaker championship game. Lucius’ three power play goals remain the most in a game this season in the country.

The alternate captain has six points in the last three games and leads the team with six goals in six games, coming off an injury-riddled season last year. Lucius surpassed 80 career points in the win against Alaska Fairbanks with his hat trick between his time at Wisconsin and ASU. 

Last season, Cruz totaled 2 goals in 19 games. Cruz was chosen in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft (124th overall) by the Carolina Hurricanes, then had NHL rights traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in March 2024.

Beck is back
Joining the Sun Devils in late September and serving a six-game suspension due to the NCAA’s delayed enrollment rules, Jack Beck will officially make his debut for the Maroon and Gold this weekend. 

Last year, he played 40 professional games between the American Hockey League and ECHL. The 22-year-old left winger joined the team and averaged a point per game in his first season playing professionally. 

So is Boser …
Sophomore Brasen Boser is expected to make his season debut this weekend following a freshman campaign that featured the defenseman playing in all 37 games last season. The North Dakota native tallied 60 blocks last season and a pair of goals as a freshman. 

CHL pipeline:
Before the CHL rule change was a sure thing, Braxton Whitehead (Regina Pats) and the Sun Devils were the first to take a risk and make an official move, shaking up the hockey world in anticipation of the results from the a class action lawsuit, Rylan Masterson v. NCAA, which accused the NCAA of illegally preventing Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players from competing for American university teams.

“I’ve always thought that rule was antiquated in so many ways,” said Sun Devil Hockey Head Coach Greg Powers. “With Braxton, I simply believed in getting ahead of the curve by handicapping the situation. Change was coming, and it felt right. It’s going to make college hockey so much better.”

ASU now boasts seven players who competed previously in the CHL, including Sean McGurn (London, OHL), Austin Zemlak (Tri-City, WHL), Ty Nash (Edmonton, WHL), Justin Cloutier (Soo, OHL), Sam Alfano (Erie, OHL), and Whitehead (Regina, WHL). Before turning pro and competing in the ECHL and AHL, Jack Beck played for the Soo Greyhounds (OHL).

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