TEMPE – After an electric second period with three goals from different Arizona State skaters, No. 14 Sun Devil Hockey dropped its season opener to No. 5 Penn State, 6-3, in a physical top 15 grudge match. Sun Devil alumnus and current Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord was honored in a pregame jersey retirement to become the first ASU hockey player to receive the honor.
Freshman Sam Alfano opened up the scoring for ASU midway through the second period, followed by newcomer and alternate captain Sean McGurn, who netted the game-tying goal. A minute later, Logan Morrell, born and raised in Mesa, AZ, tallied ASU’s third goal of the night.
The Sun Devils look to earn the split against the Nittany Lions tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 4, at 5 p.m. MST. The battle continues nationally televised NHL Network, locally on Fox 10 XTRA, and streaming on NCHC.tv. Fans can also tune in to NHL YouTube and listen to Fox Sports 910, the home of Sun Devil Hockey.
Game notables
- Senior goalie Connor Hasley earned his first start as a Sun Devil, facing 46 shots and turning away 40, earning a save percentage of 88.9 percent.
- Sam Alfano, Sean McGurn, and Logan Morrell each netted their first goals as Sun Devils.
- In his first NCAA game, Alfano tallied a two-point night (1G, 1A). Alfano is one of seven CHL players on ASU’s roster and earned the third star of the game.
- Arizona natives Morrell and Ty Nash connected on a lamp lighter with a secondary assist from Alfano.
- McGurn dominated the dot, winning 11 of 14 faceoffs for a 78.6 percent success rate. Morrell trailed close in faceoff battles with a 63.6 percent success rate (14-8)
Period breakdown
First period
ASU came out as the aggressor in what quickly turned into a physical opening frame. Both penalty kill units were on display in the first 10 minutes of action, with the Sun Devils leading 7-6 in shots on goal. Penn State was the first to strike, capitalizing on a too-many-men penalty with a power play goal. The Nittany Lions took control through the remainder of the period, lighting the lamp again in the final minute of play to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Second period
The Sun Devils opened the second period with stifling defense, highlighted by several big saves from Connor Hasley. Capitalizing on a Penn State turnover, freshman Sam Alfano buried his first collegiate goal to get ASU on the board. Back-and-forth play continued with both teams exchanging hooking penalties near the period's halfway point. A roughing penalty to the Nittany Lions allowed ASU to tie up the game at two apiece with a goal tipped in by junior forward Sean McGurn, assisted by sophomore Logan Morrell and Alfano. Moments later, Morrell joined the scoresheet himself, slipping one past the goalie at 15:19 to give the Maroon and Gold their first lead of the night. The pace stayed intense through the horn, with ASU carrying a 3–2 advantage into the final period.
Third period
The Nittany Lions stole some Sun Devil momentum with an early goal to start the third period, tying the Sun Devils at three. Another goal from Penn State allowed the Nittany Lions to take a 4-3 lead. Both teams traded penalties midway through the frame. Halfway through the period, Penn State added on another before scoring two goals, one on an empty net, in the final two minutes of regulation to defeat the Sun Devils, 6-3.
Quotables
Head Coach Greg Powers
Opening Statement
“It was disappointing. We felt really good about where we were heading in that second period. We found our ground game and did a lot of good things, executed the way we wanted to play, and they came out and punched us right back in the mouth, and we never recovered.
I think that the tail of the game was that both teams had some young guys make some mistakes, and we certainly have the utmost respect for our leaders, but we need more of our older guys; it's as simple as that. They had a second line that ate us for lunch, and their (veterans) stepped up for them in big moments, and we need more of ours if we’re going to beat this team.”
On what went wrong tonight
“We just mismanaged the game. Whether it’s taking an inopportune penalty or a turnover in the neutral zone on a flip-out, we just gift-wrapped opportunities that you can’t give that team. They’re just too dangerous, and when you make those mistakes and they counter so fast, it's going to end up in the back of your net.”
On Goaltender Connor Hasley’s performance
“[Hasley] did nothing wrong, right? [Samuel Urban] will be a great goalie for us, but I’m not going to sleep that kid after our guys left him there.”
On Joey Daccord’s jersey retirement
“It was awesome. I wish we could have won it for him. It felt like we would get it going there and finish it off, but it was awesome seeing him and his family. He’s the greatest ambassador for our program you could ask for. He’s got a great story. He loves this place. He loves this institution, and I’m happy they got to come back and see what he helped build. The environment, the crowd, the facility, everything. He knows we’ll bounce back and be a lot better tomorrow.”
Forward Kyle Smolen
On the message in the locker room
“It was to end the game and win the game. We didn’t do a good enough job of it. They came out and punched us in the mouth in the first minute of the period. That’s a pride thing. They wanted it more, and we clearly didn’t. I didn’t do a good enough job of getting the guys ready, and I’ve got to be better with the rest of the leadership group. The first and last minute of every period is critical, and we let two goals in at that moment.”