TEMPE – Sun Devil Hockey returns to Mullett Arena for the last time in regular season action when Arizona State plays host to Omaha for a two-game tilt that begins at 7 p.m. MST on Friday, Feb. 20.
ASU (13-18-1, 6-13-1 NCHC) is coming off a weekend trip to Western Michigan, where the Sun Devils dropped both games to the Broncos. Despite the results, freshmen forwards Carmelo Crandell, who recorded his first career multi-assist collegiate game during Friday night’s contest, and Ben Kevan extended their active points streaks to three-straight contests.
Before Saturday night’s puck drop, Arizona State will honor its four seniors: Connor Hasley, Cruz Lucius, Tucker Ness and Bennett Schimek.
Schedule:
Friday, Feb. 20, 2026
Arizona State vs. Omaha - 7 p.m. MST
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 - Senior night
Arizona State vs. Omaha - 5 p.m. MST
Where to watch:
Fans can tune into this weekend’s action on NCHC.TV.
For local viewers, though, Saturday’s game will be available to watch on FOX10 Xtra. Tyler Paley and Alex Coil’s radio broadcast of the action can be heard on Fox Sports 910AM.
Opponent outlook:
Omaha (10-20, 6-14 NCHC) has dropped three of its last four games, having matched up against No. 4 Western Michigan and No. 8 Denver. The Mavericks swept then-No. 15 Colorado College in Colorado Springs back on Oct. 31 (3-2) and Nov. 1 (5-4). On the season, the program has six wins over ranked opponents.
Underclassmen are leading the way for the Mavericks this season with freshman forward Marcus Nguyen and sophomore Maxime Pellerin both leading the squad in goals (8). Sophomore forward Trevor Wong and freshman forward Luke Woodworth are tied for the most points on the team with 17.
History vs. Omaha (6-8-1):
ASU has six all-time wins over Omaha with five of those occurring on home ice. The previous matchup between the two programs took place at Baxter Arena in Omaha on March 1, 2025.
The Maroon and Gold took game one of last year’s two-game series, 4-1, on Feb. 28, when Cruz Luciuis, Joel Kjellberg and Bennett Schimek each recorded at least one point. With the win, ASU was able to clinch home ice for the 2025 NCHC quarterfinals. Despite a 4-2 (EN) loss in the series finale, the Sun Devils remained in second place in the league standings.
Omaha last made the trip to Tempe in November 2024. Even though the Mavericks took game one, 4-2, Anthony Dowd and Brasen Boser each recorded a point. ASU responded in historic fashion by giving the home fans the program’s first NCHC win with a 3-2 victory in the second game of the weekend. Kyle Smolen recorded two assists for two points in the win, while Dowd recorded points in both games, marking the third time in his career that he scored in back-to-back games.
Quick hits:
- Senior forward Bennett Schimek will enter this weekend’s two-game schedule sitting one point shy of tying Josh Doan (75; 2021-23) for eighth place on the program’s career points list.
- Schimek and fellow senior forward Cruz Lucius will take the ice on Friday night tied for the team lead with 38 points, which is good enough for seventh in the nation.
- Schimek and Lucius’ 38 points each are tied with Matthew Kopperud for the most by a Sun Devil through the first 32 games of the season.
- The Sun Devil duo is also tied for third place in the conference with 38 points.
- Heading into the weekend’s action, Arizona State features three skaters ranked among the top seven in the NCHC in points per game: Bennett Schimek (3rd, 1.23), Cruz Lucius (6th, 1.19) and Cullen Potter (7th, 1.17).
- In conference-only action, Schimek is second with 24 points, while leading the conference with 1.26 points per game.
- Schimek has tallied a team-leading 27 assists this season, which is seventh most in a season by a Sun Devil and it’s tied for fifth in the country.
- Schimek is tied with Minnesota-Duluth’s Jayson Shaugabay for the NCHC lead with 27 assists.
- The Sun Devils are the only team in the country to have a pair of teammates with 110-or-more career points: Lucius - 116, Schimek - 112.
- Sam Urban, a freshman goalie, currently leads the NCHC with 29.27 saves per game mark.
- In NCHC play, Urban ranks first averaging 29.27 saves per game.
- On the dot, sophomore forward Logan Morrell ranks fifth in face-off winning percentage (.565) and is fifth in the conference with 320 face-off wins.
- Sophomore defenseman Brasen Boser ranks first in the NCHC with 61 blocks on the season as well as first in conference-only contests with 50 blocked shots.
- Boser’s 61 blocks are currently the seventh most in a season by a Sun Devil
- Sophomore defenseman Joel Kjellberg ranks second in the NCHC with 58 blocks, while third in conference play with 33.
- Kjellberg is also currently tied for the eighth most in a season by a Sun Devil.
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