ST. PAUL, Minn. - Throughout the 15 years head coach Greg Powers has been behind Arizona State's bench, his teams have been doubted from the start. Rising in the ranks from the ACHA club level up to Division I as an independent and now in the NCHC, ASU hasn’t been treated with the level of respect compared to other programs.
That doesn’t necessarily bother Powers, though, as the Sun Devils are still a relatively new team when it comes to prolonged success. Powers realizes they still have to prove themselves, and this weekend is the perfect opportunity to do so. ASU is the No. 2 seed in the NCHC tournament and is two wins away in the Frozen Faceoff from winning the conference and earning an auto-bid to the NCAA tournament.
“It’s kind of been the story since we began,” Powers said. “I think you have to earn respect in everything you do in life, and I don’t take it personal at all. It’s something we’ve been up against since we’ve been a Division I program. A lot of people in our state and our community believed we could build a great program at ASU, and if you focus on that, the doubters fade off into the sunset.”
The team has a healthy mix of newcomers and veterans, which has translated to the early success Arizona State has seen in its inaugural season as a member of the NCHC. There are still a few players who have been with Powers for long enough to remember the days at Oceanside Arena, back when the Sun Devils were infants in the eyes of NCAA teams.
One of those players is senior defenseman Ty Murchison, who is a finalist for the NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year award. His growth as a player and a leader has helped catapult the Sun Devils to the top of the conference, and the Philadelphia Flyers draft pick is right where he wants to be in his final year.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Murchison mentioned. “It’s been a real pleasure to see the growth of hockey in Arizona coming from Oceanside to Mullett, but we’ve come a long way. This is where we wanted to be at the end of the day, so we’re really looking forward to it this weekend.”
Standing between the Sun Devils and a spot in the NCHC Championship game is No. 7 Denver, whom they’ve beaten three of four times this year. The Pioneers possess two of the last three national championships (2022, and 2024) and elevate their game in the postseason.
Denver’s offense is among the most potent in the entire country and can take the air out of any arena with its scoring ability. ASU was able to combat that in the regular season with puck possession and a plethora of shots on goal, a recipe that Powers will look to replicate Friday night.
The more time they spend in their defensive zone, the better off we’re going to be,” Powers voiced. “Obviously they’re a dynamic and fantastic team when they have the puck, so we have to make sure to have the puck as much as possible. That’s a good way to go about game planning against guys.”
Powers and Arizona State will be without sophomore forward Kyle Smolen all weekend, and no matter what happens Friday, it will be a huge loss for the team. Smolen is sixth on the team in points (29), but his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet. His blue-collar mentality and leadership have already earned him a captain patch on his jersey next season, but Powers will be looking for the remaining players to fill the void left behind.
“Guys have to step up and bring some collective sandpaper that we miss with him out,” Powers added. “You could easily make the case that he’s been our MVP, and he does everything. The energy he brings on our bench and in our room is tough to replace, so guys are going to step up and keep that next man up approach for us.”
The Frozen Faceoff will be played for the final time this year at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, home of the Minnesota Wild and an arena that seats 18,000. Going from Mullett Arena, with a 5,000-seat capacity, to an NHL arena can be overwhelming, but Powers isn’t worried about the light being too bright for his team.
For Powers, his program has been in large venues before, and the age in the locker of all the upperclassmen will certainly show this weekend. Players transferred to ASU from all over the country and have played in front of tens of thousands of fans before, and Powers is confident that the Sun Devils will step up in the big moment.
“They were excited to be out there,” Powers noted. “Our program has been in different environments up in Vegas in the Hall of Fame game, and we played where the Pittsburgh Penguins play early in our tenure. We’ve been in buildings like this and had success, so we’re excited to be here but not content. We’re going to make the most of it.”
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