After a 3-7-1 start to the season, Arizona State hit a hot stretch that saw them win eight games in a row, including a road sweep against then No. 1 Denver. With an overtime loss to No. 14 North Dakota in a game where the Sun Devils held a 3-2 lead with under a minute left, leaving a sour taste in their mouths, head coach Greg Powers still has the utmost confidence in his team.
“We’re 8-1 in our last nine, and that last one was the one that stings because of how we lost,” Powers said. “It’s been a different lineup with patchwork when one guy is in, and one guy is out, and they’ve done a great job adapting and buying into what they need to do. We still feel really good about our team.”
In the net, Powers has a two-man carousel with junior Gibson Homer and senior Luke Pavicich. Pavicich was the main netminder for ASU during the win streak, starting in seven of the first eight NCHC conference games. Homer, named today to the Mike Richter Award Watch List, started Arizona State’s first conference game against Colorado College, then didn’t see the ice for another two months before returning in a win over Cornell.
With both goalies posting a winning record, Powers has good problems to deal with in the crease. Homer has the edge with his .932 save percentage, the 10th best in the country, over Pavicich’s .913 percentage. Pavicich struggles against the power play, with nine of his 30 goals allowed coming on the man advantage. Homer started the season off slow with a 2-3-1 record, but back-to-back wins have him trending in the right direction.
“Luke was the only reason we were in that game, and I think the one goal he would want back is the one in overtime,” Powers expressed. “Gibby was dynamite, too, but it doesn’t mean that we’ll split the weekend. I think we’ll go with Gibby on Friday because it just feels right, and we’ll approach Saturday as it comes.”
The Sun Devils head on the road in their next level of the NCHC gauntlet and will take on No. 15 St. Cloud State. The Huskies come into this weekend's series after getting swept by Minnesota Duluth and are looking to get back on track to keep their tournament hopes high.
ASU saw junior forward Cruz Lucius make his season debut on Friday against North Dakota after missing the entire first half due to injury. He notched an assist in both games and a blocked shot on Friday, bringing in even more offensive power after tallying a career-high 34 points last year at Wisconsin with 13 goals and 21 assists.
“He was awesome,” Powers voiced. “He was really good Friday because he was fresher, and then he did a little less on Saturday because of the quick turnaround, and he’s not in game shape, but he was still really effective. He just makes plays, and he’s a kid that knows how to play hockey, and you just have to let him play. You live with the mistakes, but when he has the puck, good things happen.”
Lucius was one of the biggest acquisitions in the portal this offseason for Powers, and his long-awaited return did not disappoint. For Lucius, playing in the Big Ten against top-level competition helped prepare him for the best conference in hockey. Though he’s still getting his legs underneath him, he’ll play a major role in how successful the Sun Devils are come March.
“I was a little nervous, but it was good to get it off my chest,” Lucius stated. “I had a lot of adrenaline, so that helped, but I’ve been in big games and big situations before. I had a good amount of time to practice and do some conditioning, but obviously, that doesn’t compare to playing in a game.”
Powers has mentioned throughout the season that this roster is the most talented one he’s had, and Arizona State’s tournament aspirations reflect that. ASU is second in the NCHC with a 6-4 record in just its first season as a member and already has statement wins over three of the four top teams in the conference. It has yet to play No. 4 Western Michigan, which is third in the NCHC.
“We have four unbelievable lines, two great goalies, and I couldn’t say a bad thing about our defense,” Lucius mentioned. “The focus is to not only get to the tournament but to win a national championship, too. I don’t think there’s anything we think that can stop us, but we don’t really focus on that. It’s in the back of our heads, but every day is just working towards that point.”
Lucius had chemistry with a number of players before even taking the ice, but none more than junior forward Bennett Schimek. The two grew up together playing hockey in Minnesota and are now on the same line alongside freshman forward Cullen Potter. Potter scored the first goal of the weekend series with Lucius and Schimek assisting, then Schimek scored in the Saturday loss, with Lucius setting him up for the goal.
“I’ve played with Bennett for a lot of games, so that was easy to get into a groove,” Lucius added. “With Potter, he’s super fast and smart, and he’s a guy that I’d say pretty much everybody would want to play with. Both of those guys are really positive people, and every shift we want to put the puck in the back of the net.”
Potter celebrated his 18th birthday over the weekend, and his goal on Friday night was his seventh of the season for his 11th point, which was good for eighth place on the team. While the speedy freshman dazzles the crowd and opposing teams with his offensive firepower, Powers has been most impressed with his effort and energy on the other side of the puck.
“I think he’s trended in an unbelievable direction,” Powers remarked. “He’s just continuing to get better in every facet of his game, and he’s great defensively for us. If you watch how he plays in the defensive zone, how hungry he is to kill plays, and how he uses his skating to help us with our defensive side, he’s been really good, and it’ll continue to get better. He’s so committed to his craft and getting better at everything he does.”
Even with the heartbreaking loss to the Fighting Hawks to end the 8-game win streak, Arizona State is still miles ahead of where it started the season. This road trip up to Minnesota is yet another test for ASU, and the Sun Devil locker room is ready for it. With the team getting healthier and the chemistry improving with each game, their confidence in each other is as high as it’s ever been.
“The belief in our room hasn’t changed,” Schimek recognized. “Throughout the whole season, we always believed we were capable of competing and beating any team, and I think seeing those results emphasizes that in the group. It showed us that if we stick to this standard and the way we play, we can beat any team in the country.”
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