The No. 12 Sun Devils travel to the State of Hockey to face off against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers this weekend for the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
In what will be both team’s final series of the regular season, the ice in 3M Arena at Mariucci will pose a strong postseason vibe. Arizona State (21-10-1) enters at No. 8 in the PairWise rankings and Minnesota (14-15-4) is still fighting for a way into the tournament discussion.
"To be able to go up in that environment with the season we're having and play a traditional powerhouse like Minnesota who is a tremendous team this year as well with a great coach in Bob Motzko, it's a tremendous honor for our program," ASU head coach Greg Powers said. "We couldn't be more excited for the opportunity, and that's exactly what it is, a great opportunity for our program."
ASU has been given a 99.9 percent chance to make the 2019 NCAA Tournament, according to College Hockey News’ PairWise Probability Matrix. But being almost a virtual lock for its first tournament bid in school history doesn’t mean the Sun Devils are approaching the weekend lightly.
“Not once have we celebrated like we’re in,” Powers said. “We know what the probability is, no matter what the result is up there. But we have to respect our opponent, respect the game, and respect everything that goes along with finishing out strong. We owe it to ourselves to go up there and leave it all on the ice in Minnesota.”
The Sun Devils have won their last five games which is tied with No. 9 Northeastern for the longest active streak in the NCAA. It is the most consecutive victories ASU has had since becoming a Division I program.
Minnesota has won its last three out of four, including a sweep of then-No. 2 Oho state and a quality victory over then-No. 16 Notre Dame. The Gophers are on the outside of the tournament bubble, sitting at No. 22 in the Pairwise, with a chance to make up some ground against ASU and get back above .500.
“They’re playing good hockey,” Powers added. “They’re going to be desperate. But our guys have to play our game. We can’t get caught up in what anything means for them or how they’re going to approach it.”
However, this weekend is going to mean something for two freshmen Sun Devils. Forward Demetrios Koumontzis and defenseman Josh Maniscalco get to return to a part of their roots in the State of Hockey.
Koumontzis, a Scottsdale native originally, played for Edina High School right outside of Minneapolis. Just over a year ago, the Calgary Flames draft pick was playing on the ice at Mariucci in the Minnesota State High School League 6AA Section Championship.
In that game, Koumontzis had a goal and assisted on the eventual game-winner while playing with current Gophers freshmen Ben Brinkman and Sammy Walker. His 20 goals and 21 assists in 23 games with Edina last year turned him into a 2018 Minnesota Mr. Hockey Finalist.
Minnesota has seven players on its roster that attended Edina.
“It’ll be pretty awesome playing some old buddies, some old teammates,” Koumontzis said.
The 18-year-old had four points in ASU’s 5-4 overtime win over American International in the team’s last series and has eight points in his last three games.
Maniscalco attended the prestigious prep school of Shattuck St. Mary’s in Faribault, MN, in 2014-15. Renowned NHL players like Sidney Crosby, Zach Parise, and Jonathan Toews, just to name a few, called it home at one point.
Both players have bonded over the past ties and will have family and friends in attendance. They even sat down and watched film on Minnesota to prepare for this weekend.
“(It will be) just a special moment for me and more so for our team if we can go in and get two wins, or even just one, against the Golden Gophers,” Koumontzis said. “You hear about ‘em a lot. They’re a tradition. They’re what we want to be and what we will be, and what we are right now in my opinion. So, I think it’ll be awesome to get up there and show the State of Hockey what a team from Arizona can do.”
A part of that preparation is the Olympic-sized sheet of ice that will be played on Friday and Saturday night. The Sun Devils have not experienced the bigger dimensions yet this season but are unfazed of the thought.
“I think our team plays well on big ice,” Maniscalco said. “We got a lot of really good skaters, and that just gives us more time and space. I think we’ll do well.”
Minnesota has plenty of talent as well. Junior Rem Pitlick, a Nashville Predators draft pick, leads the team with 17 goals and 38 points. Freshman Tyler Sheehy paces the Gophers in assists with 25.
ASU and Minnesota have two very different stories in the crease, however. Joey Daccord has played in every game for the Sun Devils and is tied for the most wins (21) in the country while boasting a .930 save percentage.
On the other end, the Gophers’ goalies have battled through inconsistency. But junior Mat Robson has received a majority of the starts and had a solid 26-save outing against Notre Dame last Saturday, only allowing one goal.
ASU sophomore and the NCAA’s leading goal scorer Johnny Walker had to be helped off of the ice during Tuesday’s practice but is expected to play this weekend. Powers said he should be fine, and another source added he would be day-to-day.
The Sun Devils are well aware of their situation pertaining to the tournament. But it doesn’t change the importance of this weekend to them.
“We’ve been playing like its playoffs for the last month and a half,” Powers explained. “And that cannot and will not change going up to Minneapolis.”
The puck will drop at 6:00 p.m. Arizona time on both Friday and Saturday night. Friday night's game will be televised on Fox Sports North and Saturday's game will be on Fox Sports North-Plus.
