No. 12 Arizona State (14-9-1 9-5 NCHC) split the weekend series with Colorado College after giving up five goals in the third period on Saturday, but head coach Greg Powers is still confident in his team because of its resume up to this point. The Sun Devils sit in third place in the NCHC with 28 points and hadn't lost a game in regulation since November before Saturday's defeat.
The power play was on point in both games last weekend, but the third-period collapse highlighted ASU's poor forecheck. When both teams were at even strength, the Tiger established the zone for most of the third, leading to countless Sun Devil defensive breakdowns. Arizona State will look to move on this weekend against Miami (OH) (3-19-2, 0-14), a team that has yet to win a conference game.
"We've competed with the best and beat the best," Powers said. "We know we can do that, and special teams are kicking right, so I think that's a glaring positive. Back to 5-on-5, though, we need to establish a forecheck. I don't like our check at all, and we're giving teams clean and easy exits. It's easy for them to break out on us right now, so we really focused on that this week and film."
ASU led 4-1 at one point in the third but allowed four unanswered goals in just 15 minutes. The Sun Devils have struggled throughout the season finishing games, holding leads in the third period in each of their two losses in the last 15 games. The Sun Devils have shown glimpses of possessing the ability to shut down opposing teams when they have a lead, and Powers believes that mentality is still in every player.
"There's nothing you can do in practice to defend leads; it's a mindset and killer instinct," Powers added. "It's something that this team has not perfected yet, and I think the good news is we know we're really good. We're going to be out in front quite a bit and we have all year, but we need to develop that killer instinct to end games and continue to keep our foot on the gas pedal."
Graduate defenseman Noach Beck, junior forward Bennett Schimek, and senior forward Ryan Kirwan were all nominated for the Hobey Baker Award this past week, with Kirwan leading the team in goals (16) and Beck having the most assists (19), but the impact this trio has is much more than the numbers.
All three players are first-year transfers for the Sun Devils and have instantly made an impact on the team. Their veteran leadership has pushed them to step up on a team that lost several key players to the portal and eligibility and has been a large factor in the No. 12 that sits beside Arizona State's name.
"They're great kids and great players," Powers stated. "We're happy that they're here because they're huge pieces of why we're in such a good position right now. Obviously, we want to continue to climb in the PairWise, and they have us set in position to win our conference. They're huge additions to our program and we're enjoying every day we have with them."
Kirwan has already beaten his career-high of goals just 24 games into the year and is one point away from a career-best 27 points, as he's been the number-one option on the top line for ASU. The coaching staff has assisted in his development as a player, but the rest of the guys in the locker room have also allowed him to become the player he is.
"It's honestly a mixture of players and coaches that have helped me this year," Kirwan commented. "They've both taught me so much about hockey in general this past year. The coaches here are phenomenal and I couldn't say enough great things about them and how much they've helped me grow as a player."
Sophomore defenseman Anthony Dowd saw firsthand the number of players that came in this year with the intention to win, and the team has seen immense growth since then. The locker room presence that all three players possess has lifted the team up as a whole, and their chemistry on and off the ice is still growing.
"It's unreal to have multiple Hoby Baker nominees on our team," Dowd expressed. "Obviously, they're super skilled and put up a lot of points, but they play hard and lead by example. They lead with positivity when it can get tough on the bench sometimes. They do a great job in the locker room firing up guys, and it helps us a ton."
Dowd's numbers in his first two years look similar, but Dowd himself has noticed a change in his demeanor with a year under his belt. Although he's only a sophomore, Dowd has stepped up in the defenseman group, helping with the development of freshmen d-men Brasen Boser, Sam Court, Joel Kjellberg, and Hunter Mullet.
"I'm just a lot more acclimated to college itself," Dowd voiced. "On the ice, I think we have a super tight-knit group this year, and we've gotten even closer these past few days. I think my maturity as a sophomore now is helping the freshmen out that are in the same position I was in last year, and that helps me a lot just growing as a person."
The Sun Devils are neck-and-neck with Western Michigan and Omaha in the NCHC standings, but the Mustangs sit atop the conference with 30 points. Arizona State will conclude the regular season with a home series against the Mustangs and a road trip against Omaha, but a lot can change in the three weeks prior.
"The closer you get down the wire, the more you start paying attention to that stuff," Kirwan observed. "The conference is so tight, so every weekend is a battle. I think there are four to five teams that are battling for first place, so we just have to focus on every game and grow from them. We have to learn what we're great at and keep it going into the next game."
Powers led Arizona State to its only NCAA tournament appearance in 2018-2019 as an independent and has come extremely close to returning several times. Looking back at that team, which featured the current goalie for the Seattle Kraken, Joey Daccord, Powers mentioned the level of buy-in from the team that helped them reach the tournament.
Comparing it to this year, the talent level of the current roster is lightyears ahead, but so is the competition level. The Sun Devils are in one of the top conferences in college hockey and are right in the middle of the race for the conference championship with a month left in the regular season. The confidence that is instilled in this team has Powers and his squad primed for a playoff push, but he'll expect a different result than a first-round exit.
"From a cultural standpoint, they're very similar," Powers mentioned. "Going into both seasons, nobody really gave us a chase, and we've taken the approach where all we need is each other. I think it was similar because in your first year, you're going to take lumps, and we were picked to finish eighth this year. These guys have believed in what we have from day one, and they continue to believe to this day."