Sweeps elusive for ASU hockey team
Arizona State hockey swept Air Force and Quinnipiac on consecutive early-season weekends.
Since then, the going has been tougher, particularly on game 2 of a weekend series.
No. 17 ASU lost 3-2 Sunday to Michigan Tech at Oceanside Ice Arena, its fifth series since Nov. 29 in which the Sun Devils failed to follow up a game 1 win with a second victory.
In two of those series, ASU tied in the back end for a 1-0-1 weekend. That appeared to be where Sunday was headed after the Sun Devils converted on a power play with 3:45 remaining.
Instead, Michigan Tech capitalized on an ASU error to score with 2:05 left, avenging a 4-3 loss Friday and capping a 3-1 week.
“Teams are coming out with a little bit more push than we are in the second game,” ASU coach Greg Powers said. “If our guys can get that through their heads, that nothing is going to come easy for them, we’re going to start to sweep more teams. Until we make that mental adjustment, we’re going to continue to make it hard on ourselves.
“Michigan Tech was way better today than they were yesterday.”
ASU dropped to 11-8-3. The Sun Devils are 6-5-3 since Nov. 8 with their last sweep coming Nov. 1-2.
On Sunday, Michigan Tech (13-9-1) led 1-0 on a power play goal at 6:02 and 2-1 when Eric Gotz scored on a scrum around the ASU net at 11:50 of the third period.
After a Huskies’ penalty at 15:08, Powers called a timeout to set up the power play, leading to a Willie Knierim goal at 16:15 for 2-2.
“The timeout was mainly to rest our top unit because a couple of guys were gassed,” Powers said. “It paid off. We got some rest and told them just to get pucks on the net, and Willie will be there to do what he does and get in the goalie’s eyes.
“At no point in that third period did we feel we weren’t going to win the game. It’s just a general belief our guys have in each other, and it didn’t go our way.”
Josh Maniscalco made a retrieval error in the closing two minutes that led to Tommy Parrottino and Trenton Bliss assists on a goal by Michigan Tech’s Logan Pietila with too little time left for an ASU response.
“If our guys can get that through their heads, that nothing is going to come easy for them, we’re going to start to sweep more teams. Until we make that mental adjustment, we’re going to continue to make it hard on ourselves.”
The Huskies, who beat Michigan State and Michigan earlier in the week to win the Great Lake Invitational, had a 24-23 edge in shots. Both goalies made 21 saves.
“They outmuscled us for a puck on a retrieval,” Powers said. “It’s a real simple play that needs to be made 100 times out of 100. We didn’t make it, and they got a big win.”
ASU is back on the road against Brown (3-11) on Jan. 11-12. The Sun Devils still have 14 games remaining.
No. 17 ASU hockey holds off Michigan Tech
No. 17 Arizona State hockey built a 3-0 lead Saturday night then held on for a 4-3 win over Michigan Tech.
Playing their first game at Oceanside Ice Arena since Dec. 6, the Sun Devils went up 1-0 on a goal by Willie Knierim at 4:42.
PJ Marrocco made it 2-0 late in the first period then Jordan Sandhu scored at 1:21 of the second for a 3-0 lead.
Michigan Tech scored first early in the third period but 16 seconds left, at 5:13, Filips Buncis answered for ASU. The Huskies scored two more goals, the first on a power play and the second at 17:14, to put a scare into the Sun Devils, who had a 23-22 edge in shots.
ASU improved to 11-7-3 with its first win since Dec. 21. Michigan Tech, which beat Michigan State and Michigan earlier in the week to win the Great Lakes Invitational, dropped to 12-9-1. The teams play again at 3 p.m. Sunday.