After allowing four goals in the first seven minutes of the second period of Thursday night’s loss against the Maryville University Saints, Arizona State picked up its first win of the season with a 2-1 win.
The biggest storyline heading into Friday’s matchup was the decision to start sophomore goalie Quinn Eatinger.
Junior goalie Karsyn Hellman was one of the best goalies in the WWCHL last season, posting a 1.56 GAA. But with an unexpectedly poor performance from the team on Thursday night, a change was made.
“I found out at about 9:30 this morning,” Eatinger said. “As soon as I read that roster I saw missed calls from my teammates because they were so excited for me.”
ASU coach Lindsey Ellis made a number of line combination changes as well as some roster moves ahead of Friday’s puck drop. One of those changes moved sophomore forward Brittney Bridel to play with sophomores Logan Sutera and Evelyn Olson.
The change was evident as Sutera scored the opening goal of the game for ASU in the first period, on the power play.
Bridel would also pick up the assist on the goal at the 5:08-minute mark of the first period.
Maryville would respond as senior forward Maddy Johnsen would equalize the score with a power-play goal of their own. Sophomore captain Emma Gerwitz was credited with an assist on the goal with under two minutes of play remaining in period one.
The second period would go scoreless with the Saints outshooting the Sun Devils, 20-16. Entering the third period tied 1-1, ASU needed a spark to get them to victory.
Sun Devil head coach Lindsey Ellis’s decision to move newly named junior captain Elle Makenna’s lineup to the first line paid off big time. Junior forward Anita Fleming would score the game-winning goal just 14 seconds into the third period.
“It feels so good honestly,” Fleming said. “I feel that I have had this fire lit under me. I’m just really hungry to do good and have a great season.”
The goal was her first as a Sun Devil.
Fleming, the transfer from Carleton University, has enjoyed her time playing with Elle McKenna and Paige Ring
“All three of us are really puck hungry…all week we’ve been killing out there at practice,” she said.
The goal for ASU in the early stages of the third period would be the last goal of the game. With 2:26 to play in the game, Maryville pulled its goalie looking to tie up the game.
“It was a lot of communication with the defense,” Eatinger said when Maryville pulled the goalie with the extra attacker. “It was a lot of positive communication.”
Eatinger’s 41-save performance propelled ASU to a nail-biting 2-1 victory.
“That was amazing…she really stepped up to the plate,” her coach said.
Arizona State will take on the University of Utah at home on Oct. 13 and 14.
“Obviously with only two games, there is still a lot to work on. So we’ll look at game film and find the weakest parts before Utah and keep moving up from there,” Ellis said.
ASU improved to 1-1 on the season and will look to build momentum after the great team performance
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