The Arizona State Sun Devils (3-0-0) proved they are a team to be reckoned with in 3-2 victory over the Northern Michigan Wildcats (0-2-1) at home Friday night. With the victory, the Sun Devils begin their best start in program history.
The Sun Devil defense was vital in their win over the Wildcats. Multiple blocked shots throughout the game kept star opponents, senior forward Artem Shlaine and graduate forward Jack Perbix, from finding themselves on the scoresheet.
Graduate forward Tyler Gratton and junior defenseman Ty Murchison made that possible with multiple blocks throughout two periods.
Junior goaltender T.J. Semptimphelter made 23 saves and allowed two goals in net. He has only allowed four goals in three games, and he played every minute in each game.
Senior defenseman Tim Lovell registered two points with a goal and an assist being the standout player for the Sun Devils. His offensive and defensive play led the Sun Devils to victory.
“I thought it was a good team win overall,” Lovell said. “I’m just looking forward to Saturday and looking to get the sweep.”
Lovell leads the team in points with four through three games. He had 18 points last season with the Sun Devils.
Freshman forward Kyle Smolen and Gratton also got goals in the win.
After transferring this offseason from Penn State, Gratton found his first goal as a Sun Devil.
Freshman forward Grant Slukynsky scored first in the game as he picked up his first-ever NCAA point.
After the three straight goals by the Sun Devils, it seemed like they had put the game away, especially with their strong defense.
However, a weird bounce gave Wildcat graduate forward Andre Ghantous his seventh point of the season. With that, the Wildcats took advantage of the Sun Devils spending time in the penalty box, which gave them life toward the end.
The Sun Devils managed to hold to secure the win. The final shots were in favor of the home team 31-25. The team knows they can not make the same mistakes because Northern Michigan will be more eager to get their first win Saturday night.
“They didn’t come all this way to get swept,” head coach Greg Powers said. “We’re gonna see the very best from them tomorrow and we’re gonna have to be better.”
Friday was the third straight home game with a packed student section student in Mullett Arena. Gratton saw the energy in the crowd and attributed the fans to the team’s incredible start to the season.
“It’s been awesome,” Gratton said. “I don’t know if the student section was sold out tonight but I know both games last week were and it looked like they were tonight. They’re bringing the energy and it’s awesome because we feed off that.”
The Sun Devils improved to 3-0-0 to start the season, their best start in program history and their last season as an independent before they join the NCHC in 2024-25.
“It’s really important for an independent program to get off to a good start because you can play not loose, but just a little bit less tight,” Powers said. “That’s how we want our guys to play; free and having fun. When you’re 3-0 against two really good teams, you can start to do that.”
The 18th-ranked Sun Devils are now riding a season-opening three-game winning streak. They look to make it four in a row and complete the sweep against the Wildcats on Saturday at 7 p.m. PST.
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