Arizona State hockey did exactly what coach Greg Powers expected them to do: Get one step closer to winning another trophy in front of its home fans.
With under a minute to play in the game, freshman defenseman Justin Kipkie dumped the puck around the boards, where senior forward Cruz Lucius sent a pass down low for sophomore forward Cullen Potter, who scored to secure his hat-trick as the fans threw their hats onto the ice. Potter, who continues to be scorching hot, is on a four-game goal streak.
For the squad donning the Maroon and Gold, it embodied the overall dominance ASU had on Friday night.
The Arizona State Sun Devils advanced to the Desert Hockey Classic final and improved to 10-10-1 (4-5-1 NCHC) on the year after taking down the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (3-12-0) 7-2 at Mullett Arena Friday night.
A new face emerged as a key piece for the Sun Devils on Friday in freshman forward Ty Nash, who has seen increased playing time due to injuries.
Nash picked up two goals and an assist while accumulating the team’s best plus-5 rating. Nash’s first of two goals came on a breakaway to put the Sun Devils up 2-1 in the first period.
A period later, Nash sliced through two defenders and hit a deke move from glove side to stick side to drive it home, leaving the crowd and Alaska Anchorage sophomore goalie Tyler Krivstov in disbelief and putting ASU up 4-1.
“He was unbelievable to me,” Powers said. “(Nasher) can do it all. He has skill … people associate the Nash name with just grit and no skill. Ty has skill, and he put that on display tonight and buried some chances.”
The Arizona native quietly had his best collegiate game backed by a roaring crowd with his family front and center.
“I am super lucky,” Nash said. “I am super grateful for it, and I am very lucky. I do not think anyone was happier than me other than my parents. So it has been super fun for my family as a whole.”
The young forward has adjusted to college life better and better throughout the year.
“It was a big step those first weekends,” Nash said. “I think as the season goes on, I have built more confidence and I have felt like I have deserved to play here and play in this league.”
Along with a goal, Lucius collected three assists. All three of which supported Potter’s goals.
“It has been great,” Potter said about playing with Lucius. “He is a really skilled player, and he finds me a lot of the time, so it is super fun playing with him and exchanging goals here and there.”
The first five minutes of the game saw a three-goal span. Sophomore forward Logan Morrell went into the box 13 seconds into the game after delivering a hit along the boards to Alaska Anchorage senior forward captain Conor Cole, who was the recipient of the boarding call.
The Seawolves wasted no time, capitalizing on the power-play opportunity and junior forward Karter McNarland put it in from the slot, where ASU freshman goaltender Sam Urban wasn’t fully squared up and got beat stick side to give Alaska Anchorage an early 1-0 lead.
“The kill was really good,” Powers said after his team killed off the next three penalties. “It has been good for us. Dana (Borges) is doing a great job with it. They could have easily got back in the game, and we were able to shut the door and extend the lead, so it was really good.”
Neutral zone play was a key factor for the Sun Devils on Friday night. They created a ton of turnovers and used that momentum to almost double the Seawolves’ shots on goal, outshooting the Alaska Anchorage 43-24.
The Sun Devils’ physicality was credited as a huge part of the win. ASU blocked shots, played some of its best hockey on the forecheck and along the boards, which helped propel the offense.
“We have established what our standard needs to be for this team to be successful and it is establishing a forecheck,” Powers said. “It is getting bodies in front of the net. You cannot do those two things without having a physical presence.”
The freshmen and newcomers for Arizona State got off to a sluggish start at the beginning of the year. That hasn’t been the case as of late and it certainly was not the case on Friday night either, combining for two goals and five assists.
“The youth is now no longer youth,” Powers said. “They are weathered. They have been through it.”
The Arizona State Sun Devils will face off against Air Force for a chance to win the Desert Hockey Classic on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. MST at Mullett Arena.
“We get to play for a trophy tomorrow,” Powers said. “That is what we set out to do.”
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