TEMPE – Arizona State hockey (14-19-1, 7-14-1 NCHC) came out with urgency, looking to split its two-game series against Omaha (11-21-0, 7-15-0 NCHC) on Senior Night.
ASU recognized its four seniors, goalie Connor Hasley, and forwards Cruz Lucius, Bennett Schimek and Tucker Ness in a pregame ceremony with their families. The celebration continued after 60 minutes; Arizona State pulled away with a 6-3 win.
“Not too many times where my entire family can be there,” Lucius said. “So the fact that they made it out and supported me means so much.”
The Sun Devils set the tone eight and a half minutes in thanks to freshman defenseman Lincoln Kuehne netting his first collegiate goal.
“He’s a really talented freshman, people forget how young he is,” Arizona State coach Greg Powers said. “A lot of ups and downs for him, but his upside is tremendous and that’s a big confidence builder for a young kid like that.”
The Mavericks thought they had tied the game when sophomore forward Sean Tschigerl redirected a shot past Halsey, but the Maroon and Gold challenged the play for offside. After review, the call was overturned, keeping the Sun Devils in front.
Moments later, Omaha was assessed a five-minute major penalty following review, giving ASU a lengthy power play opportunity. Junior forward Kyle Smolen capitalized on this man advantage with a backhand finish top shelf. Lucius found his co-captain streaking up the middle to extend the lead to 2-0, closing out the first period.
Penalties stacked up for ASU in the second period, giving the Mavericks a 5-on-3 advantage. Senior forward Tyler Rollwagen deflected a shot in front of Hasley, cutting Omaha’s deficit to one.
A tripping call on Smolen gave Omaha another two-man advantage for 13 seconds, but ASU killed it off.
“I could feel the crowd getting frustrated,” Powers said. “They’re all penalties, so I can’t say anything other than our guys got to keep their feet moving and their sticks down.”
The Sun Devils responded midway through the second frame when sophomore defenseman Brasen Boser wired a shot top shelf from the left-wing faceoff circle. The alternate captain’s second goal of the season restored Sparky’s two-goal lead.
Smolen picked up his second tripping penalty of the period, and Rollwagen potted his second goal on Saturday night, pulling the Mavericks within one heading into the last 20 minutes of regulation.
“Yesterday didn’t go the way we wanted to,” Lucius said. “Ultimately, we knew coming into this we had to get wins.”
On its Senior Night, Arizona State had an answer.
Freshman defenseman Justin Kipkie put the Sun Devils up 4-3 seven minutes into the third period. Omaha challenged the play for goaltender interference, but after review, the goal stood.
From there on out, it became the senior show.
Schimek netted his first of the night off another dazzling setup from Lucius, who sliced through the defense to create the scoring chance. The two grew up in Minnesota playing hockey together.
“We decided to come here together, and being out there for the last game together was really special,” Schimek said. “I was just a little disappointed my last goal at Mullett [Arena] was a Cruz Lucius highlight.”
Minutes later, Lucius capped off his night with a goal of his own, his fifth point of the night and seventh of the series. The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect became the fourth Sun Devil to record five points in a single game.
“I’ve said it from the minute he got here, how special he was,” Powers said of Lucius.
With the crucial victory, the Maroon and Gold hold the last National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) playoff spot by one point over Omaha. Arizona State heads up to the University of Denver to face the No. 8 Pioneers next weekend in what could be a season-ending series. Omaha hosts Miami (Ohio) for a two-game tilt to conclude the regular season.
“To be back in a position where we control our own destiny is huge,” Schimek said.
The Sun Devils look to continue their winning ways at Magness Arena. Game 1’s puck drop is set for 7 p.m. MST on Friday, Feb. 27.
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