Thanksgiving break has come to a close, and head coach Greg Powers and the Arizona State Sun Devils return to action this weekend, taking on the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. In case you missed it, ASU is coming off a massive sweep over the best team in the country, Denver University, and has since climbed back into the United States College Hockey Organization (USCHO) rankings at No. 19.
Related: Vibes High After Sun Devils’ Historic Sweep of Denver Univ. Ahead of Thanksgiving Break
In the month of November, the Sun Devils finished with a 3-3-0 record, and considering all six games were conference play, coming out of the month at .500 isn’t bad. They also found senior goaltender Luke Pavicich as their starter, someone who was tabbed as their backup netminder at the start of the season with junior goaltender Gibson Homer in net.
With November behind us, let’s take a look at what December has to offer the Sun Devils and how they might fare going into 2025.
Dec. 5-6: Minnesota Duluth
As briefly mentioned above, to kick off December, ASU will take on Minnesota Duluth this weekend at Mullett Arena. The Bulldogs’ record (5-8-0) may tell one story, but Minnesota Duluth has talent across the board. In net, they have Chicago Blackhawks 2023 second-round pick Adam Gajan, who has started in 12 out of the 13 games for the Bulldogs this season. Gajan has a 3.50 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .882 save percentage (SV%).
The talent doesn’t stop there as they also have Detriot Red Wings 2024 second-round pick Max Plante, who recently returned from injury and has three points in three games. His brother, Zam Plante, Pittsburgh Penguins 2022 fifth-round pick, has recorded three goals and eight points in 13 games.
Adding to the bunch, they also have Buffalo Sabres 2024 second-round defenseman Adam Kleber. He stands at a staggering 6-foot-6 and has been a prominent force on the blue line this season.
There is no shortage of skill on this Bulldogs team, and it’s evident their record doesn’t tell the entire story.
Dec. 28-29: USNTDP
Led by head coach Greg Moore, the United States National Team Development Program has seen some serious NHL talent in the last decade. In the past, they have produced NHL All-Stars Jack Hughes, Clayton Keller, Auston Matthews, Patrick Kane, and Cole Caulfield. These are just a few, but while this is an expedition series and won’t count toward either team’s record, this isn’t a team to take lightly.
William Moore, who is already committed to play at Boston College next season, has been a force all season long and is projected to go in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. This season, he has eight goals and 18 points in 24 games. Alongside Moore, there’s also the speedster in L.J. Mooney, the cousin of Logan Cooley. With the U-18 team, Mooney has recorded one goal and seven points in ten games.
While these are just two of many players who will give the Sun Devils problems on the 28th and 29th, as mentioned, it is just an expedition series and has no real implications on record, etc. Nonetheless, seeing some of the best U.S. prospects on full display should be an exciting series.
Light Schedule for Sun Devils as New Year Nears
Compared to the Sun Devils’ October and November schedules, December sees no travel and a light schedule. That’s not to say they should take Minnesota Duluth and USNTDP lightly, but it’s a nice change as the holiday season slowly creeps in. Even though ASU’s season hasn’t gone perfectly, it doesn’t take an expert to see that they’ve put themselves in a decent spot as 2025 approaches.
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