Fans at Arizona State’s home opener against the number-10-ranked Michigan Wolverines were excited, especially the student section, which repeatedly got the crowd into the game with chants and cheering for the Maroon and Gold. Unfortunately, the Sun Devils won’t be back at home until Nov. 9, when they take on the Colorado College Tigers.
Related: ASU’s Physicality & Versatility Put to Test Against Michigan Wolverines
In the meantime, they face Providence University this weekend in the first of three series away from home. It will be a test of their depth, as the team is still dealing with injuries to senior forward Artem Shlaine and junior forward Cruz Lucius, who are expected to take on prominent roles when healthy. Head coach Greg Powers still has them listed as week-to-week.
This week, we’ll see the return of former Sun Devil forward Ryan O’Reilly, how junior goaltender Gibson Homer has managed so far, and what to make of senior defenseman Noah Becks’ success to kick off the 2024-25 season.
Defenseman Noah Beck Surpassing Expectations on Blue Line
This offseason, the Sun Devils hit the transfer portal very hard, picking up plenty of experienced players. That includes Beck to mitigate losing junior defenseman Tim Lovell, who transferred to Michigan University. After losing Lovell, arguably their best defenseman, Powers knew it would be challenging to find a replacement, but Beck has filled that role nicely, notching one goal and eight points in four games.
“We’re building each weekend,” Beck said. “We’ll do our video next week. Take it day by day, and switch our focus to Providence. But mainly focus on what we do best and use that to our advantage.”
Beck, who is entering his final season of college hockey, has also played a significant role on the power play, which will need to stand out entering conference play when games are so important. The Richmond Hill, Ontario, native needs just one more point to surpass his eight points from last season with Clarkson Univerisity, and he’ll have a great chance this weekend when the Maroon and Gold take on Providence.
Gibson Homer Continues to Stand Tall in Net
When Homer is in net, not only do the players feel at ease, but so does the entire building. That’s why Powers went to Homer in back-to-back games against the Wolverines. After an impressive 2023-24 campaign, he has picked up right where he left off, and through three games, he’s managed a 1-1-1 record, a 2.37 goals-against average (GAA), and a .920 save percentage (SV%).
“It’s been huge,” senior defenseman Ty Murchison said. “(Gibson) is a stud in the net; Pav’s (senior goaltender Luke Pavicich) has done a great job, as well. He’s really just a rock back there. I think we all have a lot of confidence in him, and he has a lot of confidence in himself.”
Homer is expected to kick off the weekend against the Tigers, but depending on how game one goes, Powers may opt to switch things up for game two. The team has tons of faith in him, and rightfully so. Homer’s play could be one of the deciding factors in how well ASU does this season, especially in conference play.
Sun Devils Face Familiar Foe in Ryan O’Reilly This Weekend at Providence
When the Sun Devils travel across the country to play Providence this weekend, they’ll face a familiar foe. Senior forward Ryan O’Reilly, 24, played four seasons with the Sun Devils, bringing his toughness and grit to the lineup each night. Last season, he recorded nine goals and 15 assists in 37 games.
“He was an unbelievable guy, unbelievable leader,” Murchison said O’Reilly. “Obviously, it was tough to lose him, and we wish him all the best, just not this weekend.”
O’Reilly is now on a Tigers team that prides itself in excellent defensive play and, more often than not, low-scoring contests.
“We’ll watch them a little bit as the week goes on,” Bennett Schimek, who played two seasons with the Tigers before transferring to ASU, said. “We’ll find some things we want to do. I think we have confidence and belief in ourselves that…we just play our games, things will happen for us. We’re just going to stick to that.”
It should be an electric series between two well-coached teams that will test the Sun Devils’ ability to win on the road.
Bits & Pucks
- Entering this season, no one knew what to expect from 17-year-old Cullen Potter, who had played with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) before making the leap to college. Some believed he was too young, others thought another season at the USNTDP would’ve served him well, but thus far, he’s exceeding expectations. He has four points in the short four-game sample, including the shootout winner against Michigan. The projected 2025 first-round pick has the potential to create lots of noise this season, and so far, he’s outdone himself.
- Junior forward Schimek may make his debut as a tour guide this weekend. Schimek, 21, was a Tiger for two seasons before transferring to Arizona State and will now play his former team. “I’m definitely excited to get back and see some old friends,” Schimek said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for that team and that program, but at the end of the day, we’re going there trying to get two wins.”
- Providence comes into this weekend’s battle ranked 14th and has an extensive list of NHL prospects on their roster, including Golden Knights 2024 first-rounder Trevor Connelly, Chicago Blackhawks 2024 third-rounder John Mustard, and 2024 third-rounder and Montreal Canadiens prospect Logan Sawyer.
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