Denver’s freshman forward Kristian Epperson scored to make it 7-1 Pioneers. It was the nail in the coffin for head coach Greg Powers’ team, who had it beat to them all night.
“The score sucks, the score is embarrassing,” Powers said last night following the 7-1 loss. “I hope it pisses our guys off, and we come back a lot harder.”
The message was simple for the Arizona State Sun Devils. A series sweep would put the ASU in a hole that would be extremely hard to climb out of.
The Sun Devils managed to hear the message loud and clear, upsetting the No. 3 Denver Pioneers in overtime 3-2 at Mullett Arena on Saturday night.
“Really proud of our guys,” Powers said. “The response was really good. Last night, we did a lot of things well, it just didn’t reflect it on scoreboard. When that happens, you have to peel it back and it sounds cliche now, but it focuses on what part of the process that we’re trying to put together worked, and tonight was easily our best 60-minute effort in the season.”
Related: Greg Powers Signs 5-year Extension with Arizona State Sun Devils
The win, moves ASU to 3-4-1 record in National Collegiate Hockey Conference play, sitting in fourth place.
ASU has struggled to close out games in the past, with several leads blown late but was able to close out Saturday’s game in overtime.
Sun Devils Top No. 3 Pioneers 3-2 in Overtime
Unlike on Friday night, the Sun Devils got off to a hot start. Rather than trailing at the end of the first period, 2-0, it was the exact opposite, as they led 2-0, something junior forward Kyle Smolen said was a full team buy-in.
“What’s there to lose at this point, it’s on us, no one’s coming to save us at the end of the day, it’s on us to figure out,” Smolen said. “How are we gonna turn the ship around? The only way to do it is to start off hot.”
Denver got on the board midway through the second period from junior forward Sam Harris, who sniped one past senior goaltender Connor Hasley.
Hasley stopped 19 shots in the second period and capped off the night saving 42 of 44 shots.
“He was great,” Powers said. “He was tremendous. He made those two huge saves in overtime, which were which are huge for us, and gave us a fighting chance to win.”
Along with Hasley’s performance in net, the Sun Devils’ fourth line, consisting of junior forward Kyle Smolen, freshman Ben Kevan and freshman Carmelo Crandell.
“I’ll play with anyone and try to make something, make every line as good as I can,” Smolen said. “I think it’s my job as as that older guy on that line to help kind of lift those guys up. And they stepped up to the plate today.”
In overtime the hero for ASU was Cullen Potter, scoring the game-winning goal, putting Mullett into a frenzy.
“It’s always good to score,” Potter said. “To get that big win for us, it’s huge. It’s always good on Saturday nights.”
ASU now moves to 5-8-1 on the season and take on Ohio State following Thanksgiving next weekend.
“I thought in the third period we were the better team and fate was that we ended up having with a win, I think we deserve.”