When the Sun Devils men’s hockey team began the 2024-25 season, the greatest question for outsiders was whether ASU would be able to compete in its new conference. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference has produced six of the past eight national champs and is widely considered the best conference in college hockey.
Coach Greg Powers never had such concerns
“We already knew we could compete,” he said.
Powers was right. ASU has not only competed with its first three NCHC opponents, it has outshot them by a combined 115-65.
But Powers didn’t foresee another problem — one that has defined his team through 11 games. The Sun Devils can’t score.
Since netting 11 goals in an opening-weekend, two-game series against Air Force, ASU has 17 goals in its past nine games (1.89 per game). Overall, the Sun Devils are tied for 35th in the nation (out of 64 teams).
It doesn’t help that ASU is playing without four skilled players who are all injured. Charlie Schoen is out indefinitely. Cruz Lucius is out until December. Dylan Jackson and Bennett Schimek are day to day. Combined, those four players had 36 goals and 86 points last season.
But that excuse only goes so far. Omaha entered Friday’s game at Mullett Arena arguably in worse shape than ASU.
Forward Tanner Ludtke, one of the Utah Hockey Club’s four third-round picks in 2023 (No. 81) and Omaha’s leading point producer last season, sustained an upper-body injury in a game against Minnesota State on Oct. 25. He had surgery and is likely to miss the rest of the season. Omaha was also without junior Garrett Pinoniemi, and freshmen Myles Hilman, Alexi Van Houtte-Cachero and Liam Watkins.
The Mavericks still found a way to beat the Sun Devils 3-2 despite getting outshot 43-23.
(Getty Images)
“This is literally a carbon copy of last weekend — maybe even worse tonight,” Powers said. “We outshot them 18-5 in the third [period]. Their only scoring chance was the goal they went ahead on. We played well, but at the end of the day, our guys have to figure out how to win games.”
ASU’s 3-7-1 record rings alarm bells, but the Sun Devils have been in nearly every game this season. Three of their seven losses have been by one goal and two more would have been except for empty-net goals.
They are fifth in the nation with an average of 34.5 shots on goal per game, but it’s not simply shot volume that they are generating. ASU has had the decided advantage in scoring opportunities as well.
Against Omaha, the Sun Devils dominated in that department in the first and third periods and came out with 24-6 advantage in scoring chances against the Mavericks.
“We’re getting shots through, but we’ve just got to be a little grittier, a little harder up front,” defenseman Ethan Szmagaj said. “Our puck luck isn’t going the way we want it to, but in time it will come.”
(Getty Images)
ASU also needs more from a handful of players in its lineup. While Lucius, Jackson and Schimek will help when they return, Lukas Sillinger has zero goals this season. Sillinger was third on the team last season with 11 and led the team in points.
Freshman Cullen Potter (two goals, five points) has a bright future, but it’s too early to expect big numbers out of him and the Sun Devils can no longer expect an elite power play to carry the offense. Matthew Kopperud and his 41 career power-play goals (fourth in NCAA history) have moved on to pro hockey.
“It’s hard in life not to be results focused. I struggle with it as much as anyone,” Powers said. “When you’re outplaying your opposition and out-chancing them, outshooting them and you’re 56 percent on the faceoff dot tonight and you’re not getting the result, it’s tough.
“But at the end of the day, again, it’s the really egregious mistakes that we’re making that are ending up in the back of our net. Until we stop making them while we’re not scoring, this is going to keep happening.”
Top photo via Getty Images
