The only real difference between Friday night’s game between ASU and San Diego State is that it took the Sun Devils 184 seconds to score on Saturday, as opposed to Friday’s 63 seconds.
The end result was the same: ASU (2-0) clobbered the Aztecs (1-2), this time by a score of 11-1.
Coach Greg Powers said that even after a 12-1 win on Friday, he didn’t take Saturday for granted.
“After you beat a team 12-1, it’s tough to come back and win 11-1,” he said. “You have to show a lot of really good focus and our guys have it.”
ASU outshot SDSU 74-17 in a game that was never really close. ASU scored early and often, and led 4-1 after the first period. The Sun Devils added four more in the second period, and three more in the final frame.
For the second straight night, ASU went up 3-0 before SDSU could answer back. Freshman forward Michael Cummings led the way with two goals in the first period, both assisted by freshman forward Tommy Cooney.
Cummings’ first goal came off a face-off in the SDSU zone. Cummings skated in after the puck dropped, grabbed a hold of the puck and went top-shelf for the goal. His second was a one-timer from the point that also beat SDSU’s goalie up top. Cummings said he was happy to get his first ASU goal.
“It was nice to get that first one out of the way,” he said. “Next level up, you get a little more nervous every time.”
Senior forward Troy Scott and sophomore forward Kory Chisholm had a pair of goals, and senior forward Brian McGinty added a goal and three assists to his record, leading the Sun Devils with four points on the night.
Just like Friday, SDSU was able to get on the board once it was down 3-0 in the first period. A turnover at center ice led to junior defenseman John Riley finding senior captain Eric Steineck, who put the puck in the back of the net for the first and only Aztec goal of the evening.
Just as Powers said might happen, senior goaltender Joe D’Elia got the night off. In his place, freshman Robert Levin recorded six saves. In the second half of the game, freshman Lucas Felbel replaced Levin, and added 10 saves of his own.
Other game notes:
– Five of ASU’s top-line forwards did not dress to play: seniors Colin Hekle, Danny McAuliffe and Kale Dolinski, as well as juniors Faiz Khan and Liam Norris. Sophomore defenseman Jordan Young also did not dress to play.
– Both Levin and Felbel made their Sun Devil debuts, as did Cooney and Cummings, who both recorded points.
– ASU outscored SDSU 23-2 over the two-game set, and also won the shots on goal battle 125-35.
– ASU returns the ice on Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Weber State at Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe.
Reach the reporter at justin.emerson@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @J15Emerson
