By this weekend’s standards, ASU hockey’s 4-1 win over Southern New Hampshire Saturday night was a close game.
In Friday night’s blowout win, ASU (9-17-2) had a 3-0 lead by the 2:04 mark in the first period, a contrast to Saturday's game in which both teams were scoreless for more than six minutes to begin the contest.
Freshman forward Jack Rowe said he thought Saturday night would be different.
“You can never come into a building and expect to beat somebody by 11 goals. We knew they were going to come hard, and they did,” Rowe said.
The Sun Devils got on the board first, going up 1-0 on a goal by sophomore forward Dylan Hollman 6:23 into the game.
ASU gets on the board with a redirect by the captain, Dylan Hollman, his fourth of the year. 1-0.
— Matt J. Layman (@mattjlayman) January 22, 2017
The Penmen (11-10-0) tied things up just 30 seconds later.
“Our guys were just getting frustrated and getting away from things,” said head coach Greg Powers. “It was the exact opposite of last night where everything we put on net went in, and tonight they got great goaltending. Good for those kids – they played really well and kept their team in it.”
That game-tying tally came from SNH junior left wing Griffin Rogers, his sixth of the season.
Also in the first period, SNH junior forward Chris Moquin found himself alone on a breakaway, in which ASU senior netminder Rob Levin made a sprawling save. Levin made his third straight start Saturday, a day after earning the first NCAA shutout in ASU history.
“He played great,” Powers said. “Rob was steady and did what he had to do, and that’s what he does for us. He has that calm presence, a couple breakdowns and didn’t falter.”
Levin allowed one goal on 33 shots in the two-game series against the Penmen.
Hockey night in Tempe. pic.twitter.com/o1obMTKzwy
— Matt J. Layman (@mattjlayman) January 22, 2017
Things were tied to begin the middle period, but ASU soon went up 2-1 on an even-strength goal from freshman forward Jack Rowe (no relation to teammate, Louie Rowe). Later, with 5:48 left to play in the second frame, freshman defenseman Jakob Stridsberg put ASU up 3-1 on a slapshot from above the left circle.
Rowe’s goal was just his second of the season.
“I was feeling pretty good,” Rowe said. “It was a good confidence-booster to take with me, I needed that one.”
With a two-goal lead to start the third, ASU held on and eventually scored an empty-net goal to make it 4-1. That goal came from sophomore forward Anthony Croston, who had a hat trick and an assist on Friday – he finished the weekend with five points.
ASU is now tasked with a road series next weekend against No. 15 Quinnipiac, followed by another road weekend at No. 14 Western Michigan.
With the tough road slate ahead, Powers rested star freshman defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk (6 G, 6 A, 27 GP) on Saturday.
“We won 11-0 last night, he’s a freshman, he gets 30 minutes of ice per night,” Powers said. “We have a huge four-game stretch coming up. It was a good night to give him the night off.”
Reach the reporter at matthew.layman@asu.edu or follow @Mattjlayman on Twitter.
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