After six games, the No. 9 Sun Devil hockey club is 5-1 for the second consecutive year. ASU hopes, however, that this season doesn't follow last year's pattern.
Last season, the Devils cruised to five straight victories to open the season, but then went on an 11-game winless streak to fall to five wins, eight losses and three ties.
After losing 4-2 Saturday to the No. 10-ranked Robert Morris College Eagles, the Devils know they will have to work hard in their two games against Division II opponent Utah State this weekend to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself.
"We're going to figure out what kind of team we have this weekend coming back from a loss," junior defenseman Jeff Abbott said.
The Sun Devils and Aggies will face off today and Saturday at Tempe Oceanside Arena, located at 1520 N. McClintock Drive. The puck drops for both games at 7:30 p.m.
Last season, the teams skated to a 4-4 draw on Nov. 21. The following night, ASU ended its winless skid with a 7-0 victory over the Aggies. That victory was the beginning of a late-season surge that eventually resulted in a national tournament appearance for the Devils.
Freshman forward Joe Ahern said it was extremely important for the Sun Devils to rebound quickly from their first defeat of the season and get ready for two intense battles against Utah State.
"We can't take them lightly at all," he said. "They are a Division II team, but they are good. We need to come out strong, and if we execute like we can, we will win both games."
Utah State (7-6-1) enters the game ranked No. 3 in the Division II West region. The Aggies have played some Division I teams this season, including losing 3-0 to No. 6 Weber State University on Wednesday night. ASU will play Weber State Nov. 19-20 in Ogden, Utah.
Abbott said that last weekend's defeat in Illinois served as a real wake-up call for the team.
"We went into the weekend thinking we were going to go undefeated on the season," he said. "It was a real humbling experience. When you get that first loss, it makes you rethink your attitude."
Part of that wake-up call has included several intense practices this week to work on areas that need dramatic improvement, including covering assigned areas on the ice, special team play and power play efficiency.
Senior defenseman Chris Mullett said the team should not get discouraged and should constantly try to better its play.
"We're taking the first steps," he said. "We've got to figure out who works well together and drill them out on the ice. We've got to take it one step at a time."
The Devils and Aggies will take on Utah State once again Nov. 18. That game will be the first of five straight on the road for ASU. The Devils' next home game after this weekend isn't until Jan. 7.
Reach the reporter at eremy.a.cluff@asu.edu.
