The early season struggles of the ASU hockey team continued last weekend, but under the reigns of a new head coach.
Former ASU coach Mike DeAngelis stepped down from the hockey program this week.
"It was a time issue and the program needed to go in a new direction," DeAngelis said.
Going into the Midwest, the Sun Devils dropped two games to the University of Oklahoma on Friday and Saturday and a Sunday matinee against Central Oklahoma, dropping their overall record to 1-6 early in the season.
"We didn't play great this weekend," said newly-named coach Todd Bisson. "We are such a young team and the young players need to learn to play college hockey and be competitive in the ACHA."
In an attempt to get on the right track, the Sun Devils started David Tanner in goal Friday night instead of typical starter Kyle Bronsteen, but there was no change in the final results.
ASU fell behind early, giving up two goals in the first period to Oklahoma.
With less than three minutes remaining in the first period, the Sun Devils responded. Forward Patrick Lind got the Sun Devils on the board with a power-play goal to cut the lead headed into the first intermission.
The momentum from that goal continued as the Sun Devils struck early in the second stanza. Defenseman Derek Maire scored less than a minute into the period, assisted by Lind, to tie the game at 2-2.
But with a tie game in the third period, the Sun Devils collapsed. Oklahoma scored two goals in a 1:10 span early in the period and added another one as the Sooners strolled to a 5-2 victory.
Tanner wasn't the solution ASU was looking for in between the pipes, giving up five goals on 44 shots.
On Saturday, ASU went back to Bronsteen in goal, but similar results ensued.
Countless undisciplined penalties by the Sun Devils led to three power-play goals by the Sooners in the first period.
"It's a matter of being smart and we weren't this weekend," Bisson said.
The Sun Devils attempted the come back in the second period, notching two power-play goals of their own by forwards Trevor Van Conant and Dana Lucenta.
But once again, the wheels would come off for the Sun Devils in the third period. Six different ASU penalties led to three more power-play goals by the Sooners and tacked another loss onto the Sun Devils record.
"Special teams are something we need to work on," Bisson said. "It will be the main focus of our practices this week."
Taking on the Central Oklahoma Bronchos in a Sunday matinee, the Sun Devils got off to another poor start.
An even strength goal, power-play goal and shorthanded goal in the first period put the Sun Devils in a 3-0 hole headed into the locker room.
Again, the Sun Devils responded in the second period with two short-handed goals by forwards Matt Mackey and Van Conant.
But the inability to take advantage of power-play opportunities in the third period proved costly for the Sun Devils. The Bronchos scored three goals, two shorthanded, in the third period, to give the Sun Devils a 6-2 loss, their third of the weekend.
"It was a wake-up call for our team," Bisson said. "We have an uphill climb to get back into the rankings."
Reach the reporter at russell.brooks@asu.edu
