Forward Patrick Yudez battles with a player from Delaware at a game in Tempe. The ASU hockey team defeated Colorado with a 3-2 victory this weekend. (Photo by Dominic Valente)There is no such thing as a bad win.
But if you ask ASU hockey coach Greg Powers, Friday was a game that he would like back, and Saturday was nearly more of the same.
“It was pathetic,” Powers said. “The lethargic effort is inexcusable. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. It doesn’t matter what the situation is.”
Friday and Saturday the Sun Devils welcomed Colorado to town, and ASU was almost too kind of a host. The Buffaloes came in to Tempe with a 1-5-1 record, and for five periods across two games, they were giving ASU an unexpected fight.
Friday ended with a 3-2 ASU victory, but it was arguably the team’s worst game of the year. Senior captain Colin Hekle said he was disappointed in the team’s performance.
“There’s not much you can say,” Hekle said. “It was just a pathetic effort from the whole team in general.”
ASU averaged more than six goals per game entering the CU series, and the less-than-normal scoring continued into Saturday. At the second intermission, ASU was clinging to a 2-0 lead.
But something clicked in the third period, and ASU would rebound to score five goals to cruise to a 7-0 victory on Saturday.
Senior forward Brian McGinty said Powers talked to the team after Friday’s nail-biter, and that the coach was not pleased.
“He wasn’t happy, we weren’t happy and we didn’t give our best effort,” McGinty said. “We have to realize being a No. 1 team that we’re a target for everyone, and we’re going to get everyone’s best.”
Part of CU keeping the games close was the performance of its goaltender, freshman Alex Palumbo. He made 112 saves in the two nights, including an unbelievable glove save to rob ASU senior forward Kale Dolinski on a breakaway opportunity Friday night.
ASU has now allowed lesser teams to hang around in three of its last four games, dating back to last Saturday against Division II NAU.
The one contest of the weekend that ASU played a complete game was Thursday against No. 16 Colorado State. The Rams came in with a losing record, but because of one of the toughest schedules in the nation, were ranked No. 18.
ASU knocked off the Rams 6-2. Hekle had two goals in that game, and he had five in the weekend. He now leads the team with 14.
“Everything’s been going right,” Hekle said of his success. “My linemates obviously helped me out a lot. ... It helps having guys I can work well off of.”
Hekle and McGinty started playing on the same line last week with a rotating winger. The two are now second and third, respectively, in team points after the weekend. McGinty is tied for second on the team in goals (11) and assists (15).
ASU’s next game could prove to be its biggest of the season. Defending ACHA champion and No. 2-ranked Minot State comes to Tempe, and puck drops on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. at Oceanside Ice Arena.
“We’ve had that game circled on the schedule since day one,” Powers said. “We’ll see what we’re made of Thursday.”
Reach the reporter at justin.emerson@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @J15Emerson
