Junior forward Chris Blessing waits for a pass in Tempe on Sept. 26. Blessing had two assists against Minot State on Friday. (Photo by Stephanie Specht)
No. 1 ASU took adversity head-on Friday, overcoming an early deficit to defeat No. 6 Minot State 3-1 in its first road game of the 2014-15 season.
After a record-setting weekend against West Chester in which it outscored the opposition 23-0 over two games, the Sun Devil hockey team (5-0) fell behind early and faced its first true adversity of the season.
The response, however, was a resounding success as ASU came storming back for the victory.
Minot State (2-1) got on the board first, capitalizing on an opportunity just before the end of the first period to go up 1-0 early on after a fairly even opening session.
ASU managed to force a power play midway through the second period and finally had its first breakthrough of the game after freshman defenseman Gianni Mangone slotted it past senior goaltender Riley Hengen to knot things up at a goal apiece.
It was a continuation of the trend for the Sun Devils, who went nine for 13 on the power play last weekend.
The Sun Devils finally took their first lead of the game with 14 minutes remaining, going up 2-1 after sophomore forward Mike Cummings scored off the assists from freshman forward Connor Mailey and junior forward Chris Blessing.
As the Beavers pushed forward to try to equalize toward the end of the game they were left vulnerable on the counterattack, allowing ASU to score again as Tommy Cooney sealed the 3-1 win.
The goal was Cooney's fifth of the year, and extended his team lead in points to 10. Blessing and sophomore forward Eric Rivard, who also had an assist in the game, are tied for second on the team with nine points each.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- ASU was without the services of sophomore forward Patrick Yudez and sophomore defenseman Drew Newmeyer, who were each dealing with nagging injuries. The Sun Devils were also without sophomore forward Ryan Ostertag, who is out for the second straight weekend with an undisclosed injury.
- Sophomore goaltender Robert Levin appears to have his confidence back after giving up three goals in each of his first two starts. He picked up the shutout Saturday against West Chester and played well Friday despite taking a number of shots in the third period.
- This was the first time these two teams have played since ASU knocked off the then-defending national champion Beavers in last year's ACHA national championships 4-0. ASU went on to lift the Murdoch Cup, given to the winner of the national championship.
THREE STARS
First Star: Mike Cummings (one goal)
Second Star: Chris Blessing (two assists)
Third Star: Tommy Cooney (one goal)
Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @fardaya15
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