Forward Eric Rivard makes a break down the ice at a home game against UA on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014. ASU beat UA 3-0. (Photo by Mario Mendez)No. 2 ASU (14-1) completed the trifecta on Saturday night, as sophomore forward Eric Rivard shined to give the Sun Devils a weekend sweep with a 7-2 win over No. 25 Colorado State (8-5) in Tempe.
After coming out with three goals in the opening period on Friday night, ASU was unable to put the final touches on a goal in the first on Saturday. ASU generated several opportunities, including a wide open breakaway for sophomore forward Sean Murphy that went too high.
Coach Greg Powers was not too concerned with the lack of goals in the opening period.
“I think (Colorado State) got good goaltending,” Powers said. “That was a big reason why they were hanging in. I don’t think that we played any better once we started hammering some home, we just wore (Alex Steidler) down.”
ASU would break out in the second period as sophomore defenseman Drew Newmeyer took a pass from freshman forward Jared Morris and Murphy and knock it in to put the Sun Devils on the board.
Sophomore forward Eric Rivard took over in the second period with two beautiful goals. After taking the pass from junior forward Chris Blessing, he had nothing but open space as he sent the puck between Colorado State goalie Alex Steidler’s legs for ASU's second goal of the night.
Two minutes later he scored again on the power play, this time knocking in the rebound off of the Jordan Young shot to extend the lead to 3-0.
It marked the second straight night that Powers got great production out of the second line of Rivard, senior forward Liam Norris and Blessing.
“(Eric Rivard) does what he does,” Powers said. “He scored, he’s kind of our ‘line doctor’ right now. Whatever line I see we put him on gets going. Liam (Norris) going, (Blessing) is going, and I like it.”
ASU would score again before the period was done, as sophomore forward Tommy Cooney took a pass from freshman forward Connor Mailey and knocked it in for the 4-0 lead.
The push would continue into the third, as Newmeyer showed his scoring touch for the second time of the night in slapping home a goal with 16:13 remaining. It is Newmeyer’s first multi-goal game of his ASU career.
Newmeyer has excelled the last two nights with the defensive pairing of him and sophomore defenseman Connor Schmidt.
“I enjoyed (playing with Connor Schmidt),” Newmeyer said. “He’s extremely talented, really smart and I think we’ve played well together these last couple games.”
ASU then converted their second power play of the night, this time with Rivard finding Blessing for the score and a 6-0 lead.
Colorado State came roaring back, as the Rams took advantage of ASU’s sloppiness on a pair of power play goals by defenseman Dylan Hassell and forward Nicholas O’Donnell, cutting the lead to 6-2 with 5:02 remaining.
“It was the end of the game (when the goals were scored),” Powers said. “I think that there was a little bit of a lack of focus. Obviously, one of them was a five on three (power play), but we have a goal to be over 90 percent on our (penalty kill) and right now we’re not at it.”
Junior forward Kory Chisholm sealed it with 3:41 remaining, coming out of the box after a penalty and going directly on net to score on an easy breakaway. After celebrating the goal, Chisholm was sent to the box again for unsportsmanlike conduct.
ASU hits the road next week to take on east coast opponents Rutgers and Stony Brook, with the three-game set starting Friday night.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- ASU outscored opponents 17-3 over the course of the three-game weekend set.
- Saturday night marked the first time in an ASU game this season that both teams finished the first period scoreless.
- Sophomore goaltender Robert Levin ended the game with two goals allowed and 15 saves to pick up the win.
THREE STARS:
Third Star: Chris Blessing, ASU (one goal, two assists)
Second Star: Drew Newmeyer, ASU (two goals)
First Star: Eric Rivard, ASU (two goals)
Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @fardaya15
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