ASU hockey head coach Greg Powers said there's no pressure on his team for the Friday and Saturday games against the Wisconsin Badgers.
Powers said the expectation is to go out, compete and give themselves a chance, which has been a theme for the Sun Devils (3-4) this year. He said he wants his team to be in the games during the third periods to try and get Wisconsin to "grip the sticks a little tighter."
Although the Badgers (0-3-3) are winless, two of their losses are against Boston College and Boston University — two elite collegiate hockey programs — and the third was decided by one goal.
"They're really good on the power play," Powers said. "Up front, their top two lines are dynamic and they'll (keep) our hands full. ... They're going to be one of the top teams we've played so far and that we'll play all season from a talent standpoint."
ASU outscored Southern New Hampshire 16-3 in its first home stand of the season at Oceanside Ice Arena. The two routs had several solid performances from freshman defenseman Joey Raats, who leads the team with eight points in seven games.
Powers said he is just looking for the defensemen to stay involved in the attack. Defensemen have tallied 18 of the team's 57 points thus far.
"They need to jump into the play, they need to activate in the offensive zone, just keep doing what they're doing," he said. "They know how we want them to play and we need them to be a part of our offense if we're going to score goals."
When preparing for the next game, he said the team focuses on what it did well in its losses and wins.
And while Southern New Hampshire may not be looked highly upon by some, Powers said the series sweep against the Division II Penmen was still impressive.
He also said the defensive pairing of Raats and graduate transfer Brock Krygier — one player that was perhaps the most successful during last weekend's series — will hold for the road trip, but all of the other defensive pairings are up in the air.
"(Brock Krygier) has had a positive impact, he's experienced and he's a level-headed kid," Powers said. "He brings a nice, steady presence to us in the room, on the ice and on the bench. He's a great student and he's a good influence on all our guys."
Freshman defenseman Nicholas Gushe and junior defenseman Connor Schmidt did not practice on Wednesday. Powers said Gushue was held out for precautionary reasons, but will travel with the team to Wisconsin. Schmidt, who is suspended for an undisclosed team violation and missed the home stand, will not travel but should be reinstated when the team returns, Powers said.
ASU hockey has played five Division I teams to this point, but none have won a title. That changes when the puck drops at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday as the Sun Devils look to continue winning against six-time champion Wisconsin.
Related Links:
ASU hockey's first three weeks: By the numbers
The captain's return: ASU hockey's Liam Norris sets forth on trail he helped blaze
Reach the reporter at Justin.Toscano@asu.edu or follow @justintoscano3 on Twitter
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