Freshman Logan Jenuwine doesn’t want to compare himself to any NHL players at this stage in his hockey career, but the forward finds inspiration in the way that NHL star forward Alex Ovechkin plays.
“The way Ovechkin scores is just incredible," Jenuwine said. "The ability he has to put the puck in the net from anywhere on the ice really inspires me. We got the chance to meet Ovi when we were in China, and that was really cool.”
This makes sense for a player as talented at scoring as Jenuwine. The 21-year-old was a scoring and record-breaking force in the NAHL, but he knows more than anyone that NCAA hockey is a totally different game. With bigger and better players on the ice and in front of the net, Jenuwine has worked on improving his game even further.
“Everyday here on the ice, we’re getting faster and stronger. My progress is really good,” Jenuwine said. “I’m starting to see it more and more in practice as I’m finishing on a lot more opportunities.”
Jenuwine’s scoring potential can pay great dividends for ASU’s forward group. His knack for getting the puck in the net is what made him a perfect fit for the Sun Devils, and he hasn’t stopped improving.
“He’s here because he can score,” said head coach Greg Powers. “He looks exponentially better than when he came here initially, and (he) had a lot of work to do from a physical conditioning standpoint.”
Jenuwine’s teammates are noticing his knack for scoring. A freshman with Jenuwine’s offensive ability doesn’t come around often, and his presence is an exciting one.
“He’s got a natural gift for scoring that you can’t teach,” said senior defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk. “It’s really cool to watch him in practice. Every single opportunity he gets, he brings it down to put the puck in the net.”
Through the first two games of the season, Jenuwine hasn’t gotten the puck in net. He's fired off five shots, all of which came in the second game. However, the freshman said he was excited with how well his line played in the 6-4 victory over Mercyhurst Sunday.
“My line played really well together,” Jenuwine said. “We had a lot of offensive opportunities. (The puck) didn’t end up going in, but we had a lot of chances and played really well in the defensive zone.”
For a player known for scoring, Jenuwine’s defense has been solid so far this season. The freshman was able to interrupt a few scoring chances and did a good job of backchecking in the defensive zone during the first two games.
However, he doesn’t plan to rest on his laurels. Jenuwine said he is eager to get back to practice and continue improving his game.
“I’m looking forward to going into the week, watching some video with the coaching staff, and getting better and better each and every day,” Jenuwine said. “I think I could be a lot more useful offensively, and I’m going to do the best I can.”
ASU hockey will make their first road trip of the season when they take on Minnesota State in a two game series starting Oct. 11.
Reach the reporter at cvanligt@asu.edu and follow @Connor_VL on Twitter.
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