The puck hits the net. A deafening goal horn blares. Mullett Arena sings, "Hey, hey baby (Ooh, ah), I wanna know (Oh-oh), if you'll be my girl." Another goal is added to the tally for ASU.
While the crowd surges throughout the rink during what might be the most exciting part of a hockey game, it feels as if the presentation team has perfected the art of the goal celebration.
For the product on the ice last season, the Sun Devils did a fantastic job at putting pucks in nets.
ASU racked up 136 goals in the 2024-25 season, the sixth most in the country. Of those goals, 26 came from then senior forward Ryan Kirwan, who finished tied for third in the country in goals scored.
However, this goal-scoring prowess hasn't translated over to this season.
With the 2024-25 team's two leading scorers, then graduate forward Artem Shlaine and Kirwan, aging out of college hockey, ASU head coach Greg Powers has called on a new core of players to light the lamp.
Through the opening 16 games, ASU has scored 46 goals, leading to 2.88 goals per game, a downgrade from last season's 3.68.
While the Sun Devils have struggled to put the puck in the net this season, goal scoring has not been all doom and gloom.
Senior forwards Cruz Lucius and Bennett Schimek currently sit as the two leading scorers for ASU, with Lucius' 10 and Schimek's six accounting for 16 of the Sun Devils' 46.
Both being members of ASU last season, their progression was not a surprise. However, it was even less surprising to Powers, who looked forward to seeing the two lifelong best friends share the ice for another season.
"They've been best friends since childhood. They have unbelievable chemistry together," Powers said. "They're a lot of fun to have on our team."
Looking past the 16 scored by those two leaves the other 30 goals, which have only been shared between 11 of the remaining 23 skaters on the roster.
On a squad that only returned five forwards from last season, new additions would need to take up some scoring responsibility.
However, the new players have had a difficult time adjusting. Of ASU's 46 goals, the 10 forwards playing their first season in Tempe have only accounted for 22.
Through a less productive start than needed, Powers was blunt when calling on his roster to step up.
"It's no secret that we need more depth scoring," Powers said. "It can't just be Bennett and Cruz scoring for us every night. We need more out of everybody."
Despite a slower start, the new additions may be finding a groove. During a 3-2 overtime upset victory over then No. 3 Denver on Nov. 22, freshman forwards Carmelo Crandell and Jack Beck each picked up a goal.
Co-captain and junior forward Kyle Smolen picked up an assist on all three goals during the victory. After helping his teammates find the scorer's sheet, he was proud of the way they seemed to be adjusting.
"I think it's my job as that older guy on that line to help lift those guys up," Smolen said. "They stepped up to the plate today. They really did. They did an exceptional job, and I love those guys."
One player who was a part of the scoring slowdown for ASU was sophomore forward and 2025 NHL first-round draft pick Cullen Potter. After scoring one goal in his first 11 games this season, he's found form in the past few weeks. Potter has scored four goals in his last five games, scoring in each of the last three, two of which were overtime game-winners.
After Potter scored against Ohio State on Nov. 28, Lucius was proud of the spark his teammate found.
"He's such a talented player, and it was a long time coming for him," Lucius said per Sun Devil Athletics. "He gets so many opportunities a game, and he has a puck on his stick all the time. What we always say is 'When you're getting those chances, the puck's going to go.' I'm really happy for him."
Edited by Jack McCarthy, Henry Smardo and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at aswift10@asu.edu and follow @alexswiftsports on X.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
