After a loss on Friday, ASU hockey answered with a cathartic, emotional senior night victory against Omaha on Saturday.
Going into the weekend on a five-game losing streak, ASU struggled to find momentum in the opening game after captain and senior forward Cruz Lucius scored the opening goal.
Omaha took over, scoring four unanswered goals. Lucius scored a second goal with under three minutes left in the game, but that goal acted only as consolation as ASU lost 4-2.
In a game where Omaha led the Sun Devils in just about every major statistic, ASU head coach Greg Powers did not mince his words when talking about what he saw on the ice.
"Tonight, (the effort) was really bad," Powers said. "I thought that our guys didn't skate, didn't work. It just didn't make any sense."
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With fans leaving Mullett Arena before the final whistle and the Sun Devils sitting last in the conference following Friday's contest, Powers was disappointed in the stretch of results.
"The process has not been good for the last month, and they're just so wound up tight trying to just cheat their way to a win and not play the right way and not do what it takes to get the result that we need," Powers said.
After a loss on Friday, Saturday was ASU's final home game of the season and senior night, giving the Sun Devils an opportunity to flip the script with a victory.
The pregame ceremony for the seniors placed a sentimental feeling in the air.
Four seniors, goaltender Connor Hasley, defenseman Tucker Ness, and forwards Lucius and Bennett Schimek, were honored on the ice.
While families of all four players lined up to congratulate their loved ones, it meant even more for two of the seniors.
Lucius and Schimek grew up together and have been playing hockey together since childhood. Seeing his best friend's family had a strong impact on Schimek.
"I've known his family a long time," Schimek said. "When I saw his family come out and waterworks got going for his mom early, I was trying to keep it together, then they just started flowing for me."
With tears wiped off of faces and helmets back on heads, the puck dropped ahead of an exciting and rewarding game for ASU.
The Sun Devils quickly put Friday's loss in the rearview with a two-goal first period that kept ASU hot the entire night, never trailing and taking the game 6-3.
The second game of the weekend served as a big night for many players, with four having multi-point nights.
However, nobody had a bigger night, or weekend, than Lucius, who tallied seven points across the two games, five of which came on Saturday. One of those points came on an assist to his childhood best friend. While Schimek got the goal, the play from Lucius that set it up got all the attention.
"Playing together for a long time, we decided to come here together, and being out there for the last game together is really special, and something we'll never forget," Schimek said. "I was just a little disappointed my last point at Mullett was a Cruz Lucius highlight."
Looking back on closing his Mullett Arena career, Lucius was grateful for the opportunity to do it alongside his childhood friend.
"It's obviously really cool," Lucius said. "Growing up, we never really thought about it. The fact that we could do the experience together was just awesome. Can't make it up."
A split against the Mavericks in the Sun Devils' final home series put ASU (14-19-1) eighth in the NCHC with two games left in the regular season.
ASU now looks ahead to its final series of the season. The Sun Devils will travel to face No. 8 Denver on Feb. 27 and 28. Schimek is focused on competing for a spot in the conference tournament, with ASU holding on to the final spot.
"To get back on the right track and now to be back in a position where we control our own destiny is huge," Schimek said. "The guys understand how big of a weekend next weekend is. On the road to Denver is going to be a tough challenge, but I think we're up for it."
Edited by Niall Rosenberg, Jack McCarthy and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at aswift10@asu.edu and follow @alexswiftsports on X.
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