Sun Devil Hockey set for home opening series against Holy Cross
With the opening weekend split at Lindenwood in the rearview mirror, Arizona State returns to Mullett Arena for their home opener, a two game series against the Holy Cross Crusaders.
This marks just the second full series between the two teams, and the first time Holy Cross has made the trip out west. Arizona State took the first series with a win and a tie in the 2017-18 season, and holds a 2-0-1 all-time record after winning the most recent matchup on February 7, 2020.
This weekend's series will not come with the expected head coaching announcement that was hinted at by athletic director Graham Rossini last week; instead Mike Corbett will lead the team once again this weekend. A notable change behind the bench was announced on Thursday morning, associate head coach Alex Hicks will not be part of the coaching staff for the weekend. Seen as the right-hand man to head coach Greg Powers, this move concedes part of the wishes from the Mayich family and their lawyers following last week's announcement that Powers would be placed on leave. With only two assistant coaches remaining, former Arizona Coyote Taylor Pyatt has stepped in as a "volunteer assistant coach" to allow for a full complement of coaches. Rossini stated that the university is "honing in" on a decision for who will be named interim head coach, hinting that the decision is "days away".
Looking on the ice, Holy Cross comes to Tempe with a 1-1-0 record, securing a historic 3-2 (OT) win over Maine last Saturday. That win marks the first win for the Crusaders over the Black Bears since moving to Division I in 1998-99, and the first since an 8-3 win on December 3, 1977 when Holy Cross played at the Division II level. Matt Kursonis led the crusade (pun intended), registering two goals on the weekend and earning Atlantic Hockey Conference Forward of the Week honors. The rest of the offense for Holy Cross was minimized against the stronger Maine team, recording just four total goals in the series.
Key to watch for both teams this weekend will be discipline. Both the Sun Devils and Crusaders beat a path to the penalty box, each racking up double digit power play opportunities for their opposition. The explosive offense shown last weekend by the Sun Devils will be a huge advantage if Holy Cross finds themselves in the box repeatedly.
Quick Hits
Freshmen Stand Out: Nathan Behm, Landon Hafele, and Jonas Woo all recorded multi-point weekends in their collegiate debut, with Behm leading the way with two goals in Saturday's chaotic 9-6 loss.
New Kids On The Block: In addition to Behm and Woo, Nic Chin-DeGraves, Olivier Houde, Ben Muthersbaugh and Daniel Shlaine all scored to give the Sun Devils six newcomers with a goal.
Shutting The Door: Friday's 5-0 shutout marks the third season-opening shutout in program history (2018, 2023).
Offensive Firepower: 11 goals scored at Lindenwood tie for the most goals in the first two games in program history (11 goals at Air Force, 2024-25 season).
Moving Up The Record Books: Kyle Smolen moved into a tie with Bennett Schimek, Lukas Sillinger, and Josh Doan with his 28th career goal on Saturday, also passing Demetrios Koumontzis for sole possession of 10th place with his 68th career point.
Atlantic Surfing: The Sun Devils hold a commanding 24-8-1 record all-time against Atlantic Hockey opponents.
You can catch the Sun Devils in action against the Crusaders on Friday and Saturday; Friday's home opener starting at 7pm and Saturday's game a 3pm matinee. Friday's game will air locally on Fox 10+, and Saturday's on flagship Fox 10. Both games will stream nationally on NCHC.tv (subscription required), while Tyler Paley and Alex Coil will have the radio call on Fox Sports 910 AM Phoenix.
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