Sun Devil Hockey visits Massachusetts for series with UMass Lowell
After two tumultuous weeks of off-ice news, the Sun Devils will finally be able to take to the ice with a sense of normalcy as they hit the road for the second time this season, taking on the Riverhawks of UMass Lowell.
The dominating storyline will be the debut of new head coach Dave Hakstol, returning to the college hockey level for the first time since 2015. Hakstol is a proven veteran, bringing 11 years and 289 career victories from his time with North Dakota. He immediately sets the floor high for the Sun Devils, as he reached the NCAA tournament all 11 seasons he was behind the bench before moving to the NHL.
Looking to the ice, this weekend marks the third straight rematch with a former Sun Devil. Defenseman Anthony Dowd made the move from Tempe to Lowell in the offseason and has already made his mark, registering an assist on a power play goal in the Riverhawks' win last Saturday over St. Lawrence. While only nine of Dowd's former teammates remain in Tempe, it's always fun to see former teammates competing against each other.
Arizona State's offense through the first four games has been driven through volume shooting, averaging nearly 40 shots on goal per game in the first two series. Junior forward Ben Muthersbaugh has been a major influence, leading all NCAA skaters with 22 shots on goal, two of those finding the back of the net. Hardly surprising for a player who ranked in the Top-5 nationally in 2025-26 with 150 shots on goal. He will be tasked with finding ways through sophomore goaltender Austin Elliott, who has looked solid in his first two games with a 2.51 goals-against average and .909 save percentage en route to a 1-1 record.
The shot volume for the Sun Devils has largely come from the ability to control faceoffs, ranking 7th nationally with a 57% win rate on faceoffs. Controlling that tempo will be key to slow down Dalyn Wakely and Jacob MacDonald, two players who will be key pieces in the transition game for the Riverhawks.
The final key to the weekend comes down to the battle between transfer portal and veteran presence. UMass Lowell returns 18 players from last season's squad that finished 13-22-0 under Norm Bazin, while the Sun Devils bring in 18 new players between freshmen and transfers. It's been the freshmen that have shown a major spark so far, with the trio of Nathan Behm, Landon Hafele, and Jonas Woo combining for 11 points in the first four games. Behm leads all freshmen with 3 goals, while Hafele is tied for second among freshmen with 4 assists.
Quick Hits
This weekend will the the first trip to the Tsongas Center for the Sun Devils since the inaugural 2015-16 season. Arizona State dropped both games of that series, and holds a 2-4-0 record all time against the Riverhawks.
Kyle Smolen's goal on October 10th against Holy Cross puts him one goal shy of becoming the 4th Sun Devil in program history to score 30 goals, joining Johnny Walker (70), Matthew Kopperud (64), and Brinson Paischnuk (39).
Jack Beck's overtime winner on October 10th marks his first career overtime game-winning goal.
Special teams have been a strong point to start the season; the Sun Devils have killed off all 14 opposing power-play chances while converting 25% of their own power-play chances. The Sun Devils are 2-0-0 when scoring a power play goal.
How To Watch
The Sun Devils and Riverhawks will face off for their weekend series on Friday and Saturday from the Tsongas Center. Friday's game will start at 4:15pm Arizona Time, with Saturday coming at 3:05pm. Both games will stream nationally on ESPN+. Tyler Paley and Alex Coil will have the radio call on Fox Sports 910 AM Phoenix.
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