Hockey Hosts Omaha for First Home NCHC Series

November 14, 2024

TEMPE – The Arizona State ice hockey team (3-6-1, 0-2-0) returns home after a month-long road stint to battle fellow NCHC opponent Omaha (2-6-0, 0-2-0). The teams face off Friday at 7 p.m. MST and Saturday at 5 p.m. MST at Mullett Arena. The games will be streamed on NCHC.tv and air live on Fox 10 Xtra and on FOX SPORTS 910 (KGME) radio.

LAST TIME VS. OMAHA
The Sun Devils saw action versus the Mavericks last season when the teams battled it out for the title of Desert Hockey Classic champion. ASU came out victorious, 2-1, and extended the all-time record between the two schools to 4-6-1 in favor of Omaha. The game went to overtime after a 1-1 tie in regulation before ASU capitalized and netted the game-winner in overtime to clinch its first ever Desert Hockey Classic win.

SERIES HISTORY (4-6-1, in favor of Omaha)
ASU and Omaha first met during the Sun Devils' inaugural 2015-16 NCAA Division I season when ASU traveled to Omaha. The first four meetings between the two programs resulted in three losses and a tie for ASU but the Sun Devils were able to bounce back and capture their first win, 6-3, in 2018 on home ice. The team is 3-0 when playing the Mavericks at home and are on a one-game win streak versus Omaha. This is the first series of a home-and-home showcase as the Sun Devils travel to Omaha to close out the regular season in March.

ASU NOTES

The Sun Devils put up a season-high 42 shots on goal on Friday night at No. 8 Colorado College. The mark beats the 40 shots on net that ASU tossed at Northern Michigan in game two against the Wildcats
ASU has allowed four goals against in four games this season, including at Air Force, and versus all four ranked opponents its faced (#10 Michigan, #14 Providence, #8 Colorado College)
- The team has allowed four two-goals-against periods at the hands of ranked opponents this season (#10 Michigan, #14 Providence, #8 Colorado College (2x))
Colorado College was the first team this season to score against ASU before the 17-minute mark in the first period of play. In Friday night's series opening game, the Tigers tallied goals at three-minute and 11-minute marks.
ASU has outshot its opponent in eight of the 10 games this season.
Coach Powers is two wins away from 300 career wins (NCAA and ACHA combined)

GOT YOUR BECK
Graduate transfer, Noah Beck, currently sits tied for fourth in the country for assists and seventh for assists per game. Beck's 10 assists have come from all but three games this season. He sits at a +6 and also boasts 12 points, which surpasses his number from the 2023-24 season.

DUAL THREAT
The Sun Devils have operated with a dual-threat system in the crease through the past ten games. Gibson Homer (2-3-1) collected his second career shutout at Northern Michigan with 22 saves and boasts a 2.35 goals against average and a .911 save percentage through six starts. Luke Pavicich, a senior transfer from UMass Lowell, made four starts, including the go-ahead on night one in Marquette three weeks ago. Pavicich boasts a .917 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average. The duo split ASU's opening weekend in conference play at No. 8 Colorado College last weekend. Homer made the start on Friday before Pavicich took over the crease on Saturday.

INJURY RIDDLED
ASU's slower offensive performance from last year could be attributed to the numerous forwards in and out of the injury list through the opening weeks of play in 2024-25. Standout transfer Cruz Lucius continues to rehab and won't be expected to play until the second half of the schedule. Two-way center Artem Shlaine missed the first six games before returning for the NMU series. Charlie Schoen, Lukas Sillinger, and Cole Helm have all spent time in the injury scratch list which prevented some of the line synergy expected of the 2024-25 veteran squad.

CLUTCH KIRWAN
Senior Penn State transfer Ryan Kirwan leads the Arizona State team in goals with six this season. Kirwan tallied three goals at Northern Michigan and all lamp lighters came within the final five minutes of regulation and two were game-winning. He put up 12 shots on the weekend in Marquette to reach 42 shots through eight games played this season which leads the entire country.Kirwan has proven that he's a high volume shooter who is skilled at generating high danger chances. His teams are 16-0-0 when he notches a multipoint game and 7-0-0 on nights where he has multiple goals.