Massive Test Awaits Hockey in Mile High City vs Undisputed #1 Denver

DENVER, Colo. — A massive test awaits in the Mile High City as the Arizona State hockey team (4-7-1, 1-3-0) takes on the reigning national champions No. 1/1 Denver (12-0-0, 2-0-0) on November 22-23 at Magness Arena. Puck drop on Friday is set for 7 p.m. MST on NCHC.tv and Saturday's dual will air in Arizona on FOX 10 Xtra and stream on NCHC.tv. Both games will air on Sun Devil Hockey radio, Fox Sports 910. 

This is the first occasion that the Sun Devils compete against a No. 1 team that unanimously earned all 50 first place votes in the USCHO.com Poll. The Pioneers are on a 21-game win streak that dates back to March 9 vs. Colorado College and is one shy of matching the school's longest win streak in history. DU is 12-0-0 which is the best start in program history of the reigning national champions. 

ASU has played a No. 1-ranked team four times in its program history:
2018-19: #1 Ohio State, Oct. 12-13
2020-21: #1 Minnesota, Jan. 3-4
2021-22: #1 Minnesota State, Jan. 28-29
2022-23: #1/2 Denver, Dec. 2-3

"We know from playing them recently how good their movement is in the offensive zone, so really closing down and defending fast, we've been really good at this year," said alternate captain and graduate forward Ty Jackson. "Our breakouts have been really good because we haven't really spent a lot of time defending our zone, so we've been killing plays. We have to make sure we continue to do that because Denver's movement is so good."

ASU NOTABLES

• ASU Individual Season Stats
• ASU Notes vs. #1 Denver
• WATCH: ASU Media Availability
• Hockey All-Time History vs. Ranked Opponents
• Hockey Media Central
• ASU's goal scoring surge has peaked during the third period through the 12 games this season. In the first and second period combined, ASU tallied 13 goals compared to the 18 goals scored in the final frame.
• The Sun Devils put up a season-high 44 shots on goal on Saturday night in the 3-2 win over Omaha. The mark became the third-straight game that ASU tallied over 40 shots on net. ASU has tallied 40-plus shots in four games this season.
• 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 10 of the 12 games this season.
• Coach Powers is one win away from 300 career wins (NCAA and ACHA combined)

LAST TIME VS. DENVER (1-1-0)
In November 2023, the magic in Mullett Arena continued as the No. 16/17 Arizona State Sun Devils (7-1-1) won in an overtime thriller against the No. 2 Denver Pioneers (6-2-1) on Friday night to open the series and protect its undefeated record in the desert. In a back and forth battle, ASU came out on top with graduate captain Tyler Gratton's game-winning goal three minutes into overtime. ASU's first line of Lukas Sillinger at left wing, Ty Jackson at center, and Dylan Jackson at right wing, powered the Sun Devil offense with five goals. Dylan Jackson completed his second NCAA career hat trick - his third goal was game-tying and sent the Sun Devils into extra time. Lukas Sillinger also collected three points with one goal and two assists to make it his fifth three point game of the year. Ty Jackson tallied two points, including the game-opening goal. The Friday night victory against No. 2/2 Denver ties the program record for the highest ranked win. The last time the Sun Devils faced a No. 2 opponent was when the Minnesota Golden Gophers visited Mullett Arena last season when ASU came out victorious in a 6-5 OT win. In that game, senior Robert Mastriosimone netted the overtime goal.

On Saturday night, the Sun Devils had an early 3-0 lead but eventually settled for a series split with a 8-4 (EN) loss. ASU held DU to only 28 shots on net, the lowest in all-time meetings between the two programs. 

SERIES HISTORY (2-9-1, in favor of DU)
L, 8-4 (EN): Nov. 11, 2023 - Mullett Arena
W, 6-5 (OT): Nov. 10, 2023 - Mullett Arena
L, 5-2: Dec. 3, 2022 - Magness Arena
L, 3-2: Dec. 2, 2022 - Magness Arena
L, 7-1: Dec. 4, 2021 - Oceanside Ice Arena
L, 6-2: Dec. 3, 2021 - Oceanside Ice Arena
L, 4-3: Oct. 9, 2021 - Magness Arena
L, 8-3: Oct. 8, 2021 - Magness Arena
T, 2-2: Dec. 7, 2019 - Gila River Arena
W, 4-1: Dec. 6, 2019 - Oceanside Ice Arena
L, 6-1: Jan. 7, 2017 - Magness Arena
L, 5-1: Jan. 6, 2017 - Magness Arena

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. 

LINE SWITCH UPS
Due to the injury pile-up that plagued the Sun Devil offense over the course of the past 12 games, ASU had 12 different line combinations that played over 10 minutes together. In the series at Colorado College and at home against Omaha, the offensive arsenal was so shorthanded due to injury that defenseman Tucker Ness was brought up to the wing position. 

??BACK IN THE LINEUP
Artem Shlaine returned to the lineup for the first time this season at Northern Michigan two weeks ago. Shlaine served as a faceoff specialist for the Sun Devils and competed as a top two-way center. He tallied an assist in his former home barn and skated in his 125th NCAA game on that Friday night. Shlaine wore the 'A' in his junior year at Northern Michigan and was upgraded to a captain for his senior year in 2023-24. Shlaine played in 65 games for the Wildcats and tallied 21 goals and 34 assists for a total 55 points. 
 
DUAL THREAT
The Sun Devils have operated with a dual-threat system in the crease, each with six starts through ASU's 12 games. Luke Pavicich (2-4-0), a senior transfer from UMass Lowell, got the go-ahead on both nights in the series against Omaha last weekend. Pavicich boasts a .907 save percentage and 2.35 goals against average. The duo split ASU's opening weekend in conference play at No. 8 Colorado College two weeks ago. Homer made the start on Friday before Pavicich took over the crease on Saturday. 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. 

QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Alternate captain and graduate forward Ty Jackson
On finally getting some pucks through the back of the net:
"It feels good always when you can score and we've had some really tough defensive games and we've been struggling to score a little bit so it always feels nice to get one in. But I think we, even before this past weekend, we've been doing a lot of good things, it just wasn't going in for us."

On the lines changing and finding chemistry:
"I think it's partly due to injuries, we have guys in and out of the lineup a lot and we've struggled to score a little bit so we're just trying to find some combinations that work. Last weekend we scored some goals on five-on-five which felt really good… We have a lot of good players up front and regardless of who you're playing with you've got to do the right things and we should be good out there… We have been clicking but the puck just isn't going in for us. We've had lots of good opportunities and lots of lines have had good looks. I think we have been clicking, we're just running into hot goaltending and getting a bit unlucky. This past weekend we had that luck turn around a bit."

On what makes Denver so dangerous as an opponent:
"They make plays all over the ice and play really well as a five-man unit. I always think that good defensive teams, they're forwards are really well structured in the d-zone and really good offensive teams, they're defensemen are really good at creating and they (Denver) have that all over the ice. Their forwards compete in the defensive zone and in the offensive zone, their defensemen are so active, if they move, it's really hard to cover as guys who are wingers and centers because your guy is always moving. Their ability to make plays and their movement is really strong but last year we had some success against them, so we're not scared to play them. It will be an exciting game, and that's what makes them really good."