- Slug: Sports-ASU Alaska,675
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By ZURIEL LOVING
Cronkite News
TEMPE — Sun Devil Hockey is in Alaska to face off against its first NCAA opponents, the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves and the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks, at the Kendall Hockey Classic this weekend.
“We’re thrilled to go up to Alaska and take on this exciting challenge,” head coach Greg Powers said before leaving on the team’s first road trip as an NCAA Division I program.
“I think it would be awesome to go in there and get two NCAA wins for this program so I think that’s what we’re all expecting,” senior captain Jordan Young said.
The team is looking to build upon the momentum it garnered against the University of Arizona as the Sun Devils start forming the identity they want to have for the program.
With many of their players over the age of 20, ASU’s team age is higher than that of most NCAA teams. With age comes experience, one of the qualities the program focused on in its recruiting. While previous experience definitely helped in their opening win, Powers wanted everyone to know that it comes down to one simple fact.
“Hockey’s hockey,” Powers said. “At the end of the day our guys know how to play.”
Newcomers Matt Kennedy, Garrett Peterson and Jack Rowe are just a few that Powers indicated would be players to watch, with Kennedy’s pure talent, Peterson’s experience and leadership and Rowe’s tenacity. These skills could be key if ASU is to achieve its goal of giving itself a chance to win going into the third period of every game.
“One hundred percent of it is going to rely on the energy of our bench,” Young said. “I think that’s kind of always been a factor here for Powers’ teams.”
The energy of Gila River Arena last weekend certainly contributed to some of the spark seen during the Arizona game, but now the team will be on the road dealing with opposing fans.
“To be honest, we embrace road games,” Powers said. “It’s a great opportunity for a young team to get away from everything and to bond and to mesh together.”
The Sun Devils will have plenty of opportunities to bond as the majority of their games this season will be on the road. Because of the late announcement of the team’s move to NCAA Division I, most schools already had their schedules set for the 2015-16 season. Powers noted that ASU hoped to get around 16-18 games against NCAA opponents, while the final schedule boasts 25 chances against NCAA teams.
“Teams were great, they were very forthright with helping us to create a schedule,” Powers said. “We’re thankful to everybody that decided to play us.”
Looking at the competition this weekend, Young shared the advice he gave some of the younger players and newcomers.
“One of the biggest parts of this is that we have to enjoy the moment,” Young said. “A lot of size, a lot of grit, a lot of experience on their end but I know that Powers has done a great job of getting us prepared.”
“We’re more prepared now certainly than we were going into last Saturday’s game,” Powers said. “But I’m sure that there’s going to be a lot we need to work on after the weekend too.”
Notes:
Junior forward Ryan Ostertag sat out the first game with a groin injury as a precautionary measure but has been cleared to play this weekend.
Coach Powers and the Sun Devils’ first road trip will also be the first time any Sun Devil team has visited Alaska since 2010, when the men’s basketball team played in the Great Alaska Shootout.
While this is the first time the Sun Devils face off against an NCAA program as an NCAA program themselves, it’s not the first time Sun Devil Hockey has played an NCAA opponent. The then-ACHA Division I program defeated NCAA Division I Penn State in 2012, 3-1.
“That’s something I’ll never forget,” Young said. “That was one of the best matches I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
