ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVIL HOCKEY MEDIA NOTES @SunDevilHockey @SunDevilHockey /SunDevilHockey GAME 11-12: ARIZONA STATE AT #18 OHIO STATE DECEMBER 17-18, 2020 5:30 PM (ET) ON THE HORIZON Dec. 18 at #14 Ohio State 5:30 p.m. (ET) BTN+ AT VALUE CITY SUN DEVIL REWIND ARENA Still, without the NCAA leading scorer Johnny Walker, the Sun Devils Columbus, OH have encountered some hard lessons over the past three games. In all 5:30 p.m. (ET) three, the Sun Devils either lost in the final seconds of regulation or in BTN+ sudden-death overtime. In two of those three games, they saw leads of 3-5-0 3-6-1 two-to-three goal leads dissipate. RECORD VS. BIG TEN OPPONENTS In the most recent Penn State series, the Sun Devils came back from a TEAM 2020-21 OVERALL LAST MEETING two-goal deficit to force overtime before losing, followed by a three-goal MICHIGAN 0-2-0 0-5-0-0 L, 0-3 - NOV. 15, 2020 lead squandered to force overtime before again losing a heartbreaker. MICHIGAN STATE 0-1-1 3-1-1-1 L, 0-2 - NOV. 20, 2020 MINNESOTA 0-0-0 0-2-0-0 L, 2-5 - MARCH 2, 2019 Senior forward Willie Knierim had a great weekend in Happy Valley, net- NOTRE DAME 1-1-0 1-3-0-0 L, 4-5 - DEC. 4, 2020 ting a goal in each game and adding an assist in game two for a three- OHIO STATE 0-0-0 0-3-1-0 L, 0-3 - OCT. 13, 2018 point weekend. Wisconsin transfer Sean Dhooghe also got the monkey PENN STATE 0-2-0 1-4-0-2 OTL, 2-3 - DEC. 13, 2020 off his back with his first goal as a Sun Devil this past weekend, scoring WISCONSIN 2-0-0 2-4-0-0 W, 3-1 - NOV. 29, 2020 the game-tying goal to force overtime in the 3rd period. 2020-21 SUN DEVIL LEADERS In the crease, junior Evan DeBrouwer started both games against the Player G A Pts. Goalie Rec. SV% GAA Nittany Lions, compiling 40 or more saves in both starts with a 3.83 goals Matthew Kopperud 6 5 11 Evan DeBrouwer 2-4-0 .910 3.49 Jax Murray 5 2 7 Cole Brady 1-2-1 .906 3.62 against average and .916 save percentage. He also recorded his second Willie Knierim 4 3 7 assist of the season. Demetrios Koumontzis 3 3 6 DO THE SPLITS 2020-21 BUCKEYE LEADERS After being swept on the road by the only remaining undefeated team in Player G A Pts. Goalie Rec. SV% GAA the country -- Minnesota -- Ohio State has since split each series they’ve Travis Treloar 3 5 8 Tommy Nappier 3-5-0 .923 2.58 played over the last three weeks. Their three wins all came when allowing Mark Cheremeta 1 6 7 Ryan Snowden 0-0-0 1.000 0.00 Quinn Preston 4 1 5 just two goals, while their three losses came by allowing three. Gustaf Westlund 3 2 5 Despite having a fairly young team, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 9 in BY THE NUMBERS the USCHO preseason poll and remain at No. 18. Despite the 3-3 record, the Sun Devil offense continues to put up goals, averaging 4.5 goals per game over the last Ohio State graduated their two top scorers from a year ago, while junior 4 six games. forward Quinn Preston -- who recorded 15 goals and 26 points in 2019-20 Since Nov. 27, the Sun Devil offense leads the country in -- returns as a pivotal offensive leader and threat for the Buckeyes. He goals scored per game (4.50) for teams who have played has four goals this season after netting two in their Sunday upset of Notre 1 at least three or more game during that stretch. Dame. Fellow junior forward Gustaf Westlund is another double-digit goal ASU has six players with over 100 games played, scorer from a year ago who has three goals thus far. Freshman forward including James Sanchez, Jacob Wilson, Dom Garcia, Travis Treloar is pacing the team in points with eight in the last six games. 6 Sean Dhooghe, Johnny Walker and Gvido Jansons. Despite a pointless weekend, freshman forward Matthew Between the pipes, senior netminder Tommy Nappier returns as one of Kopperud still sits second in the country in points with 11 the veteran goaltenders in the Big Ten conference with 66 games played, 28 and is tied for first in goals scored with six. a 36-19-7 career record, 2.00 goals against average and .933 save SUN DEVIL TWEETABLES percentage. 1. @SunDevilHockey and @OhioStateMHKY have met four times, with the Devils losing three and tying one when the Buckeyes were a top-10 team. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE 2. Freshman forward @kopper303 was the first freshman since senior forward BUNCIS: bun-sis KNIERIM: NEER-um @jwalks96 to score in consecutive games. DHOOGHE: DOO-gie KOPPERUD: copper-RUDE 3. Three of @SunDevilHockey’s top seven point leaders are freshmen, including ECKERLE: ECK-er-lee KOSOBUD: COH-suh-bud @kopper303, @oreilly_ryan and Benji Eckerle. 4. Freshman @kopper303 is scoring on 31.6% of his shots this season, which GOURLEY: GORE-lee KOUMONTZIS: co-mun-ZEEZ ranks first in the country for any player with more than 12 shots on goal. GRANDO: gran-DOH MANCINELLI: Man-sin-el-EE 5. After being one of the least experienced teams in college hockey in recent GVIDO: guh-VEE-doh SANDHU: san-DOO years, ASU is T7th for most upperclassmen and T4th for most seniors. JANSONS: YAWN-sons SEMIK: seh-MICK QUOTES OF THE WEEK SUN DEVIL SCENARIOS • “They’re a team that is hard to generate on, they’re kind of like a younger version of Notre Dame and really well During the 2020-21 regular season, the Sun Devils are: structured -- it pretty doesn’t matter who they’re going to play they’re going to play them nose to nose until the • 2-1-0-1 when scoring four or more goals wire.” -Head coach Greg Powers on the upcoming series • 1-1-1-0 when allowing two or fewer goals • “The goalie they have is a veteran guy who is really tough to penetrate and score on so we’re going to have to • 2-0-0-1 when scoring first get in his eyes and get him moving and be creative to score goals against this kid.” -Head coach Greg Powers • 2-0-0-1 when leading after one period on Tommy Nappier • 3-1-0-0 when leading after two periods • “The best part is what it allowed us to do we know our guys so much better now and they know each other so • 0-4-0-1 when trailing after one period much better that the bonding opportunity from the staff to the players to the whole program what we’ve been • 0-3-1-1 when trailing after two periods able to really accomplish has been incredible. Just the ability to play is incredible in the landscape of what we’re going through.” -Head coach Greg Powers on the best/worst part of road trip • 1-0-1-0 when tied after one period • 0-0-0-1 when tied after two periods BREAKIN’ MY HEART • 0-1-1-2 in one-goal games • The last three games have been hard to swollow for the Sun Devils, who were one bounce away in each game 2020-2021 SCHEDULE from being on a six-game winning streak. Date Opponent Network Time/Result • In game two against Notre Dame, the Sun Devils had a two-goal lead heading into the 3rd period. The Fighting Nov. 14 at #12 Michigan BTN+ L, 1-8 Irish fought to three goals in the final 9 minutes of regulation, including the game-winner with five seconds Nov. 15 at #12 Michigan BTN L, 0-3 remaining. Nov. 19 at Michigan State BTN T, 1-1 • In game one against Penn State, Penn State came out fast with a 2-0 lead through the first 20 minutes.ASU Nov. 20 at Michigan State BTN+ L, 0-2 proceeded to tie the game in the final 40 minutes, including the game-tying goal early in the 3rd period.The Nov. 28 at #14/15 Wisconsin FS-AZ W, 8-5 Nittany Lions would score the game-winner four minutes into overtime, despite several grade ‘A’ scoring Nov. 29 at #14/15 Wisconsin FS-AZ W, 3-1 chances by the Sun Devils that were stymied by the PSU netminder. Dec. 3 at #13/16 Notre Dame NHL Network W, 6-3 • In game two against the Nittany Lions, it was nearly the opposite of game one as the Sun Devils came out hot Dec. 4 at #13/16 Notre Dame NBCSN L, 4-5 with three goals in a span of 1:09 of the first four minutes of the game. Penn State answered a minute later Dec. 11 at Penn State BTN+ OTL, 2-3 Dec. 13 at Penn State BTN+ OTL, 4-5 before exchanging goals again before the end of the 1st period, entering intermission with a 4-1 lead. PSU then Dec. 17 at #18 Ohio State BTN+ 5:30 p.m. scored two goals to tie the game in the 2nd period, ultimately forcing overtime and scoring the game-winner Dec. 18 at #18 Ohio State BTN+ 5:30 p.m.