COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After nine years of competing as an independent program, the Arizona State hockey team (3-4-1) finally lives out the dream of playing for a conference title. The Sun Devils’ National Collegiate Hockey Conference schedule begins this weekend at No. 8/8 Colorado College (6-0-0) at Ed Robson Arena. Fans can watch the matchup on NCHC.tv or listen on Fox Sports 910. Friday night’s game will also air locally in Phoenix on Fox 10 XTRA KUTP. Puck drop on night one begins at 7 p.m. MST, and Saturday starts at 6 p.m. MST.
“It’s a first, and the message is, ‘Hey, we only have one first game in the NCHC ever,” said Sun Devil Hockey head coach Greg Powers. “All these guys get the honor and the opportunity to compete in that game. It’s on us to write the script and not let them dictate how it goes. We need to go in and dictate how this goes, and we have the team that can do it. So it’s a great opportunity, and we only get one.”
The Sun Devils face their third-ranked opponent this season at No. 8 Colorado College. ASU has a 0-3-1 record against teams ranked in the USCHO.com poll, including a home series against then-No. 10 Michigan and on the road at then-No. 14 Providence.
MR. CLUTCH
Senior Penn State transfer Ryan Kirwan leads the Arizona State team in goals with six this season. Kirwan tallied three goals at Northern Michigan two weeks ago, and all lamplighters 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’s shots on net from the slot per 60 attempts are in the top three percent among all skaters in the NCAA, while his offense-generating plays per 60 attempts are in the top five percent. 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 Kirwan notches a multipoint game and 7-0-0 on nights where he has multiple goals.
DUAL THREAT
The Sun Devils have operated with a dual-threat system in the crease through the past eight games. Gibson Homer (2-2-1) collected his second career shutout at…
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