Greg Powers, Sun Devil Hockey head coach, spoke to the media for the first time this fall, addressing the team's season goals, the adjustments that come with the jump from the ACHA to the NCAA and his expectations for the program's first year.
Powers said the team's mantras are "be the tradition" and "embrace the foundation," which entail approaching every game the same way.
"We have to be very difficult to play against, and while we haven't done it consistently at the Division I level, a few years ago we played a Division I team on the road and won," Powers said. "We know what it takes to win here, and this is going to be a much higher level and much more daunting task, but we're excited to take it on."
ASU's highly anticipated Oct. 3 opener against Arizona at Gila River Arena brings a lot of excitement and the team will try to embrace the arena as its home for the weekend. Powers said the team's plans, as of now, are to skate on the ice Friday and Saturday morning and attend the Arizona Coyotes' preseason game Friday night.
Although the Wildcats are still part of the ACHA, Powers said the Sun Devils won't be holding back, and their in-state rival will see ASU's best.
One big boost for the Sun Devils is the return of Liam Norris, a star player who has been with Powers the longest of anyone in the ASU hockey organization.
"These 25-year-old centers at the NCAA level don't grow on trees, so his maturity, his passion for our program — he's a true Sun Devil," Powers said. "To have him here this first year and I'm glad he decided to go back and go to grad school and be a part of it."
Powers said one of the many adjustments to the DI level is the speed of the game, which is something the Sun Devils have been working on throughout their on-ice practice time, although it has been limited due to NCAA regulations. Specifically, they have practiced the game speed and situations with live-game scrimmages.
"Our guys that were with us last year, the time and space that they're used to having just won't be there," he said. "They look really good. Everything we've done can be used at this level."
"Everything has to be enhanced, but now we have the resources to prepare like we've never prepared before. We've put together an incredible coaching staff... we feel like our guys are prepared and we're excited to go."
While the move to Division I means added resources for the scouting process, Powers said the team intends to use most of the scouting reports for the staff. He said he wants to continue having the mindset of focusing on the team rather than its opponent.
The jump also comes with inherent questions and concerns about when the program will be a serious contender at the NCAA level. Powers said ASU will go into every game expecting to win and while he acknowledged that was unlikely, he said there is one goal right now.
"Really what we're focused on right now is being the most successful startup Division I hockey program ever," he said. "Penn State set a really good bar... We want to be better."
Related Links:
Forward Robert Herman commits to Sun Devil hockey
Goaltender, Phoenix native Jaxon Castor commits to Sun Devil hockey
Reach the reporter at Justin.Toscano@asu.edu or follow @justintoscano3 on Twitter
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