Only minutes into the second period, ASU fans proudly tossed their hats onto the ice. Not only did ASU hockey finally gain some winning momentum this weekend against Ohio University, but freshman forward Jordan Masters made history with ASU hockey’s first hat trick.
Masters, who leads ASU in goals scored, foreshadowed his success in the first period when scoring his first goal at 2:18, followed by Michael Cummings' goal shortly after at 3:20. By the end of the first period, ASU made their presence known through a four-point lead.
“(The first period) was everything,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said. “It was the key to getting onto a fast start tonight. Get the first goal. Play downhill and make it so they couldn’t climb back into the game.”
This strategy was proven last night as well when ASU collected 3 goals right off the bat. While Friday’s score of 8-2 left Powers feeling underwhelmed, the addition of a hat trick to Masters' list of accomplishments reversed the emotion.
"It's what the kid does," he said. "He's having a great time here. He's going to have a great career.”
Upon the completion of the first period, Masters only needed to score one more goal to achieve this feat, however, the idea never swarmed his mind.
"It's a great feeling," Masters said. "I can't remember the last time I had one.”
Noticing their need to make a comeback, the NCAA opponent had no issue playing physical, resulting in two power play opportunities that the Sun Devils took full advantage of this time around.
“Yesterday they outhit us and tonight they definitely did not,” Powers said. “Our guys should be in much better condition than that team and better shape because they’re in the gym more and it’s more of a commitment. Tonight, I think they showed that.”
While the hat trick raised excitement among the Sun Devils, the idea of a win still reaches deeper. Due to rough play by Ohio, ASU took full advantage of their two power play opportunities.
“I think it’s huge,” Masters said. “We were on a 13 game losing streak so finally getting that winning momentum, especially going into this weekend. It’s a big three games for us. So, we’ll see where this takes us.”
Reach the reporter at ncorr@asu.edu or follow @natalieorr19 on Twitter.
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