In a game that ASU hockey looked to make a comeback charge, the Sun Devils (2-10-0) eventually dropped their first of two games at Penn State (10-1-1) by a hefty margin on Friday, 7-4.
When the Sun Devils trailed by three goals on two different occasions, and were the victim of a Penn State hat trick and had to make a goaltending change in the first period, the game looked like a runaway for the Nittany Lions. Strangely, it ended up being a close one at times in the third period before Penn State regained a comfortable, fateful lead once again.
"The positive is we were down and out, clawed back to cut it to one in the third, and had a power play to tie it," ASU head coach Greg Powers said. "The guys that need to step up and get going just didn’t do it. They have to look in the mirror, take accountability and figure out if they want to take this program to the next level."
Penn State jumped ahead early with a goal from freshman forward Denis Smirnov in the first minute. But with more than 11 minutes left in the first period, freshman forward Tyler Busch tied the game up on a feed from below the goal line by junior forward David Norris – Busch’s fifth of the season.
Here's @BuschLeagueTen's 5th goal of the season! #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/UsqUMBvPH3
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) November 19, 2016
The first period turned ugly for the Sun Devils when Penn State scored three unanswered goals on ASU freshman goaltender Joey Daccord. The Nittany Lions found two straight goals from the stick of Andrew Sturtz before Smirnov scored his second of the evening. It was 4-1 Penn State.
Powers tabbed sophomore Ryland Pashovitz to relieve Daccord in net.
“We have to get consistency in net, that’s the bottom line," Powers said. "The guys that we need to carry the brunt, the guys that transferred in, can’t have nights like they did tonight. You have those two things working against you.
"It’s a really odd shaped rink, so it’s tough to play the puck. Daccord went back to play the puck twice in those first four goals, and he couldn’t get back in time to set up properly. That’s why we got scored on. He has to pick his spots to play the puck."
Before the end of the first period, Steenn Pasichnuk scored on an assist from Robbie Baillargeon to cut ASU’s deficit to 4-2.
Each team netted a goal in the second period, the first from Smirnov yet again to complete a hat trick at the 3:29 mark. Freshman forward Brett Gruber scored for ASU.
Leading 5-3 to start the third, Penn State looked sluggish and gave up shorthanded chances on a power play that carried over from the previous frame. Then, a blast from the point by sophomore Jakob Stridsberg found the back of the net and cut the Sun Devils’ deficit to one.
It was 5-4 Penn State with 16:47 left to play.
The Sun Devils once trailed 4-1 in this game. Now, they're down just 5-4. Big change of momentum in recent minutes.
— Matt J. Layman (@mattjlayman) November 19, 2016
But ASU failed to convert on a crucial power play before Penn State freshman forward Nate Secuse and sophomore forward Alec Marsh both soared in the final minutes.
Penn State, 7; Arizona State, 4.
The Nittany Lions outshot ASU badly, 54-26. Pashovitz stopped 39 of 42 shots faced; Daccord made 8 stops with four goals allowed.
“There are obviously some mental lapses," Powers said. "We knew they were going to get a lot of shots. They take shots from everywhere, so we need good rebound control and need good block outs in front."
ASU is now 1-2-0 on the current road trip after beating University of New Hampshire and losing to Boston College last weekend. The Sun Devils will rematch with Penn State at 1 p.m. MST on Saturday before returning home to play Rensselaer Poly.
Reach the reporter at matthew.layman@asu.edu or follow @Mattjlayman on Twitter.
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