No. 11 ASU defeated both Holy Cross and Bentley in Massachusetts over the weekend, winning by scores of 3-2 and 3-0 respectively. The Sun Devils are now 20-9-3 on the season and have won nine of their last ten games.
Friday
The Sun Devils entered the weekend off a sweep over Robert Morris at home a week ago and kept the momentum going in Massachusetts against Holy Cross.
Junior forward Willie Knierim scored just under seven minutes into the game off assists from Brett Gruber and Jarrod Gourley to take an early lead over the Crusaders.
With that opening score on Friday, Knierim has five goals in his last three games and eight points in his last six.
Despite moving into the lead early on in the game, Holy Cross scored twice in a three minute span from the Crusader's two leading point scorers, Logan Ferguson and Neil Robinson, both of which were assisted by Holy Cross forward Kevin Darrar.
ASU got the equalizer from PJ Marrocco, who scored 1:14 into the third period to tie the game.
The remainder of regulation wouldn't yield another goal, resulting in overtime. Sophomore defenseman Josh Maniscalco fired a shot from in between the face-off circles past the Crusaders' goaltender at 3:44 into extra time to defeat Holy Cross 3-2 and complete the comeback.
Saturday
ASU resumed its prior offensive success the following night, where they traveled to Waltham, Massachusetts, to play the Bentley Falcons in game two of the weekend.
Junior forward Filips Buncis snapped an 8-game goal drought and opened the scoring with a goal 7:51 into the game.
Buncis also fed Brett Gruber with an assist coming off a neutral zone turnover, leading to a Gruber score to increase ASU's lead to two near the end of the second period.
ASU later added an empty-net goal from senior defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk to defeat Bentley 3-0.
Sophomore goaltender Evan DeBrouwer made 28 saves in the game to record a shutout, his third of the season.
The Sun Devils return home to Oceanside Ice Arena for the final home series of the season, where they'll host the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. ASU looks to increase its odds of securing their second NCAA Tournament bid in program history.
Reach the reporter at aklatsky@asu.edu and follow @averyklatsky on Twitter.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
