ASU Hockey got back in the win column with a thrilling overtime win to open the weekend series against Stonehill (Carine Heller / Inferno Intel).
The No. 16 Arizona State Sun Devils (5-1-1) have a flair for the dramatic. In five of seven contests this season, ASU’s games have been decided by one goal or less. Friday night was the latest thriller.
For the third straight game, ASU needed overtime. After conceding a late three-goal lead against Miami (Ohio) last weekend, it was the Sun Devils who rallied from a 4-1 third period hole to defeat the Stonehill College Skyhawks (0-8) by a score of 5-4.
“I loved it,” Sun Devil head coach Greg Powers said. “Down 4-1, we kind of flipped the script that happened to us last Friday. So we got that back. We stole one back. So that feels good. I’m proud of the guys for sticking with it and fighting through it and finding a way to get a win.”
Senior forward Matthew Kopperud scored the equalizing goal on his wrist shot from the right circle with 8:21 remaining in the final period. It was Kopperud’s 27th career power play goal, the most in ASU history and tops among active players in the NCAA.
Freshman defenseman Anthony Dowd whacked at a loose rebound and scored the game winning goal with 58 seconds left in overtime. It was Dowd’s first career goal as a Sun Devil.
“It felt great, especially for my first one to be an overtime winner,” Dowd said. “It was awesome, a great feeling. I’m just so happy that we got the win.”
The victory extends ASU’s undefeated home record at Mullet Arena this season, despite being outplayed through the first 45 minutes of the game.
The Skyhawks led 2-0 after the first intermission thanks to goals from sophomore forward Frank Ireland and freshman forward Joseph Grainda. It was ASU’s first two-goal deficit of the season.
Sun Devils senior forward and captain Tyler Gratton scored on a breakaway 1:43 into the second period to cut the lead to 2-1. Stonehill sophomore forward Dean Schwenninger found the back of the net five minutes later off an odd-man rush to give the Skyhawks a 3-1 lead.
“They out competed us,” Powers said. “They out skated us. They were the better team for two periods and credit to them. You know, I feel bad for them. I’ve been there as a new program where you go and you play your heart out and you come up on the wrong side of it. But if they play like that, you know, the majority of the way they’re gonna win some games.”
The winless Skyhawks are playing their first full Division I schedule after moving up from Division II last season. Stonehill appeared on its way to securing its first victory after freshman defenseman Dominick Campione put the team ahead 4-1 just under four minutes into the third period.
ASU senior forward and assistant captain Ryan O’Reilly scored 19 seconds later to give the Sun Devils life. The Sun Devils continued to apply pressure. Two-and-a-half minutes later, senior forward Brian Chambers tipped senior defenseman Brandon Tabakin’s blue line shot from the front of the net to cut the lead to 4-3.
“It was just urgency and desperation,” Powers said. “The lineup that you see on the ice tomorrow will play like that for 60 minutes. I can guarantee you that won’t be the same lineup you saw tonight.
Kopperud’s aforementioned score completed the comeback and was the third goal from a different Sun Devils captain or assistant captain in the game.
“It’s what Kopp does,” Powers said. “He stepped up. He’s a clutch kid and he made a good play there. You need that out of your leaders and I thought specifically tonight Brian Chambers and Tyler Gratton were our best players. They put the team on their back and they weren’t gonna let us lose that game.”
Chambers and Dowd led the Sun Devils with three points apiece. Both had one goal and two assists.
ASU sophomore goalie Gibson Homer made 26 saves to earn his first career win in his first ever start at Mullet Arena. Homer played his best stretch of the game in overtime and made several key stops.
“The way the guys battled for me in the third period late, they did their job,” Homer said. “So I knew I had to step up and do mine to get the win.”
Nobody was more relieved to get the win than Sun Devils assistant coach Dana Borges. The game was the first time Borges has coached against his father, Stonehill head coach David Borges, and uncle, Skyhawks assistant coach Darrell Borges.
The family trio will have a final opportunity to compete against each other when the Sun Devils host Stonehill in game two on Saturday at Mullet Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. MST.