TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State hockey head coach Greg Powers had a simple message for the rest of the nation during his press conference on Monday in Tempe, "I would not want to play us."
It's understandable why Powers would feel that way. The Sun Devils (6-7-1, 3-3-0 in the NCHA) just got the two biggest wins in the program's history by going up to Magness Arena in Denver and sweeping the defending national champion Denver Pioneers, who were coming into the series on a 21-game win streak that dated back to last season.
To give that even more context, that was the first time Denver had been swept on home ice since Minnesota-Duluth accomplished the feat on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2020.
Powers said that no one in his dressing room was surprised by the results from this past weekend.
"We're obviously very excited about the results that we got against a very good program, but we didn't play any differently than we have in the last month," Powers said. "It was a carbon copy. We just, we finally got the results, right? So I'm proud of our guys because they've stuck with it. But we have been playing by and large the best hockey structurally in almost every way since we've been a program, but just weren't getting the results and we did this weekend and it, and it feels good, happy for our guys."
The Sun Devils have had a tough — and injury-plagued — start to the 2024-25 season, as Powers said in most of their games so far this season, ASU was missing three to four of their top six forwards.
After opening the season with an impressive 8-1 win over Air Force on Oct. 4, ASU lost four of their next five games, but were able to beat then-No. 10 Michigan in a shootout on Oct. 12.
The Sun Devils then swept Northern Michigan, but that was followed by three more losses (two to then-No. 8 Colorado College and one to Omaha).
However, Powers said something clicked in their series against Omaha.
"We just weren't scoring and so you have to tweak some things and get guys going to the net and not every goal can be a highlight-reel goal, not every goal can be a snipe," Powers said. "It's gotta get ugly, you gotta get dirty, you gotta get the blue paint. So, we really focused on that and it started to click against Omaha and it really clicked this weekend."
Powers said one of the biggest reasons for the Sun Devils' recent success has been the return of Artem Schlaine, who missed the first six games of the season, and he can't wait to see what his team can do once transfer forward Cruz Lucius hits the ice soon.
"The roster was built for those two to be key pieces, right? And (Schlaine) was out the first six games and then really his first two to four back, he hadn't practiced so he wasn't fully back, right? So now he is, and you see how good that kid is and Cruz is even more dangerous," Powers said. "So, you know, we've gotta get through two more games again (and) we get an off week this week to heal up some bumps and bruises and then we've gotta finish strong. And when we get a full roster back, I would not want to play us."
Powers wins 300th game with ASU
Saturday's 3-2 win over the Pioneers marked Greg Powers' 300th win as the head coach of Sun Devil hockey dating back to the team's days as a club team playing in the American Collegiate Hockey Association.
Powers said he didn't even know he hit the milestone until after the game.
"Corby (Antropik), our equipment manager, gave me the puck after the game and I had no idea. That's the honest-to-God truth," Powers said. "So, you know, that's a combination of, of ACHA and NCAA and there's probably people that want to criticize the combination. But to me personally, every single one means the same. The kids at that level mean, just meant just as much to me as the kids at this level and what you go through as a program, doesn't matter what level it is, it's all about, you know, at the institution and it's been special every, every step of the way and while I'm aging and I don't have any hair left, hopefully there's 300 more in me."
Hitting the milestone gave Powers some time to reflect on the pre-Division I days and the days when ASU played north of campus at Oceanside Ice Arena, which Powers readily admitted he does not miss.
"There's a lot of things I could say. It goes back to just not straying from what has brought us success and that's a blue-collar mentality," Powers said. "Now, we have the resources of Mullett Arena. We have the support of an unbelievable institution that we didn't have back in the day when we were not varsity. We're in the best conference in college hockey. We have everything we need, and now it's chapter two banner-hanging mode and chapter one's behind us and we'll never forget it. But we never wanna lose what got us here. And that's just a blue-collar mindset and, you know, while it's nice to walk into Mullett every day and I still pinch myself, you can't lose what got you here and the base of the foundation that we believe in and that's just, that's just good, hard work and blue-collar kids."
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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