(Photo: Gabrielle Mercer/WCSN)
Another night, another shootout.
Arizona State tied Wisconsin-Eau Claire 3-3 for the second straight night to complete the two game home stand at Oceanside Ice Arena.
The two teams officially tied in last night’s contest as well, even though the game ended on a shootout victory in favor of the Blugolds.
The Devils only went with three lines tonight instead of the usual four – Garrett Peterson and Michael Cummings suited up as extra players.
On defense, head coach Greg Powers only went with three lines – Joey Raats played as an extra defensive player.
“Tonight I felt like we played better,” Powers said. “I thought we controlled the play.”
The game began in similar fashion as last night, with the Blugolds netting the first goal of the game.
The Devils would be quick to respond to T.J. Stunz unassisted goal; however, after Ryan Ostertag scored off of a Liam Norris assist.
The goal would be Ostertag’s third of the season.
Norris’ first period showing wouldn’t stop there, as he also netted a power play goal off of a Jordan Masters, Jordan Young feed in the first.
Masters’ assist in both the first and the third periods gave him 21 points on the season.
Both teams finished close in shots on goal to conclude the first; the Blugolds got seven shots off, compared to the Devils’ eight.
The second period was all defense, as both teams neutralized everything that came their way.
Most of the period was played between the blue lines as no one team could maintain possession.
The Sun Devils held a narrow lead in shots on goal the end the period, grasping to a 17-16 edge.
The game went into the third with the Devils still nursing a 2-1 lead.
The gridlock would come to a screeching halt, though, following Jesse Tredinnick’s equalizer to start the third period.
As one might have guessed, however, it would take all but four minutes for Joe Lappin to net the go ahead goal off of a feed from Anthony Croston and Masters.
The goal was Lappin’s second of the series.
“I’ve been getting chances in other games I feel like,” Lappin said, “They just weren’t going in, they’re starting to go in now.”
There were a total of three lead changes in the game, as well as three tying goals.
The third tie came in the third period, following Adam Knochenmus’ eighth goal of the season.
When it was all said and done, the teams would skate back onto the ice for the second overtime period of the weekend.
Neither team could break the tie, though, leading to yet another shootout.
True to form, neither team was able to get an each in the shootout either and it would be multiple rounds until Michael Cummings was able to end the shootout, giving the Devils an unofficial win.
Cummings had yet to score an NCAA point this season.
“Coaches were on the bench just telling me to shoot it,” Cummings said. “I mean it made it easy for me, I didn’t decide what I was going to do I just kind of knew that the goalie was pretty compact and he just left that side open for me.
“It felt really good, finally.”
Arizona State will take on ACHA Liberty University at Oceanside Ice Arena in a one game home stand on Feb. 13.
You can contact Colton Dodgson via e-mail or on Twitter @DodgsonColton
