ASU Hockey: Sun Devils earn a split against Alaska Fairbanks

Following a tough loss on Friday, Arizona State (6-4) responded with a 4-0 shutout on Saturday evening against Alaska Fairbanks (6-6).

Offensively, sophomore defenseman Josh Maniscalco was the story. Building on his success from last season, Maniscalco is third on the team in points, and he leads the team in scoring for defensemen.

On Saturday, he recorded two goals and an assist for a three-point night. He began the scoring with a goal late in the first period, and he later put another one home in the third.

The other two tallies came from senior forward Tyler Busch and sophomore forward Demetrios Koumontzis.

In net, sophomore Evan DeBrouwer recorded his second shutout of the season, making 20 saves to earn the victory.

Additionally, junior forward James Sanchez added to a growing point streak that is now at six games, and he continues to settle in with his new team since coming over from Michigan and the United States Hockey League (USHL).

Sanchez assisted on Koumontzis’ goal in the third period, and Maniscalco’s goal in the first. He leads ASU in points so far this season.

Ultimately, it was a nice response for a Sun Devil squad that was dealt a deflating loss the night prior.

This year’s Alaska squad is not the same team of year’s past. They currently sit at No. 22 in the PairWise rankings, and they are 4-2 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).

“It was a great road win against a really good hockey team,” said head coach Greg Powers of ASU’s victory on Saturday. “They’ve already beaten some really high-end teams and given everyone that they play fits. We found out why this weekend. A tough road trip and a really good road win for us.”

Thus, a series split on the road with a team who has played well this season isn’t the end of the world for the Sun Devils. ASU now has two weeks off and will return to the ice just after Thanksgiving when they take on Vermont for a two-game series at Oceanside Arena on Nov. 29 and 30.