ASU Hockey: Sun Devils add three players via the transfer portal

Greg Powers and the Sun Devil coaching staff have been busy during the offseason, as ASU has added three players via the transfer portal.

Here’s a look at the newest Devils on the ice:

Tim Lovell, Defenseman

Lovell is a 5-foot-8, 150-pound left-shot defenseman who was born in Germany. He spent his first year of college hockey at Boston College playing for legendary head coach Jerry York.

In 18 games played with the Golden Eagles as a freshman, Lovell had two points and was a plus-3. He will come to Tempe as a sophomore. During his junior career, he played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Chicago Steel and Des Moines Buccaneers.

Lovell is the second ASU player to come to Tempe from Chestnut Hill, as forward Chris Grando was also a former Golden Eagle.

Jack Becker, Forward

A captain at Michigan during the 2020-21 season, Becker had nine points in 23 games for a loaded Wolverines squad that was full of future NHL talent this past season.

Becker comes to ASU with an extra year of eligibility following four years in Ann Arbor. He put up 51 points (26 G, 25 A) during that span and was a leader in the Wolverines locker room.

A 2015 seventh-round selection of the Boston Bruins who is currently unsigned, Becker is a right-shot center who will look to make an immediate impact in maroon and gold after four solid seasons in the Big Ten.

Tim Theocharidis, Defenseman

Theocharidis is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound d-man who is transferring to the Sun Devils after spending his first three seasons at Bowling Green.

As a blue-liner, Theocharidis had an impressive 15 points in 31 games for the Falcons. He also put up 24 points in his previous two years, recording 17 assists during that time.

Originally from Ontario, Canada, Theocharidis will look to add to the ASU blue line. Throughout the 2020 campaign, one area that Powers consistently alluded to that needed improvement was the production on offense from the Sun Devil defensemen.

With both Brinson Pasichnuk and Josh Maniscalco - two d-men who were stellar offensively - Powers referenced looking for more offense in 2020 with those departures.

On the ASU power play and during 5-on-5 play, the defense often struggled getting shots through from the point, limiting grade-A opportunities and scoring chances.

With these two additions on the blue line, the unit looks to grow as a whole.

Evan Debrouwer Transferring

On the flip side of the transfer portal, ASU also recently lost goaltender Evan DeBrouwer, who is headed to Bentley University in the Atlantic Hockey Conference.

In 16 games this past season, the Canadian netminder struggled at times, putting up a 4.13 goals against average and .888 save percentage as he split time in net with the Sun Devils other goaltenders.

However, during DeBrouwer’s breakout sophomore season, he was steady. DeBrouwer carried the load, playing in 34 games with a .919 save percentage and 2.52 GAA as he stepped in for the departed Joey Daccord.

With DeBrouwer out of the mix, the stage is now set for Cole Brady, who started ASU’s final eight games of the year as a freshman.

A fifth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, Brady went through tough times and was a bit sluggish at the beginning of the year, but that can be attributed to his bout with mono going through the winter months.

With a fully healthy goaltender, Powers and the staff are expecting big things out of the NHL draft pick moving forward. Justin Robbins is currently the only other netminder on the roster.