Meilun recorded 43 saves in net, marking his fourth game of the season with 40 or more saves. (Photo Credit Mary Gettens).

TEMPE, Ariz. (November 4, 2023) – The Stonehill College men's ice hockey team came up short in the end, 3-2, against nationally ranked #16 Arizona State on Saturday night. With the loss, the Skyhawks fall to 0-9-0 on the season, while the Sun Devils improve to 6-1-1 on the year. 

Highlights

• Freshman defender Charles Banquier and junior Henri Schreifels each scored their second goals of the season for the Skyhawks.
• Sophomore defender Greg Japchen dished out his team-leading sixth assist of the season. Japchen leads the squad with seven points (1 G, 6 A) on the young campaign.
• Sophomore netminder Dylan Meilun tallied 43 saves in goal for Stonehill, marking his fourth game this season with 40 or more saves.
• Senior Matthew Kopperud scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season.
• Graduate student Tyler Gratton netted his third goal of the season, while freshman Cole Gordon found the back of the net for the first time of his collegiate career.  
• Sophomore goaltender Gibson Homer picked up his second win of the season in net for the Sun Devils after stopping 23 of his 25 shots faced on the night.

How it Happened

• Arizona State wasted little time jumping out to an early one-goal lead as the Sun Devils scored a shorthanded goal off the stick of Gordon for his first career goal less than 30 seconds into the contest.
• With just under eight minutes remaining in the opening frame, freshman Conor Ronayne nearly tied the game up after sending a backhand shot on a breakaway just wide of the ASU net.
• Meilun came up clutch in the first period, making 21 saves throughout the opening 20 minutes of action to keep the deficit at one goal heading into the first intermission.
• Less than five minutes into the middle period Schreifels would light the lamp for the second time on the season after receiving a drop pass from freshman Joseph Grainda, tying the game up at one apiece.

  Schreifels scored his second goal of the season in the second period. (Photo Credit Mary Gettens).

• Both sides would go back-and-forth throughout the remainder of the second period as the game would head into the third period with the score knotted at 1-1.
• Stonehill continued regained its offensive momentum as Banquier buried a shot into the back of the net at the 3:16 mark of the third on the power play, giving the Skyhawks their first lead of the game at 2-1.
• However, the Sun Devils would respond less than five minutes later as Gratton scored the equalizer before Kopperud netted what would prove to be the game winner midway through the third.
• Despite the late effort to score the game-tying goal late, Stonehill would come up short and fall to ASU by a final score of 3-2.

Up Next

Stonehill (0-9-0) return home to the Bridgewater Ice Arena on Friday, Nov. 10, to host Alaska-Fairbanks. Puck drop between the Skyhawks and Nanooks is set for 7 P.M.

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