4-0 Win Puts Yale in Title Game

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Sun Devils were looking for an upset on a big stage tonight but got burned by a fired-up bunch of Bulldogs. The No. 12 Yale hockey team got goals from four different skaters to register a 4-0 win over Arizona State in the second game of the inaugural Desert Hockey Classic.

The Bulldogs (8-4-2), winners of three straight, earned a spot in Sunday's championship game against Michigan Tech (4-2 winners over UConn) by outshooting ASU 40-12 and scoring twice on the power play on the ice of the Arizona Coyotes.

The Blue did not waste any time tickling the NHL twine. Just 1:53 in, Andrew Gaus took a perfect Chris Izmirlian lead pass across the blueline and zipped in ahead of the defense to fire a wrist shot past the glove of ASU goalie Ryland Pashovitz. The scoring play started when Ryan Obuchowski poked the puck away from a Sun Devil forward just outside the blueline. Izmirlian took the feed and spotted his right wing about to split the defense for his third goal of the season.

"It was a nice start and a good first shift," said Gaus. "We didn't play a great first, but it was nice to take the lead into intermission and then have strong second and third periods."

The shots in the first frame were 9-5 in favor of the Elis, but each of those five on target for the Devils seemed to require quality stops by Alex Lyon, who finished with 12 saves and his school-record 12th career shutout. The scariest moment for him may have been Connor Schmidt wheeling around in the slot and finding an open look. That quickly was closed by the All-American Yale netminder.

Closing things down included advantages. ASU had two of them in the period and five overall but managed just two shots because the Bulldogs won all the battles and races to clear the zone.

The Blue notched two in the second – while outshooting the Devils 21-5 - to get separation from the tournament host.

Frankie DiChiara got his third of the year with a put-back tally at 8:46. Mitch Witek got it started with a crossing pass from the point to the left circle. Izmirlian one-timed the pass off the goalie and the puck came out to the low slot. DiChiara, skating across from the right circle, won the race to it and slid it inside the right post to make it 2-0.

"I thought I should take a quick shot [on the pass from Witek]. It was a good finish by Frank," said Izmirlian. "We came out a little slow tonight, but we regrouped and played our game."

John Hayden, the player of the game, scored his sixth goal in the last four games to make it 3-0 late in the second, but the tally was equally as significant as the effort that created the chance. The junior winger came in on the fore-check and put a massive hit on the Sun Devil with the puck in the slot. Hayden knocked Nicholas Gushue back into his goalie, grabbed the loose biscuit and popped it in the oven (stick side) for his ninth of the year. 

"I thought we started slow," said Hayden. "But the character of a good team is that it gets better as the game goes on. We did that tonight."

A few minutes later, Hayden was involved in another physical play as he drove the net with a defender close by. The big Eli forward, who had two points tonight, held the puck and attempted to go backhand, but the defender pushed him into the goalie and Hayden flipped over Pashovitz and crashed into the post. The Bulldog skated away from the crash and came back early in the third on a power play to help up the lead to four.

Forty-one seconds into the third, Joe Snively etched his name on the scoresheet with a wrister from 12-feet away that sailed over the goalie's shoulder. That followed Stu Wilson driving the net and getting off a shot that hit Pashovitz and then was touched by Hayden on the follow-up before the freshman winger grabbed it.

"We put the puck at the net and had guys going to the net. When you outnumber the team like that you will get some good opportunities to score," said Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach.

BULLDOG BITES

Yale had a freshman on each of its four forward lines and two on defense… There was one change in the lineup from Tuesday night, which had Charlie Curti in at defense for Adam Larkin… The Elis flew into Phoenix on Thursday morning and practiced later in the day at Gila River Arena. The Yale team will attend the Phoenix-Nashville NHL game Saturday night… Sunday's noon contest airs live on ASU's website... Yale has taken one (15-0 in 1930 at New Haven) of three meetings with Michigan Tech. The other games were in 1967 and 1974 at holiday tournaments.

Filed by Steve Conn, Yale Associate AD & Sports Publicity Director

image by Sun Devils Athletics