#15 Utah M1 travels to #24 ASU in Top 25 Battle
Hunter Thornburg
Posted On November 5, 2021
November 5, 2021
The University of Utah Men’s Division 1 team previously wrapped up their two-game series against the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. Next up, the Utes are hitting the road again, returning to The Grand Canyon State to take on the Sun Devils. This two-game series will serve as the third and fourth meetings between the two squads following a hard-fought split series in Salt Lake City on October 22nd and 23rd. The M1 team will return home on November 12th for a rematch series against UNLV.
The Skatin’ Utes’ season holds steady at at 4-4-2 following a 0-1-1 showing in Tucson against the Wildcats. Though suffering defeat against Arizona, Utah expects to take their ever-competitive play to the Sun Devils and steal a couple of wins in hostile territory. Utah and Arizona State have met before in a two-game series in Salt Lake City, where the Skatin’ Utes split the series with the Sun Devils, 1-1. The first match was a high-scoring, intense showing for both squads with a final score of 7-4, and a victory for ASU. The following night, Utah M1 made the necessary adjustments and returned to their home ice to exact revenge on Arizona State, with a final score of 4-3. Having recently debuted at #15 in the newly released ACHA rankings, Utah Hockey will look to defend their ranking in Tempe, AZ.
The Arizona State Sun Devils have debuted at #24 in the ACHA rankings, and will look to climb a few rungs in the rankings following the upcoming series against the Skatin’ Utes. ASU has not competed since their series in Salt Lake City against Utah, and are hopeful that their extended preparation time and home rink energy will grant them an advantage over the talented Utah M1 squad.
Both organizations have allocated focus towards improving their game and believe they have made the necessary physical and mental adjustments for what should be an intense, closely contested series. The two-game stretch will take place on Friday and Saturday at the Oceanside Ice Arena, located at 1520 N McClintock Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281. Puck drops at 8:00 p.m. for the Friday matchup and 7:00 p.m. MST for the Saturday matchup.
