The Sun Devils have defeated the Wildcats in five consecutive matches, extending back to the start of last season.

Freshman forward Sophie Sears celebrated her first goal as a part of the ASU, which came against her cousin, who plays for Arizona. 

“It feels great, and I have a good team that’s very supportive,” Sears said. “So it felt even better when they all cheered.”

Sears mentioned that she and her cousin had gone shopping the day prior and debated who would have to buy the opposing team's merchandise. As a result of this game, there will now be a Wildcat player proudly representing the Sun Devils.

The fierce rivalry between the schools showed itself in power play opportunities, with two chances given to both ASU and Arizona.

The Sun Devils took advantage of their power plays when given, securing the first goal of the game courtesy of sophomore forward Kylie Brown. The Wildcats were given the same opportunity when sophomore defensemen Jorja Dezainde was sent to the penalty box, but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity. 

Brown was the third top scorer on the roster in ACHA play last year with four goals and four assists. Her performance in today’s game against Arizona was just a preview of what she looks to accomplish in this upcoming season. 

Senior goalie Quinn Eatinger was mostly left alone, with the Wildcats attempting a little over half of the shots ASU did throughout the second period. 

This led the Sun Devils offensive play to shine, keeping consistent control of the puck while in play. 

“They did absolutely amazing,” Eatinger said. “Like Sophie, she's a freshman, she scored our second goal and brought us up two-nothing; they secured that win for us, so I think all of them are amazing.”

The first period was almost entirely battled out on the Arizona’s side of the ice, a trend that slowly died out as the largely freshman roster found its footing within the frost.

Freshman goalie Olivia Sorlie had her work cut out for her in her first game as a Wildcat. Sorlie showed out, blocking 15 out of 16 shots made in the second period, making some wildly impressive catches whilst doing so.

The gameplay between ASU and Arizona moved farther into the walls of the ice rink as the clock went on, with one battle shooting the puck not into the net, but into the lap of one lucky fan.

Along with the accolades the team has earned from previous seasons, team culture is a big part of the Sun Devils' success. 

“All of the girls are very, very supportive,” Sears said. “It’s not just one big group, we’re all coming together, so that really helps show how easy it is to connect with each other.” 

Head Coach Lindsey Ellis confirmed the supportive environment that the team creates, and said that the coaching staff makes it a priority to ensure the team has a healthy culture the moment players arrive in Tempe. 

ASU will head into Massachusetts next week looking to begin the season with a win streak.

“I think continuing that momentum is huge,” Eatinger said. “Making sure we stick with our team values and our plays, making sure we practice what we play.”