Ever since the events of Aug. 20 that left defenseman Matthew Mayich in critical condition, Arizona State hockey has found itself under a microscope, navigating rumors and allegations galore while also preparing for the gauntlet of an NCHC season. 

So, after a chaotic week that saw ASU head coach Greg Powers placed on paid administrative leave, the Sun Devils finally got the chance to do what they came to ASU to do: get out on the ice and play Sun Devil hockey. 

ASU (1-1) split a pair of games to kick off the 2026 campaign against Lindenwood (1-1) on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2-3, at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Despite the pedestrian result, the two games couldn’t have followed more different scripts for the Sun Devils. 

A recap of this weekend’s games: 

Game one: ASU 5, Lindenwood 0 

With Lindenwood’s home ice at the St. Louis Blues' practice facility, the team that drafted Mayich in 2023, ASU entered its season opener with heavy hearts. 

The team hung Mayich’s jersey in the locker room and played with commemorative stickers with Mayich’s number 27 on its helmets. 

Then, the Sun Devils played a strong 60 minutes in acting head coach Mike Corbett’s first game at the helm, taking care of the Lions in dominant fashion. 

Sophomore goaltender Samuel Urban shone brightest for ASU, posting a 37-save shutout to keep Lindenwood off the scoreboard. 

Friday was the second shutout of Urban’s collegiate career, with the first coming on Jan. 10 against Miami. Coincidentally, Urban also saved 37 shots in his first career shutout about nine months ago. 

On the offensive side, the Sun Devils overpowered the Lions with a balanced attack, as 13 different skaters recorded a point in the win.

Only one ASU player, junior forward Nic Chin-DeGraves, recorded multiple points on Friday. Chin-DeGraves assisted on sophomore forward and Lindenwood transfer Olivier Houde’s score early in the third period, then tacked on a goal of his own on an empty net to put the cherry on top. 

Junior forward and assistant captain Ben Muthersbaugh, senior forward and captain Kyle Smolen and sophomore forward Daniel Shlaine also joined the fun with goals in the win. 

Even with the offense clicking across all four lines, the story of the season opener was Urban and the Sun Devils' defense. 

In fact, Friday became the first time ASU pitched a shutout away from Mullett Arena in almost two years. The last time that happened came on Oct. 26, 2024, in a 2-0 Sun Devils victory over Northern Michigan in Marquette, Michigan. 

Game two: Lindenwood 9, ASU 6 

In the first game of the series on Friday, ASU stymied the Lions’ offense and kept them out of the goal entirely. 

On Saturday, Lindenwood made up for the tough first outing and then some. 

The Sun Devils and Lions unleashed a scoring spree in the second and final game of the weekend, trading long runs before Lindenwood finally pulled away with empty-netters for a 9-6 victory. 

The teams combined for 15 goals in the contest, the highest total in an ASU game against an NCAA opponent since the Sun Devils moved to NCAA Division I in 2015. 

After ASU featured 13 point-scorers on Friday, the Lions one-upped the Sun Devils with 14 skaters recording a point in Saturday’s game. 

Sophomore forwards Anselmo Rego and Brady McIsaac powered Lindenwood’s potent offense, both cashing in twice in the win. 

ASU had a two-goal scorer of its own as well, as freshman forward Nathan Behm slotted the first two goals of his career as a Sun Devil on Saturday.

The offensive outburst turned Urban’s great first game into a forgettable weekend between the pipes. After his shutout, Urban let eight of the Lions’ 34 shots get by, finishing with a .765 save percentage. 

Both teams had their fair share of hot stretches on Saturday, combining for five separate runs of two or more consecutive goals. 

The streaks didn’t stop there, as both squads also had a run of four straight tallies, with Lindenwood’s scoring spree in the second period proving to be the difference in sealing the series split. 

Looking ahead for ASU 

After two games in the driver’s seat, Corbett and the Sun Devils find themselves sitting at .500 heading into the first home series of the season against Holy Cross. 

However, Corbett’s career record as ASU’s head coach might remain at .500 indefinitely, as athletic director Graham Rossini told Arizona Sports that he plans to have an interim head coach in place when the team returns to Arizona this week.

The rumor mill is working overtime regarding possible options for the Sun Devils’ next leader, including former North Dakota head coach and four-time Herb Brooks Coach of the Year recipient Brad Berry and Arizona Coyotes great Shane Doan. 

No matter who is in the coaches’ box come next Friday, ASU will face off with a Crusaders squad coming off a 1-1 weekend at home against Maine. 

Given the circumstances, there will likely be additional layers to the atmosphere at Mullett Arena on Friday. 

Even then, the Sun Devils will get two more chances to play for Mayich, this time on home ice for the first time this season.