TEMPE, Ariz. — With hunting season in full swing across the valley, the Sun Devils took aim at the Bobcats, shooting six goals into the back of the net in a heavily lopsided affair. 

Freshman forward Eastyn Wold led the charge with her first two goals while helping ASU unleash 85 shots on the Montana State defense.

“We've capitalized on our forechecking every day in practice and really put it on them and came out with possession when we won the battles in the corner,” Wold said.

The Sun Devils (2-2-0-0) secured a much-needed 6-1 victory against MSU (0-7-0-0) on Sunday, Oct. 18 in Tempe, earning their first first-period lead and their first power-play goal of the season. ASU came out blazing, setting the tone early and maintaining immense amounts of pressure on a struggling Bobcats squad.

It should be noted that coming into Sunday’s game against Montana State, the Sun Devils were 0/8 on their power-play, unlike their last couple of games. 

On their 11th attempt, junior defenseman Mara Draper netted that much-needed goal and added insurance to the ASU lead. 

“We've really been working on it in practice,” Draper said. “Moving the puck when we have time and space needing to move it quickly and working it towards the net rather than continuing to pass the puck, allowed us to get that goal.”

Despite the Sun Devils' first power-play goal, they still weren't able to capitalize on any other attempts, going 0-for-5 to finish off the day. 

However, hopes are high for ASU, as the season is still young; Draper and the rest of the team look to improve their power-play abilities over the coming days in preparation for crosstown rivals, Grand Canyon University. 

“Drawing the defense to the net created a lot of open ice for us, which is big,” Draper said. “We've been working on moving the puck, getting open, and really getting as many opportunities to the net.”

On top of the dominant win on Sunday, Sun Devils sophomore goalie Mya Glaister saved 19-of-20 shot attempts against the Bobcats, with the only goal coming from MSU sophomore forward Isabelle Zavitz with only 1:23 left in the third period. 

In addition to Glaister’s performance in the net, she still faces challenges during games when least expected. 

“I just hold myself accountable,” Glaister said. “There are going to be some games where it's more in the offensive zone, but I just want to keep my head in the game.”

Moving forward, Glaister wants to use Sunday’s performance as a team effort into the matchup against GCU in two weeks. 

“We play GCU, who are our rivals in the next game,” Glaister said. “It's a team effort, and we want to win.”

With ASU set to travel to Glendale, Arizona, for its next matchup in two weeks, the Sun Devils look to build off their offensive momentum and carry their newfound energy into the next stretch of the season. 

“Once we get goals, if it's power play or if it's just a regular game,” Draper said. “Those goals get the energy going and hype us up and get the wheels turning.”