A 54-shot barrage almost wasn't enough.
 
Despite spending much of the game in their own zone, the Grand Canyon University Women's Hockey team took a one-goal lead deep into the third period before succumbing to a relentless Arizona State University attack in a 4-2 loss Wednesday night in Tempe. The game – the season opener for both teams - was a historic one, since it was the first hockey game of any kind in ASU's new multipurpose arena, Mullett Arena. The loss kept the Lopes without a regular season win in Tempe against the Sun Devils – despite winning the team's last road matchup at ASU during last season's WWCHL Playoffs.
 
The most valuable player of the game wasn't wearing the home colors, and Lopes' goalkeeper Hannah Schneidmiller did her level best to spoil ASU's historic party, saving a whopping 50 of 54 Sun Devil shots on goal. However, even Schneidmiller couldn't overcome two stretches of falal flaws for GCU in the game. The first came in the first 22 seconds of the game when the first collision on the new ice resulted in a Lopes' roughing penalty. Five seconds after the ensuing faceoff, ASU's Mason Walker fired the puck past Schneidmiller for a quick 1-0 lead. Whatever pregame jitters Schneidmiller had before that goal disappeared, and despite seeing 23 more ASU shots head her way before the end of the period, the 1-0 score remained on the new scoreboard.
 
The pep talk from Lopes' Head Coach Natalie Rossi in-between periods apparently worked, since GCU spent the second period neutralizing the ASU attack while finding an unconventional one of their own. With three minutes left in the second period, and both teams a woman down due to penalties, GCU's Reese Gingrich sprang free in the ASU zone, and set up Rory Artega in front of the net to tie the score. Then in the period's final 20 seconds, with ASU on the power play, GCU stole the puck near center ice, and while ASU netminder Hallie McClelland saved a long shot attempt by the Lopes' Arianna Harden, the puck trickled away just far enough for Lopes' senior Annabelle Koethe to slap the rebound past McClelland to give the Lopes a 2-1 lead after two.
 
Unfortunately for the Lopes, the aggressiveness ASU showed in Period 1 returned for the final frame, and the Sun Devils finally wore down the Lopes' defense with 18 more shots on goal. Walker's second power-play goal eight minutes in tied the score, then the Sun Devils took the lead for good with 7:48 left on a shorthanded goal before icing the game with a goal in the final minute.
 
The Lopes will open the home side of their 2022-23 schedule this Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15, when they host the University of Colorado at GCU's home ice of AZ Ice Arcadia (38^th Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix). Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM.