The next four will have to work to match this.

In the first of five meetings between the two archrivals this season, the 12^th-ranked Grand Canyon University D1 Men's Hockey team used two goals in the final seven minutes to outlast Arizona State University, 5-3, in front of a standing-room-only crowd Saturday night at AZ Ice Arcadia. The win snapped a brief two-game losing skid for the Lopes (3-2 overall, 2-2 WCHL) and was GCU's third straight win over the Devils (2-4 overall, 1-1 WCHL). It also extended the Lopes' home winning streak over ASU to six games, dating back to January 2022.

While it was the only non-conference matchup between the two squads this year, there was no drop in intensity in the arena – on or off the ice. The capacity crowd was rattling the glass even during pregame warmups and didn't have to wait long for offensive fireworks to erupt. The Lopes never trailed in the game, but their leads didn't always last long – as evidenced by Braden Husby's power-play goal five minutes in that gave GCU the edge for all of 59 seconds before ASU's Kade Olsen responded with the neutralizer off a power play of his own. However, scoring quickly off opposing goals has become a norm for GCU this season, which Spencer Lund demonstrated by giving the Lopes the lead back 90 seconds after Olsen's score. The Devils knotted the game again by the end of the first period, and the 2-2 tie wouldn't be broken until midway through the 2^nd frame when Nash Jacobsma and Gavin Uckele set up Husby with assist passes to net his second score of the night.

The 3-2 Lopes' lead drew even again six minutes into the 3^rd period on Olsen's second goal, but that's where the ASU offense dried up, managing just three shots on goal throughout the final frame. That allowed GCU's relentless pressure to poke holes in the ASU defense, and GCU's Caden Surchik finally capitalized with the go-ahead score with 6:28 left. Desperate, the Devils cleared their goalie with over two minutes left but still couldn't mount an attack, and Uckele finally ended the suspense by skating past the ASU backline with 20 seconds left to escort the final goal into the empty net.

Jack Thomas and Triston Tabucol each dished out a pair of assists for the Lopes, while Lopes' freshman netminder Adler Hoagland won his second straight start with a 26-save performance.

The Lopes' schedule now ramps up with a trip to North Dakota this weekend for a two-game series at ACHA defending champ Minot State University. GCU's next homestand is an unconventional one, since they face archrival University of Arizona in two venues over two nights – 90 minutes away from each other. Game 1 will be at AZ Ice Arcadia on Friday, November 15 at 5:45PM, then the two teams will head north on Saturday to Findlay Center in Prescott Valley for a 7PM puck drop on Saturday. GCU students get in FREE with their student ID, and game tickets are available on the GCU Club Sports website.