DENVER – The No. 1-ranked University of Denver hockey team ended its series against the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday night with 5-2 loss at Magness Arena. 
 
"They're a really good hockey team, better than their record shows," said Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle. "They've played a tough schedule, and I give them and their staff a lot of credit for how they came in and played. They maintained their level. We had a good push in the first period, but I thought [ASU] took the game over in the second period. We chased it, we pressed, but we couldn't find a way. For us, it's looking in the mirror and looking to get better." 
 
Sophomore Sam Harris registered his 11th goal of the season for the Pioneers (12-2-0, 2-2-0 NCHC) and is tied at the top of the NCAA leaderboard for goals. Junior Aidan Thompson also tallied, while senior Jack Devine, junior Kent Anderson and sophomores Zeev Buium and Alex Weiermair had assists.
 
ASUs Artem Shlaine recorded two markers in Saturday's game to go along with the two that he scored on Friday night. Four of his five goals this season came during the weekend.
 
Harris' goal on the power play was the only one for either team during the first period. He tapped in his 25th career tally with eight seconds remaining in the frame off a pass from Devine, who extended his assist streak to five games.
 
Arizona State (6-7-1, 3-3-0 NCHC) turned the tables in the second period by scoring three goals in a matter eight minutes on markers from Noah Beck, Cullen Potter and Shlaine.
 
Thompson answered for the Pios by placing his name on the scoresheet at 16:40 of the middle stanza, as he stickhandled the puck around ASU goaltender Luke Pavicich's left pad and into the net. The goal extended the forward's season-opening point streak to 14 games (10 goals, 12 assists), the longest by a Pioneer since Bobby Brink's 14-game run from Dec. 31, 2021-Feb. 19, 2022. 
 
The Sun Devils added two more goals in the third period, with Shlaine netting his second of the night at 2:46 and Bennett Schimek finalizing the scoring into an empty net with less than two minutes to play.
 
DU senior goaltender Matt Davis saved 24 shots as the Sun Devils outshot the Pioneers by 29-28. 
 
Arizona State goaltender Luke Pavicich made 26-of-28 saves while teammates Lukas Sillinger and Benji Eckerle each recorded two helpers apiece.
 
DU's annual Teddy Bear Toss occurred during the game's first intermission, which saw fans bring teddy bears and other plush toys to support CBS Colorado's Together For Colorado Toy Drive that benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver.
 
Denver, which lost 3-2 on Friday, suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since Jan. 26-27 at North Dakota and was swept for the first time on home ice in more than four years. Minnesota Duluth was the last opponent to win both games in a two-game series at Magness Arena, defeating the Pios 3-2 and 4-1 on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2020.
 
UP NEXT: The Pioneers now go on their second bye of the season before starting a season-long, three-game road swing at Western Michigan on Dec. 6-7. DU then starts a home-and-home series with Colorado College on Dec. 13 in Colorado Springs before hosting the Tigers at Magness Arena in the final contest before the Holiday Break on Dec. 14.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES
 

• Aidan Thompson played his 90th career game 
• Sam Harris scored his 11th goal this season and is tied for first in the NCAA in goals with Boston College's Ryan Leonard.
• Jack Devine is now on a five game assist/point streak (0g/7a).
• Denver continues its power-play goal streak as it tallied with the man advantage for the 11th straight game dating back to Oct 10 vs. Northeastern. 
• Aidan Thompson stretched his career-long and season-opening  point streak to 14 games (10g/12a). 
• Pioneers suffered their first two-game sweep at home since Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2020 vs. Minnesota Duluth.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
19:52 DU (1-0) – PPG, Sam Harris tapped in the puck near the crease off passes from Jack Devine and Zeev Buium.
 
2nd Period
3:56 ASU (1-1) – PPG, Noah Beck's shot from the high slot got through traffic and into the back of the net.
10:19 ASU (1-2) – Cullen Potter tallied five-hole on a breakaway.
11:11 ASU (1-3) – Artem Shlaine scored off his own rebound at the top of the crease.
16:40 DU (2-3) – Aidan Thompson stickhandled the puck around the goalie's left pad and the right post before putting it into the net.
 
3rd Period
2:46 ASU (2-4) – Artem Shlaine streaked across the low slot and deposited the puck past the right pad of the Denver goalie.
18:04 ASU (2-5) – ENG, Bennett Schimek scored into an empty net after chasing down the puck
 
 
QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle
On what the team learned from the weekend: "We're going to take responsibility for the lack of preparation, lack of detail and lack of execution. We're going to get better." 
 
On the nation's leading goal scorer Sam Harris: "He's off to a great start. It's hard to score in college hockey, and it's even harder to score in this league where the coaching is so good and the depth of the teams are so good. The fact that he has produced at the level he has is really impressive and we're proud of his start." 
 
Sophomore Forward Sam Harris 
On how he's been successful scoring: "I'm just shooting a lot–getting to the front of the net and getting to the hard areas. It's a tough league, NCHC especially." 
 
On his goal in the game: "Zeev Buium passed down to Jack Devine, who was looking at the back door, and I created some space for myself and just slid over." 

On his takeaway from tonight: "I just think we need to look at ourselves in the mirror. We need to really bounce back from this weekend."
 

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