#25 Arizona Upsets #2 Arizona State - 11/4 & 11/5/2022

Cover Photo Credit: Ria Siddaiah, KAMP Student Radio

Coming off of a two-game losing streak against #1 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Arizona State Sun Devils likely walked into Tucson Convention Center on Friday with high hopes and even higher expectations. Unfortunately for them, they were no match for the Arizona Wildcats. This weekend, the opening series of the Cactus Cup, brought about two massive victories for Arizona.

Night one was a fast-paced face-off between the rivals, with Arizona also coming off of a loss against the Utah Utes the previous weekend. The first period was fraught with penalties against both teams, clearly establishing the tension on the ice early on in the game. Remarkably, neither team managed to convert any of their power plays. Will Josephson scored the first goal of the game for the Wildcats with 3:44 left in the first period, and the crowd went wild.

Arizona State returned in the second period on a mission, and Brendan Studioso scored their first (and only) goal of the game with 12:21 remaining. The final goal of the game was then scored by Arizona’s Ryan Malko with 13:14 left in the third period. The game concluded with Arizona winning 2-1. Throughout the night, Arizona was significantly more aggressive on the ice, with 42 shots on goal in comparison to Arizona State’s 15 at the end of the third period.

Night two was just as exciting as the first. Arizona’s Jarrett Overland scored their first goal of the night only a minute into the first quarter, and it set the pace for the rest of the game. The Wildcats scored two goals in the first period, one in the second, and another in the third. Arizona not only played well on the offense, but also did an incredible job on defense, not allowing for a single Sun Devil goal. By the end of the game, the Wildcats had racked up 36 shots on goal against Arizona State’s 18.

Overall, the Arizona Wildcats gave the Arizona State Sun Devils a run for their money this weekend. The series ended with two Arizona wins— 2-1 the first night and 4-0 the second. Both teams will be hitting the road this weekend, Arizona State taking on Central Oklahoma, and Arizona playing Colorado State.