Howard, Daschke make immediate impacts in Bulldogs' 3-2 win over Arizona State

DULUTH — Two of Minnesota Duluth’s most talked-about incoming players made immediate impacts in the season opener Saturday before a crowd of 5,910 at Amsoil Arena.

Freshman wing Isaac Howard and fifth-year senior defenseman Derek Daschke both picked up their first goals as Bulldogs in a 3-2 nonconference overtime victory over Arizona State, which returns for a 4 p.m. rematch on Sunday in Duluth.

Howard, a 2022 first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, tied the game early in the third with a power play goal while Daschke, a transfer from NCHC rival Miami, one-timed the game-winner in 3-on-3 on a give-and-go with senior captain Tanner Laderoute.

“The team has welcomed me with open arms and everyone's been really good to me, but to be able to contribute in the first game I think is huge,” Daschke said. “It'll open guys up to me more and I think it's just great for the team. It was a good team win today.”

Former Bemidji State Beaver Lukas Sillinger, a junior wing, put ASU ahead just over a minute into the third, however, Howard tied the game on the power play 3:44 into the period.

ASU thought it had retaken the lead with 8:55 left in regulation on a rebound goal by Sillinger that sailed over a pile-up in the UMD crease, however, the goal was overturned following a goaltender interference challenge by Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin.

Sandelin credited his staff — director of hockey operations Christian Koelling immediately radioed from the coach’s box to associate head coach Adam Krause on the bench to challenge the play, Sandelin said — for the successful challenge, as there is no video available to him on the bench.

“I was looking at more of what we weren't doing on that play, to be honest with you — not backchecking, all the things that a coach looks at,” Sandelin said of the challenge. “You see all the bodies at the net, (Koelling) pretty much told me right away, told Krause right away that we should challenge it. Fortunately, it worked out.”

Arizona State took a 1-0 lead Saturday when sophomore center Jack Jensen batted home a rebound on the power play six minutes into the game.

Bulldogs sophomore center Dominic James tied the game just past the eight-minute mark of the second, flying into the left faceoff circle where he slammed in a feed from senior wing and linemate Quinn Olson.

“Our team, we're just resilient,” said Howard, whose goal in the third came off a rebound from a shot by Olson. “It was a back and forth game. They're a good team, but we stuck with it and to get that overtime win, it was great.”

Saturday’s season opener started with both teams down a skater, playing 4-on-4, after the Bulldogs and Sun Devils received delay of game protocol penalties from pregame warmups. Both teams had a player on the ice still 23 minutes prior to puck drop.

The NCAA instituted new rules around pregame warmups that prohibit players from being on the ice prior to warmups. Players are now also required to exit before the clock hits 23:00. A one-minute warning horn sounds at 24:00.

3. UMD freshman wing Isaac Howard — The Bulldogs brought in Howard to score, and he did just that on the power play Saturday. Howard generated five shots on goal.

2. UMD senior wing Quinn Olson — The always reliable Olson had two assists on Saturday, setting up James with a precise shot and Howard with his persistence for the puck.

1. UMD fifth-year senior Derek Daschke — Daschke’s one-timer from the slot in overtime was his 25th collegiate goal and 86th collegiate point, but first goal and point as a Bulldog.

Arizona State 1-0-1-0—2
Minnesota State 0-1-1-1—3
First period
1. ASU, Jack Jensen (Ryan O’Reilly, Jack Judson), 5:59 (pp)
Second period
2. UMD, Dominic James (Quinn Olson, Aiden Dubinsky), 8:08
Third period 
3. ASU, Lukas Sillinger (Robert Mastrosimone), 1:03
4. UMD, Isaac Howard (Olson, Blake Biondi), 3:44 (pp)
Overtime
5. UMD, Derek Daschke (Tanner Laderoute), 1:50
Saves — TJ Semptimphelter, ASU, 8-11-18-1—38; Zach Stejskal, UMD, 11-8-7-0—26.
Power play — ASU 1-3; UMD 1-3. Penalty kill — ASU 4-8; UMD 4-8.