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TEMPE, Ariz. — As the clock hit zero and the No. 10 Michigan hockey team won its first game against Arizona State, 4-1, every single Wolverine skated in the direction of graduate goaltender Logan Stein. After a rough first period facing one dangerous shot after another, Stein only let one puck past him in the 60-minute frame.
With his second start in a Michigan sweater and his first win, Stein redeemed himself between the pipes, earning praise from his team in the process.
“Proud of Logan Stein,” Wolverines coach Brandon Naurato said. “I thought he was outstanding, gave us a chance in the first period. … He made those saves look easy and it just gives the team confidence when he’s calm in the net.”
The Sun Devils came out of the gates swinging, pressing Michigan’s defense and putting Stein to the test. The Wolverine defensemen were feeling the heat, making sloppy clears that could’ve turned into Arizona State goals. About halfway through the first period, Michigan had a brutal turnover in the crease that led to Sun Devils forward Cullen Potter taking an open shot from the left wing. But Stein saw the shot coming, and was able to guard the goal exactly where Potter sent the shot.
A mere five minutes later, an almost identical turnover happened in the defensive zone, putting Stein in the hot seat once again. Facing back-to-back shots, he handled each one with ease, unshaken by the potential of an early Wolverines deficit.
“I’ve played a lot of college hockey,” Stein said. “I’ve been in a lot of tight games, games with a lot of shots, games with high pressure. For me, it was another day at the office, keeping my composure. When the goalie is composed, they’re going to have no panic either.”
Stein does have experience playing collegiate hockey from his time at Ferris State. But playing against Arizona State in its home arena, with the fans hoping for him to crack under pressure is a whole different ball game. And Stein didn’t shy away from the pressure — instead, he rose to the occasion.
The second period was less stressful for Stein, as the defensemen learned from their errors in the first period and corrected them. Instead of leaving Stein out to dry to make highlight-reel saves, they boxed out players and cleared Stein’s view of pucks coming his way.
On one play to round out the period, Sun Devil defenseman Ethan Szmagaj had a clear view of the goal from the point. Only Stein stood between him and cutting the Sun Devils’ 2-0 deficit in half.
But with an overexaggerated glove save, Stein sealed the end of the period, and maintained Michigan’s lead.
“He bailed us out whenever we needed him,” sophomore forward Garrett Schifsky said. “He’s one of our best players and we’ll need him on the stretch.”
With the Wolverines up 3-0 and Arizona State hungry to get one past Stein, things got physical. Seven minutes into the third period, sophomore forward William Whitelaw got a hooking penalty, putting Michigan onto the penalty kill. The Sun Devils were able to get some shots on target, but none made it past Stein — he even made a diving save and wrapped up the puck to ensure it didn’t get past him.
Facing 15 shots in the frame and 36 across the three periods, Stein only let in one, on an Arizona State power play. With the defensemen out of position and a clear shot on target, the Sun Devils wouldn’t let Stein skate off with a shutout.
But that doesn’t change the fact that Stein’s prowess between the pipes not only gave the Wolverines the win, but also gave him his first win with Michigan.
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