It’s been a challenging year for Arizona State University ice hockey coach Greg Powers. The team has dealt with more injuries this season than in the past four seasons combined. It reached a breaking point last week.
“We were so short bodies, we just needed a set of legs,” Powers told ABC15.
So he looked to the school’s club ice hockey team. Brendan Studioso, the club’s leading scorer, got a text during class.
“I didn’t know if it was actually real and I was like, ‘Do you think this is what I think?’ We waited until after class to call,” Brendan remembered.
Days later, Brendan was on a flight with the NCAA team to Alaska but didn’t expect to contribute much.
“I didn’t have any expectations. Just for him to be there and eat some minutes when we needed him too,” Powers said. “Really he had a job of getting the puck in, getting the puck out and getting off the ice, just to give our guys a rest.”
But with a late lead and a man advantage...
“I sent him out there with the top powerplay unit and said nobody shoots but Studi,” Powers said.
Soon Studioso, or “Studi”, would get his chance.
“The puck ended up going outside and we ended up circling back and Ducky [his teammate] came around the net and I was like I think I have a lane to shoot it so I just put my stick up and I was just like please pass it,” Studioso recalled. “As soon as it went in I was more shocked than almost everyone else and I was like oh my gosh. I saw it go in and right after that I pretty much blacked out.”
His club teammates back in Tempe were cheering along while watching on TV.
Postgame, the team awards a trident to the game’s MVP. Graduate student Chris Grando presented it to Studioso.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER 😈@benkraws earns his 1st NCAA career shutout @BrendanStudioso plays first career NCAA game and tallies a goal pic.twitter.com/ZWy8q9iPYY
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) March 4, 2023
“There was no hesitation, I had some guys coming up to me saying ‘Studi Studi,’ but I already knew who it was going to,” Grando said. “He was very deserving.”
“We were talking how it’s a little bit of a fairytale and a really good story,” Studioso said.
“I know how special it was just to put that jersey on, let alone score a goal,” Powers said. “That’s a moment he’ll remember the rest of his life.”
Studioso will finish his college hockey career this weekend as the Sun Devils play host to Long Island University during senior weekend at Mullett Arena in Tempe.
But Powers says this isn’t your typical Rudy story.
“People don’t understand how good of a level that is,” Powers said. “High-level ACHA hockey is really good. He had 28 goals in 33 games… You can find good players everywhere, sometimes people just need a chance.”