TEMPE — As Arizona State fans piled into Mullet Arena, the 5,000-seat venue usually flooded with maroon and gold became diluted with Kelly green and the well-traveled fans of No. 4 North Dakota. With conflicting chants of “Let’s go Sioux” and “A-S-U” echoing throughout the arena, the sixth all-time meeting between the two teams created an intense atmosphere that felt as though they’d played each other many more times.
Former Sun Devil graduate goaltender Gibson Homer made his return to Mullett Arena, this time in green and white, as the animosity between a potential NCHC rivalry in its infant years intensified. One ASU fan welcomed its old goaltender back by redecorating their old jersey from “Homer” to “Loser,” producing cheers from a hostile Sun Devil student section.
Homer smiled and laughed at the jumbotron showing the jersey, then enjoyed his team’s 5-3 third-period lead blossoming into a 7-4 win for the Fighting Hawks, who moved to 19-6 on the season and 11-4 in the NCHC. The Sun Devils, playing without star forwards Jack Beck and Cullen Potter due to season-ending injuries, fell to 12-12-1 and 5-7-1 in conference play…