(Photo: Gabrielle Mercer/WCSN)
There is a new energy centered around the Sun Devil program now that it has not only won against a NCAA team at home, but also beat a ranked program.
Arizona State’s ascension should only be faster as the years go on and they climb the ranks of college hockey. With that said, ASU has one of its best opportunities of the season to make a big statement this weekend against No. 17 Northeastern in Boston.
The Huskies have had a disappointing start, starting the season at just 1-1-2, which isn’t much better than the Sun Devils 1-3 mark.
Northeastern Fire Power
Despite their tough start, the Huskies still have plenty of weapons on their team. A pair of upperclassmen, junior Dylan Sikura and senior Zach Aston-Reese, have combined for 14 points through the first four games.
Nobody attacks the net more on their team than sophomore Adam Gaudette, who has 27 shots on goal. Both Sikura and Gaudette have been selected in the NHL Draft.
Ryan Ruck has save 80 of 89 shots in net, while starting all four games.
The Huskies have played two of their four games against No. 2 Quinnipiac, and tied one and lost one, so their early slate has been no cakewalk.
Jim Madigan’s team has gone 38-30-9 over the past two seasons, and is a proven juggernaut, meaning it should prove to be an intriguing test for the Sun Devils.
Homecoming For Two
Boston and Phoenix are on opposite sides of the country, but two Sun Devils have close ties to the Boston area.
Goalie Joey Daccord grew up in the area and went to a lot of games at Matthews Arena as a kid.
“I have a ton of family there,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to being home and seeing my family.”
Daccord picked up the win on Sunday and played the majority of the game in goal on Friday.
Another Sun Devil with ties to the area is Robbie Baillargeon, who played three seasons at nearby Boston University. He had 55 points during his time with the Terriers and mentioned he will also have a lot of friends and family at the games this weekend.
Goalie Battle Carries On
All three goalies are expected to make the trip to Boston, a disparity from last road trip, when Ryland Pashovitz stayed behind.
Greg Powers has not said who will start yet, but it is safe to assume that Daccord will appear in at least one game. He has been the strongest goaltender so far, with a .876 save percentage.
“All three guys look really good in practice,” Powers said. “It’s a logjam there. They are three really good goalies that everyone believes in and I’m confident that I could throw any one of them up on the board as a starter and our guys wouldn’t think twice about it.”
Confidence at an all time high
It is easy to see why the Sun Devils are so confident heading into the weekend. According to Powers, it was a feeling that began during the second Notre Dame game, which was a loss but a dramatic improvement over the season opener.
“With a young inexperienced team and a core of guys that have never played together at this level, figuring out what it takes to win on a consistent basis is going to take time. They are a group that has a lot of confidence in their ability, and they should, as evidenced over the weekend. The more they can feel that winning swagger and feeling to where it becomes customary is where we are trying to get this program to.”
It’s been a strong and balanced offensive attack that has given ASU they confidence that they possess. Heading into the weekend, eight Sun Devils have scored, led by four in four games from Tyler Busch.
