(Photo: Riley Trujillo/WCSN)
With an impressive resume in a surprisingly successful season for the Arizona State, junior goaltender Joey Daccord has been nominated as a semifinalist for the 2019 Mike Richter Award.
As one of 10 NCAA goaltenders selected as semifinalists, Daccord becomes the first-ever Sun Devil in program history to earn the recognition.
“It’s something really cool and really special, especially for myself and my family,” Daccord said. “I also think it’s a large reflection on how good we’ve been as a team this year because I wouldn’t be in this position without my teammates.”
Each year, the Mike Richter Award is given to the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA men’s hockey. Candidates for the Mike Richter Award were determined by nominations from all 60 NCAA Division I men’s hockey head coaches.
Daccord has been the go-to guy in net all season long for the Sun Devils in their fourth Division I campaign, starting every game in the regular season and dawning a 21-12-1 record, a 2.36 goals against average, a .926 save percentage, and an NCAA-leading seven shutouts.
The native of North Andover, Mass., is tied second for the most wins and most shutout performances while ranking in the top ten in most minutes played and saves made among all NCAA goaltenders.
“I want to be out with my teammates every night,” Daccord said. “The more I played and the more comfortable I got in goal, the more successful it allowed me to be. At the same time, the bye weeks definitely helped a lot. We were able to take advantage of those and catch up on rest.
Aside from sophomore winger and fellow Hobey Baker nominee Johnny Walker, Daccord has been the backbone for this year’s squad. He hasn’t missed a beat while keeping his mental focus and perseverance intact through one of the toughest schedules in the country.
Daccord serves as a prime example for steering the ship in the right direction for ASU’s hockey program, modeling the team’s well-known slogan, “Be the Tradition.”
With Daccord’s swift puck-handling skills and sensational glove saves leading to tremendous results defending the cage, the Sun Devils continue to gain national attention for their promising breakout season, which will see them make the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
“It is something we’re really looking forward to and it’s something we’re preparing for a lot,” Daccord said. “I think the biggest thing for us is just sticking to the process and just doing the right things. We’re going to do whatever we can to prepare ourselves for the tournament. No matter what, we’re going to really prepared and excited for the tournament.”
Drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 2015 NHL Draft at No. 199 overall, Daccord has turned heads with his impressive collegiate career and has shaped up to be a smart and talented late-round pick.
The five Mike Richter finalists for the sixth annual award will be announced on Thursday, March 28. The winner will receive the Mike Richter Award on Friday, April 12 at the 2019 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in Buffalo, N.Y.
