(Photo: Travis Whittaker/WCSN)
After perhaps the biggest win in program history, Arizona State’s men’s hockey team knows that eyes are on them. In Monday’s USCHO Poll, the Sun Devils finished just a couple votes shy of being ranked for the first time ever. They are essentially ranked 21st in the nation.
“I think we’ll use this as fuel to the fire,” sophomore forward Johnny Walker said Tuesday. “It’s still not good enough.”
It is good enough to be ahead of this weekend’s opponent, the Michigan State Spartans. Few would have expected that coming into the season. Michigan State garnered 35 votes in Monday’s poll, 50 fewer than ASU, which totaled 85.
The Spartans program has struggled to regain the glory of its national championship title season of 2006-2007. Since then, MSU has had only four winning seasons and just two since former head coach Rick Comley retired in 2011.
But despite their struggles over the years, Michigan State is still a Big Ten team with many alumni in the NHL. It’s a powerhouse program that found itself in almost every NCAA Tournament throughout the 2000s. Like last weekend, this series gives the Sun Devils another chance to prove they belong.
“They’re having a good year,” ASU coach Greg Powers said of Michigan State. “All the Big Ten teams are very, very talented. Danton Cole’s done a great job with that program.”
A key reason the Sun Devils are where they are is due to Walker’s performance. His effort has ASU (and himself) leading the country in goals scored. For Michigan State, which has possessed an average defense so far this season, stopping Walker should be priority No.1.
“Johnny’s gonna score,” Powers said. “Teams know what’s coming. He just finds ways to get it done.”
The Spartans have been good in the net though. Junior goalie John Lethemon has put up a 2.51 GAA this season and is 4-0-0 in four starts. Michigan State has also used freshman Drew DeRidder in the net, but it appears unlikely the Sun Devils see him, as he’s struggled in two starts this season, putting up a 4.06 GAA.
Another MSU strength, one which they share with ASU, has been the penalty kill. The Spartans rank 13th in the country so far this year. The Sun Devils rank 3rd, with a kill percentage of 91.5. Goaltender Joey Daccord has been a big reason why, who has one of the lowest GAA’s in the country among goalies who have started 8-10 games. At 2.11, pucks aren’t being let in. That’s quite impressive considering he’s faced the 2nd most shots in the country this season.
The power play has been a huge source of ASU’s offense this season. The Sun Devils are one of eight teams to have scored double-digit goals up a man this season.
“When our power play is on, we’re really confident. If it’s going, it gives us great success,” senior Brinson Pasichnuk said.
This weekend, it may be tougher against the Spartans stout kill defense. But as Powers said Tuesday, “It doesn’t get any easier the rest of the season.”
