ASU Men’s Hockey: Resiliency key to Sun Devils strong season

(Photo: Riley Trujillo/WCSN)

For the first time ever as a Division I program, Arizona State hockey is winning more than it’s losing, and is scoring more goals than their opponents. The scoreboard has rarely not been in the Sun Devils’ favor this season, but even of the few occasions they’ve trailed, a lot of the time they’ve come back.

“I wouldn’t say we’re comfortable,” coach Greg Powers said of being down. “But there’s no panic.”

Arizona State has recently pulled off comebacks in three of their last five games, dating back to the mid-December series against Colorado College. Against the Tigers in the first game of the weekend series, the Sun Devils faced a 2-0 deficit halfway through the second period, as Colorado College’s fast and prolific offense gave ASU a lot to handle. But quickly after, freshman defenseman Josh Maniscalco buried a one-timer in the back of the net, getting the Sun Devils back into a game they went on to win 4-2.

“That’s a result of having true veteran leadership,” Powers said.

Among those guys are junior captain Brinson Paschinuk, junior goaltender Joey Daccord and senior forwards Dylan Hollman an Anthony Croston.

“We go as they go,” Powers said. “They’re the ones that got us the win on Friday.”

Powers was referring to the first game of ASU’s series against Boston College, when the Sun Devils fell behind by one goal to the Eagles twice, both in the second period. It was Dylan Hollman who cut the lead in half first, when he scored short-handed and unassisted with 11:14 left in the period. Then, after ASU surrendered another goal to BC, Croston scored an unassisted tally thanks to a cluster in front of Eagles’ goaltender Joseph Woll, setting the stage for freshman PJ Marrocco to net the game-winner later in the third.

“Occasionally we can get off the tracks, and it’s those guys’ job, and they do a great job of it, of making sure we don’t get off the tracks,” Powers said of the pair.

The other side of the ice plays an equally important role as well. Daccord has been called the best goaltender in the country by Powers multiple times, and Pasichunk the best player on the team.

“Without those two [Brinson and Joey] we’re not anywhere close to where we’re at,” Powers said. “They’re the backbone of our team.”

It’s been Pasichnuk and Daccord who have allowed the Sun Devils to make comebacks this season. Against No. 3 Minnesota State in the consolation game for the Desert Hockey Classic last month, ASU went down a goal late in the second period after leading or being tied for most of the game. Through the third period, overtime and the subsequent shootout though, Pasichuk and the D held the Mavericks to just 10 shots over 25 minutes of hockey after giving 13 in the second period alone.

“My biggest job is to give us that opportunity to stay in it,” said Daccord. “It’s just about always staying focused. It’s always about stopping the next shot.”

Powers cited Daccord’s focus as perhaps his biggest improvement from last season to this one.

Meanwhile, senior forward Jake Clifford has noticed a shift in the team’s overall mindset when being down. He, like Powers above, mentioned how there’s no panic when the scoreboard isn’t going the team’s way.

“Being down and being on the bench, it’s kinda nice because everyone is level-headed and understanding that we still got a lot of hockey to play, and that the game still is our’s,” said Clifford.

That confidence, that the game is still ASU’s no matter what the score is, is why Powers believes his team is having the best season ever in the young program’s history.

“It’s contagious,” Powers said, “and that’s the biggest difference.”