(Photo: Riley Trujillo/WCSN)
It was all smiles and laughter as the Arizona State Sun Devils learned who they’d play in their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, Sunday. But not even a full 48 hours later, it was business as usual for the ASU team out practicing on the ice. Well, as “business as usual” a team can get without having played a game since in almost a month.
“We’ve gotten a lot of time to be in the gym and put some muscle on,” freshman forward Demetrios Koumontzis said. “While other teams have had to play games, kind of use a lot of energy trying to get here to where we are. I think us having that time to recover and rest, but also get in the gym and work hard has given us an advantage.”
ASU’s opponent on Saturday is no stranger to the NCAA tournament. The Quinnipiac Bobcats have made the 16-team tournament six times since their transition into DI hockey back in 1998. Their most recent tournament appearance in 2016 led to a runner-up finish in the Frozen Four. Driving the team is head coach Rand Pecknold, who has coached the Bobcats since 1994.
Furthermore, this year’s Bobcat team could be poised to attempt to a deep run in the tournament by relying on the talented youth on the roster. The Bobcats play nine freshmen consistently on a game-to-game basis, including two freshmen on their top line in Wyatt Bongiovanni (23 points) and Ethan de Jong (25 points).
The team also boasts two healthy players that average more than a point per game in top-line sophomore forward Odeen Tufto (42 points, 1.17 PPG) and Capitals draft pick, senior defenseman and Hobey Baker Award candidate Chase Priskie (39 points, 1.15 PPG). Priskie makes his return to the ice after serving a two-game suspension which withheld him from the ECAC playoffs.
“[Priskie] is a heck of a player,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said. “He’s a legitimate Hobey Baker candidate. If he won, I don’t think anyone would bat an eyelash at it. That’s how good of a year he’s had.”
The Sun Devils are locked and loaded for their game, Saturday. Most importantly, though, the team is back to being healthy. Sophomore forward Johnny Walker makes his return for the Devils as the leading goal scorer in the NCAA tournament field with 23 goals (34 points).
“I got out there [Tuesday] and felt 100%,” Walker said. “I don’t think I missed a beat at all, so I’m really excited.”
The Sun Devils are the fastest program in NCAA DI history to qualify for the tournament after becoming a DI school. The team did so in three full seasons, a full year faster than Penn State who made their first tournament in 2017 after four full seasons in NCAA DI.
Even so, the Sun Devils are not content with just making the NCAA tournament. The team has the Frozen Four on their minds.
“I think you’re selling yourself short if you’re happy (just) being at the national tournament,” Walker said. “I don’t think there’s one kid in that locker room who doesn’t believe we can be national champions.”
The marquee matchup on Saturday will be the competition in between the pipes. Two Mike Richter candidates go head-to-head
For ASU, Joey Daccord looks to cement his breakout season with yet another win as he enters Saturday’s match with a .926 save percentage and a 2.36 goals allowed average with 21 wins on the year. Daccord’s counterpart, junior goaltender Andrew Shortridge, who has put up “video game-like numbers” according to Powers. In 25 games, Shortridge has an NCAA best .942 save percentage and NCAA-leading 1.51 goals allowed average.
Saturday’s game will mark the sixth all-time meeting between ASU and Quinnipiac. The Sun Devils are currently 1-3-1 against the Bobcats, the team’s only win coming in January 2017 when current senior Anthony Croston scored two goals on the way to a 4-2 victory.
“They’re an extremely well-coached team,” Daccord said. “They have high-end skill too. It’s going to be a challenge for us and we’re really looking forward to it.”
