ASU upsets No. 8 Dartmouth to jump NPI rankings tremendously

(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)

Playing a team that is ranked second in the NCAA Percentage Index, first in scoring defense and top 10 in special teams with the highest scoring margin in the country is always going to be considered a big opportunity, but also a big test for any college hockey team. Arizona State took on that exact scenario Saturday night at Thompson Arena in Hannover, New Hampshire.

The Sun Devils(9-9-1, 4-5-1 NCHC) came into Saturday afternoon’s game looking for yet another signature win against No. 8 Dartmouth. ASU had to deal with several injuries to freshman forward Jack Beck, junior forward Sean McGurn, and junior defenseman Anthony Dowd, all impact players for the Sun Devils. But in their 5-1 win over the Big Green, those absences were hardly noticeable.

Whether it was their forwards, defenseman, or even senior goaltender Connor Hasley, the entire Sun Devil team rallied to get a much-needed win for their post-season hopes. Ironically, ASU’s biggest margin of victory for the season came against the team that had the highest average margin of victory in the entire country entering the day.

Head coach Greg Powers had to make a few lineup changes due to his shortened roster. Senior captain Kyle Smolen found himself back on the second forward line, where he had been for much of the early part of the season. Smolen returned for the Sun Devils after a bone-crushing hit he took in a game against No. 5 Minnesota Duluth, immediately making an impact on the penalty kill.

Powers left his third forward line with sophomore forwards Noah Powell, Logan Morrell and freshman forward Sam Alfano intact, which worked out quite well for the Sun Devils. The line combined for three points, beginning with the opening goal from Powell and ending with the empty net goal to seal it by Morrell.

To add on to the impressive performance by ASU, the Sun Devil top forward line continued its amazing run of form, combining for six points. Star sophomore forward Cullen Potter has now scored six goals in his last eight games, all of which have led to Sun Devil wins. The trend seems clear: when Potter scores, ASU is set up for success.

Even its defense got in on the scoring action in Saturday’s game. Senior defenseman Tucker Ness joined sophomore defenseman Joel Kjellberg as he became the second Sun Devil defenseman this season to score his first career goal, making up for the mistake that led to the lone goal for Dartmouth by giving the Sun Devils a lead that they would not let go. Freshman defenseman Justin Kipkie capped off the balanced performance, adding the fifth goal with less than a second to go.

Much of ASU’s recent success has come from its ability to improve as the game has gone along. Starting with the series against Ohio State with two third period comebacks and continuing against Duluth with a trio of goals in the third, as Saturday saw the Sun Devils again add three goals to seal the win. Compared to the early season where ASU lost multiple games that it led, its figured out how to close games and win in the final frame.

The win over then second-ranked Dartmouth in the NPI moves the Sun Devils up 14 spots in the NPI to No. 21, putting them in a much better position to compete for an NCAA Tournament spot, especially after being ranked at No. 42 just over a month ago.

The Sun Devils have played in the favor of the NPI rankings recently, as the move in the ranking systems from the PairWise has benefitted them through the first half of the season. Specifically in Saturday’s win, the game would have minutely affected ASU’s ranking has the PairWise been in place, as the NPI favors strength of schedule much more. Dartmouth’ was ASU’s fourth overall and second straight top-10 win, allowing it to be in a much better position to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020. The Sun Devils have the best overall strength of schedule in the country, giving them more opportunities to win their way into the top 15.

Including tomorrow’s game against Dartmouth, who dropped to fifth in the NPI, ASU has seven games remaining against opponents that are currently ranked in the top 10, with series against No. 6 Denver, No. 7 Western Michigan and No. 4 North Dakota still to come. If the Sun Devils are to complete the sweep Sunday afternoon, it would move them up even higher in the NPI and would bring them closer to controlling their own destiny in the NCAA tournament. The puck will drop at 1 PM MST Sunday for game two against Dartmouth.