The victory was also the program's first win over an NCAA Division I opponent at home.
"Those are two huge benchmarks for us and were two of our goals this year," said head coach Greg Powers. "One was obviously to get our home win and we're still looking for a home sweep.
"It was an unbelievable team effort from the net out. (Freshman goaltender) Joey Daccord was incredible. We were good in every facet, we were great on special teams, and you have to be at this level to win and we proved it."
From day one, Powers expressed the importance of winning the special teams' battle and Sunday was the first game in which they did so. While the Devils (1-3-0) and the Falcons (2-1-1) both took six penalties, ASU's power-play units capitalized on two of their five opportunities while Air Force only tallied one.
As Powers eluded to, Daccord was phenomenal in his second-ever collegiate start, posting 24 saves on 26 shots for his first collegiate victory. From top to bottom, the Devils executed on all ends of the ice for the first time this season.
Four of the five Sun Devil goals were program or career firsts, with redshirt sophomore captain Dylan Hollman giving ASU its first lead of the season just over five minutes into the 1st period. From then on -- and for the first time this season -- the Devils wouldn't trail, as freshman winger Brett Gruber netted his first collegiate goal with just under a minute to play in the 1st.
While Air Force's Piere Pluemer cut the lead in half three minutes into the 2nd, ASU's leading goal scorer -- freshman Tyler Busch -- scored the eventual game-winner to keep his streak alive with four goals in four games. A loose puck fluttered over sophomore goaltender Billy Christopoulos and Busch was right there to punch it in on the power play.
For good measure, graduate transfer Robbie Baillargeon potted his first goal in maroon and gold in style, one-timing a saucer pass from sophomore defenseman Nicholas Gushue on the power play to put the Devils up 4-1 late in the 2nd period.
The fifth and final goal was special, as redshirt junior Wade Murphy -- who transferred last year from the University of North Dakota -- buried a wrister top shelf for his first-ever collegiate goal.
"I'm happy for our kids," said Powers. "This is a team and there's something special about those kids. It's a great group that needed to feel a win, needed to feel good about themselves. There's too many good players in that room to not have more victories, and they all feel that way and they got a really big win today."
The Sun Devils will enjoy a day off before preparing for a two-game series with No. 14/16 Northeastern starting on Friday, Oct. 21 in Boston, Mass.