HAMDEN, Conn. – Adjustments are key in any multiple-game series, and the Sun Devil men's hockey team showed that on Saturday night with a 4-2 upset victory over No. 17 Quinnipiac at High Point Solutions Arena.
The Devils (10-18-2) executed their game plan to perfection in the rematch with the 2016 NCAA runner-up, controlling the game early, scoring on the power-play and refraining from avoidable penalties.
"In the grand scheme of things, it's probably the biggest win we've had to date," said head coach Greg Powers. "After a less-than-ideal effort last night, for our young team to bounce back, play that hard, and jump out to a lead on these guys was tremendous."
With the shootout victory over then-No. 10 Ohio State officially going down as a tie and the only other ranked victory as a program coming against then-No. 18 Air Force, Saturday's victory is the highest-ranked team the Devils have defeated as a program.
Freshman goaltender Joey Daccord once again played a substantial role in the historical night, as he recorded a program-best 53 saves on 55 shots for his second win over a ranked opponent – the only two ASU hockey has as a program.
"Joey had his coming out party," said Powers. "We all knew that was the type of game he is capable of having. If he can play like that and be confident in his ability – because his ability is off the chart – the sky is the limit for him."
Arguably the highlight of the night came from the rookie netminder, as he robbed Bobcat Landon Smith with a filthy glove save early in the second period to keep the Devils lead in tact at 3-0.
Another contributing factor to the Devils' notable night was sophomore forward Anthony Croston. After having a four-goal series just a week ago, the assistant captain netted two within the first 21 minutes of the game.
After a scoreless game for the first 14 minutes, Croston got the scoring started on a beautiful feed from redshirt sophomore linemate Dylan Hollman. The captain forced a turnover in the Quinnipiac (14-11-2) zone for the second time in the period, but this time made it count with a 2-on-1 rush for an easy-looking one-timer by Croston.
Two minutes later, ASU got the power-play goal they wanted after being shut out on the man advantage the night before. Freshman Brinson Pasichnuk winded up for a blast from the top of the slot, beating freshman Andrew Shortridge through traffic to go up 2-0.
In the second, Croston netted his second – and ninth of the season -- during 4-on-4 action for the eventual game-winner.
Late in the second, Quinnipiac got on the board with a power-play goal of their own. Seconds after a goal from Tim Clifton was waived off due to him kicking it in, he netted the Bobcats' first of the game at 14:22 of the second frame.
Just as the home team appeared to be gaining momentum, freshman defenseman Jakob Stridsberg silenced the crowd once again four minutes later with a blast of his own through traffic.
The lead was too steep for Quinnipiac, despite a 28-1 shots on goal advantage in the final frame.
ASU will return home before hitting the road again on Wednesday to take on their final ranked opponent in No. 10 Western Michigan on Friday and Saturday in Kalamazoo, Mich.
The Devils (10-18-2) executed their game plan to perfection in the rematch with the 2016 NCAA runner-up, controlling the game early, scoring on the power-play and refraining from avoidable penalties.
"In the grand scheme of things, it's probably the biggest win we've had to date," said head coach Greg Powers. "After a less-than-ideal effort last night, for our young team to bounce back, play that hard, and jump out to a lead on these guys was tremendous."
With the shootout victory over then-No. 10 Ohio State officially going down as a tie and the only other ranked victory as a program coming against then-No. 18 Air Force, Saturday's victory is the highest-ranked team the Devils have defeated as a program.
Freshman goaltender Joey Daccord once again played a substantial role in the historical night, as he recorded a program-best 53 saves on 55 shots for his second win over a ranked opponent – the only two ASU hockey has as a program.
"Joey had his coming out party," said Powers. "We all knew that was the type of game he is capable of having. If he can play like that and be confident in his ability – because his ability is off the chart – the sky is the limit for him."
Arguably the highlight of the night came from the rookie netminder, as he robbed Bobcat Landon Smith with a filthy glove save early in the second period to keep the Devils lead in tact at 3-0.
Another contributing factor to the Devils' notable night was sophomore forward Anthony Croston. After having a four-goal series just a week ago, the assistant captain netted two within the first 21 minutes of the game.
After a scoreless game for the first 14 minutes, Croston got the scoring started on a beautiful feed from redshirt sophomore linemate Dylan Hollman. The captain forced a turnover in the Quinnipiac (14-11-2) zone for the second time in the period, but this time made it count with a 2-on-1 rush for an easy-looking one-timer by Croston.
Two minutes later, ASU got the power-play goal they wanted after being shut out on the man advantage the night before. Freshman Brinson Pasichnuk winded up for a blast from the top of the slot, beating freshman Andrew Shortridge through traffic to go up 2-0.
In the second, Croston netted his second – and ninth of the season -- during 4-on-4 action for the eventual game-winner.
Late in the second, Quinnipiac got on the board with a power-play goal of their own. Seconds after a goal from Tim Clifton was waived off due to him kicking it in, he netted the Bobcats' first of the game at 14:22 of the second frame.
Just as the home team appeared to be gaining momentum, freshman defenseman Jakob Stridsberg silenced the crowd once again four minutes later with a blast of his own through traffic.
The lead was too steep for Quinnipiac, despite a 28-1 shots on goal advantage in the final frame.
ASU will return home before hitting the road again on Wednesday to take on their final ranked opponent in No. 10 Western Michigan on Friday and Saturday in Kalamazoo, Mich.