USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – For the second-straight night, the Sun Devils suffered a nail-biting, one-goal loss at the hands of No. 19 Air Force at Cadet Ice Arena.
While the Devils (1-3-0) captured their first lead in the two-game series through 20 minutes, the second period again proved to be costly, as the Falcons (3-0-1) netted another two goals in the second frame for what would be the dagger in their 3-2 victory.
"I thought our guys played hard and I thought we played well enough to win the game," said head coach Greg Powers. "We have to find a way to convert on the power play."
The fourth line was a bright spot for ASU, as regular defenseman Jake Clifford made his second-straight appearance at center and made it count. Three minutes into the first period, Clifford scored his first collegiate goal on a rebound off the shot of fellow junior Jack Rowe.
Late in the first, the two switched roles to give the Devils the lead, as Rowe maneuvered his way in front of the net before wristing a backhander over the far shoulder of Billy Christopoulos. Clifford earned the assist.
The momentum carried over for the Sun Devils into the second period, and despite losing the lead, ASU scored what would have been their third goal. Late in the second, during a delayed penalty, junior Anthony Croston wrapped around the net and tried to tuck the puck inside the near post. A scrum ensued in front of the net with the puck still loose, but the referee blew the whistle – claiming possession occurred -- just before the loose puck trickled across the goal line.
"I hate to point fingers but we scored, and they called it back, and it should have counted," said Powers. "We had three goals in this game and why the whistle was blown claiming they had possession of the puck is beyond me. It's really disappointing and it cost us the game."
Air Force ended up netting the final – and game-winning -- goal for the 3-2 lead and eventual final.
On special teams, Air Force capitalized on one of their two chances, while the Sun Devils finished 0-for-3 on the man advantage. An early penalty in the first few minutes again led to an early lead for Air Force, as they cashed in on their first power-play opportunity for the second-straight night.
"These guys are a top-20 team and each night we gave ourselves a chance to beat them. We didn't find a way, but our team has to figure it out. We have a young team who hasn't learned how to win consistently, and that was evident tonight. We have to bury some of our chances.
The Sun Devils now turn their attention to their second of three-straight road trips, as they leave for Omaha, Neb. for a two-game series with the UNO Mavericks.
While the Devils (1-3-0) captured their first lead in the two-game series through 20 minutes, the second period again proved to be costly, as the Falcons (3-0-1) netted another two goals in the second frame for what would be the dagger in their 3-2 victory.
"I thought our guys played hard and I thought we played well enough to win the game," said head coach Greg Powers. "We have to find a way to convert on the power play."
The fourth line was a bright spot for ASU, as regular defenseman Jake Clifford made his second-straight appearance at center and made it count. Three minutes into the first period, Clifford scored his first collegiate goal on a rebound off the shot of fellow junior Jack Rowe.
Late in the first, the two switched roles to give the Devils the lead, as Rowe maneuvered his way in front of the net before wristing a backhander over the far shoulder of Billy Christopoulos. Clifford earned the assist.
The momentum carried over for the Sun Devils into the second period, and despite losing the lead, ASU scored what would have been their third goal. Late in the second, during a delayed penalty, junior Anthony Croston wrapped around the net and tried to tuck the puck inside the near post. A scrum ensued in front of the net with the puck still loose, but the referee blew the whistle – claiming possession occurred -- just before the loose puck trickled across the goal line.
"I hate to point fingers but we scored, and they called it back, and it should have counted," said Powers. "We had three goals in this game and why the whistle was blown claiming they had possession of the puck is beyond me. It's really disappointing and it cost us the game."
Air Force ended up netting the final – and game-winning -- goal for the 3-2 lead and eventual final.
On special teams, Air Force capitalized on one of their two chances, while the Sun Devils finished 0-for-3 on the man advantage. An early penalty in the first few minutes again led to an early lead for Air Force, as they cashed in on their first power-play opportunity for the second-straight night.
"These guys are a top-20 team and each night we gave ourselves a chance to beat them. We didn't find a way, but our team has to figure it out. We have a young team who hasn't learned how to win consistently, and that was evident tonight. We have to bury some of our chances.
The Sun Devils now turn their attention to their second of three-straight road trips, as they leave for Omaha, Neb. for a two-game series with the UNO Mavericks.