UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A year ago at this point in the season, the Arizona State Sun Devils were 1-5-2. Today, they boast a 6-2-0 record and are riding a four-game winning streak heading into yet another high-powered matchup against 6th-ranked Penn State (5-0-0).
When these the two newest teams in the NCAA met last season, the Devils were 2-6-2 and dropped both contests at Gila River Arena by scores of 7-0 and 4-2 (EN).
A few of the notable standouts for the Sun Devils at this point of the season include junior goaltender Joey Daccord, sophomore forward Johnny Walker, and freshman forward Demetrios Koumontzis.
Daccord is tied for the league lead in wins with six, and is third in the nation in goals against among goalies with at least six games played. Daccord's two shutouts and .949 save percentage also rank second among goalies with six games played.
On the offensive side, the Devils have continued to be paced by Johnny Walker, who is tied for the lead in the NCAA in points with 13 while leading the country in goals with eight. Coming off a fantastic freshman campaign that saw Walker score 17 goals, good for second among all freshman, Walker saw an impressive eight-game goal streak end earlier in the season. In the last four games, he's racked up five assists and four goals.
As for the new freshman phenom, Koumontzis is off to a blazing start, currently tied for third in the country among freshmen with seven points (1 G, 6 A).
The Scottsdale-native is coming off the best game of his young career last weekend where he assisted on all four of Walker's goals in the Sun Devils' 7-2 win over Nebraska-Omaha.
The Devils' success has also been assisted by a great penalty kill at 92.9% and still ranks second in the country among teams with at least six games played.
Scouting Report
Ranked sixth in the most recent USCHO poll, the Nittany Lions are undefeated on the year and are averaging five goals per game while allowing just shy of two per game. Part of what makes Penn State so effective is their willingness to put pucks on net, as they are tied for the league lead in shots on goal per game with 43.
For reference, the Sun Devils average around 33 shots for per game, which ranks 11th in the nation.
The Nittany Lions use a balanced attack and don't rely too heavily on specific players as they have nine players averaging at least a point per game.
Five players all lead the team in goals with three a piece, including Brandon Biro, Chase Berger, Alex Limoges, Liam Folkes and Ludvig Larsson.
Biro leads the team in points along with Nate Sucese and Evan Barratt with seven points.
Between the pipes, it's a two-headed monster featuring Chris Funkey and Peyton Jones -- both who have seen playing time against ASU in the last two years. Both hold goals against averages under 2.50 and a save percentage over .911 with Jones starting three of five games.
Friday's match-up is scheduled for 7 p.m. (EST)/4 p.m. (MST), while Saturday is set for 8 p.m. (EST)/5 p.m. (MST) at Pegula Ice Arena.
When these the two newest teams in the NCAA met last season, the Devils were 2-6-2 and dropped both contests at Gila River Arena by scores of 7-0 and 4-2 (EN).
A few of the notable standouts for the Sun Devils at this point of the season include junior goaltender Joey Daccord, sophomore forward Johnny Walker, and freshman forward Demetrios Koumontzis.
Daccord is tied for the league lead in wins with six, and is third in the nation in goals against among goalies with at least six games played. Daccord's two shutouts and .949 save percentage also rank second among goalies with six games played.
On the offensive side, the Devils have continued to be paced by Johnny Walker, who is tied for the lead in the NCAA in points with 13 while leading the country in goals with eight. Coming off a fantastic freshman campaign that saw Walker score 17 goals, good for second among all freshman, Walker saw an impressive eight-game goal streak end earlier in the season. In the last four games, he's racked up five assists and four goals.
As for the new freshman phenom, Koumontzis is off to a blazing start, currently tied for third in the country among freshmen with seven points (1 G, 6 A).
The Scottsdale-native is coming off the best game of his young career last weekend where he assisted on all four of Walker's goals in the Sun Devils' 7-2 win over Nebraska-Omaha.
The Devils' success has also been assisted by a great penalty kill at 92.9% and still ranks second in the country among teams with at least six games played.
Scouting Report
Ranked sixth in the most recent USCHO poll, the Nittany Lions are undefeated on the year and are averaging five goals per game while allowing just shy of two per game. Part of what makes Penn State so effective is their willingness to put pucks on net, as they are tied for the league lead in shots on goal per game with 43.
For reference, the Sun Devils average around 33 shots for per game, which ranks 11th in the nation.
The Nittany Lions use a balanced attack and don't rely too heavily on specific players as they have nine players averaging at least a point per game.
Five players all lead the team in goals with three a piece, including Brandon Biro, Chase Berger, Alex Limoges, Liam Folkes and Ludvig Larsson.
Biro leads the team in points along with Nate Sucese and Evan Barratt with seven points.
Between the pipes, it's a two-headed monster featuring Chris Funkey and Peyton Jones -- both who have seen playing time against ASU in the last two years. Both hold goals against averages under 2.50 and a save percentage over .911 with Jones starting three of five games.
Friday's match-up is scheduled for 7 p.m. (EST)/4 p.m. (MST), while Saturday is set for 8 p.m. (EST)/5 p.m. (MST) at Pegula Ice Arena.