PRINCETON, NJ – Junior goaltender Joey Daccord served Princeton a 45-save shutout on Friday night at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink, as the Sun Devils' (11-6-0) 4-0 win broke a program record for wins in a season.
Daccord's fourth shutout of the season keeps him tied for the NCAA lead in the category.
"Dacs was tremendous and he was the reason we won," said head coach Greg Powers. "Our guys got a nice, gritty, gutty road win and we'll take it all day. But we can be better and that's what is exciting about tomorrow. I know we will be better – we'll be a lot crisper, a lot sharper, and we'll manage the puck much better than we did tonight. But he was tremendous and it was good to get a Friday win on the road and play downhill tomorrow."
Fifteen seconds into the game, sophomore forward Johnny Walker found the back of the net for his 13th goal of the season, retaking the lead atop the country. Seniors Dylan Hollman and Anthony Croston created the chance right off the faceoff with an aggressive forecheck before Hollman found Walker between the circles.
With less than two minutes left in the first frame, and the Sun Devils continuing to create chances, junior forward Brett Gruber redirected a pass from freshman defenseman Josh Maniscalco for the 2-0 lead entering the intermission.
A scoreless second period saw Princeton outshoot the Devils 21-8 with two power play opportunities.
The Tigers' man advantage came into the night ranked No. 2 in the country, while ASU's penalty kill ranked No. 8. Game one belonged to the Sun Devils, as they killed all four of Princeton's chances with a credit to Daccord.
"They didn't convert on it but it was because our goalie was so good," said Powers. "Anytime your goalie is your best killer, you're in good shape."
The third period swung back in the Sun Devils' favor, as junior defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk buried his sixth goal of the season just over a minute in, which is tied for fourth most among national defensemen.
Daccord continued his impressive performance, stymying another two Tiger power plays and making 12 saves.
Croston added an empty-net goal for his team-leading, two-point night along with freshman Jordan Sandhu's two-assist night.
Game two will feature the return of co-captain and junior forward Tyler Busch, who served his one-game suspension for a misconduct against Omaha. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. (EST) on ESPN+.
Daccord's fourth shutout of the season keeps him tied for the NCAA lead in the category.
"Dacs was tremendous and he was the reason we won," said head coach Greg Powers. "Our guys got a nice, gritty, gutty road win and we'll take it all day. But we can be better and that's what is exciting about tomorrow. I know we will be better – we'll be a lot crisper, a lot sharper, and we'll manage the puck much better than we did tonight. But he was tremendous and it was good to get a Friday win on the road and play downhill tomorrow."
Fifteen seconds into the game, sophomore forward Johnny Walker found the back of the net for his 13th goal of the season, retaking the lead atop the country. Seniors Dylan Hollman and Anthony Croston created the chance right off the faceoff with an aggressive forecheck before Hollman found Walker between the circles.
With less than two minutes left in the first frame, and the Sun Devils continuing to create chances, junior forward Brett Gruber redirected a pass from freshman defenseman Josh Maniscalco for the 2-0 lead entering the intermission.
A scoreless second period saw Princeton outshoot the Devils 21-8 with two power play opportunities.
The Tigers' man advantage came into the night ranked No. 2 in the country, while ASU's penalty kill ranked No. 8. Game one belonged to the Sun Devils, as they killed all four of Princeton's chances with a credit to Daccord.
"They didn't convert on it but it was because our goalie was so good," said Powers. "Anytime your goalie is your best killer, you're in good shape."
The third period swung back in the Sun Devils' favor, as junior defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk buried his sixth goal of the season just over a minute in, which is tied for fourth most among national defensemen.
Daccord continued his impressive performance, stymying another two Tiger power plays and making 12 saves.
Croston added an empty-net goal for his team-leading, two-point night along with freshman Jordan Sandhu's two-assist night.
Game two will feature the return of co-captain and junior forward Tyler Busch, who served his one-game suspension for a misconduct against Omaha. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. (EST) on ESPN+.