Preview by Justin Gaither, Sun Devil Athletics' Intern
TEMPE, Ariz. – The 2018 half of the season can be best described by one word for the 14-7-1 Sun Devils: historic. The first half of the season saw the program soar to new heights, surpassing the previous record for total wins in a season by early December.
The team also received its first ever ranking, coming in at No. 18 in the USCHO Coaches Poll following their upset of then-No. 6 Penn State and sweep of Michigan State in early November.
Coming off an outstanding freshman season, it has been Phoenix-native Johnny Walker who has been one of the biggest stories for the Sun Devils as he currently leads the nation in goals with 18 in just 21 games played.
Junior netminder and Ottawa Senators' prospect Joey Daccord has been equally as impressive between the pipes, holding opponents to just over two goals per game with a save percentage north of .925. The North Andover, Massachusetts-native also has five shutouts which is tops in the country.
The Sun Devils also excelled in the special teams department with the penalty kill being tops in the country all year long. Led by Daccord and other leaders such as junior defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk, ASU was a much more defensive-minded team in 2018, a big reason for their success. Their goal margin ranks among the top-13 in the country after ranking near the bottom in 2017-18.
Even with all of these accomplishments, however, head coach Greg Powers and his team have bigger aspirations. The Sun Devils ring in the New Year with a tough home test in the form of Boston College (6-7-2) this weekend.
The Eagles got off to a rather slow start in 2018, losing their first five games of the season, but have since boasted a record of 6-2-2.
Much like ASU, they will be led in large part by the man who serves as the last line of defense, their junior goaltender Joseph Woll. A draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Woll has the same save percentage as Daccord while sporting a slightly lower goals against average.
Offensively, the Eagles have struggled, scoring just 2.13 goals per game, which ranks 53rd in the nation. They are led offensively by junior forward David Cotton, who leads the team in goals and points with 11 and 18, respectively.
Boston College will be without freshman forward and 2018 11th overall NHL draftee Oliver Wahlstrom, who is competing with Team USA in the 2019 IIHF World Junior Classic in Canada.
Coming off a shootout win (an official tie) against the No. 3 team in the country, Minnesota State-Mankato, the Sun Devils will look to stay hot in 2019.
Friday night's game, presented by Gila River Hotels & Casinos, will be played at Oceanside Ice Arena with puck drop set for 7:05 p.m. (MST), while the finale on Saturday will be played in Glendale at Gila River Arena at 7:05 p.m. (MST) on Pac-12 Networks.
Friday night's contest is sold out, while tickets still remain for Saturday's contest at Gila River Arena here.
TEMPE, Ariz. – The 2018 half of the season can be best described by one word for the 14-7-1 Sun Devils: historic. The first half of the season saw the program soar to new heights, surpassing the previous record for total wins in a season by early December.
The team also received its first ever ranking, coming in at No. 18 in the USCHO Coaches Poll following their upset of then-No. 6 Penn State and sweep of Michigan State in early November.
Coming off an outstanding freshman season, it has been Phoenix-native Johnny Walker who has been one of the biggest stories for the Sun Devils as he currently leads the nation in goals with 18 in just 21 games played.
Junior netminder and Ottawa Senators' prospect Joey Daccord has been equally as impressive between the pipes, holding opponents to just over two goals per game with a save percentage north of .925. The North Andover, Massachusetts-native also has five shutouts which is tops in the country.
The Sun Devils also excelled in the special teams department with the penalty kill being tops in the country all year long. Led by Daccord and other leaders such as junior defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk, ASU was a much more defensive-minded team in 2018, a big reason for their success. Their goal margin ranks among the top-13 in the country after ranking near the bottom in 2017-18.
Even with all of these accomplishments, however, head coach Greg Powers and his team have bigger aspirations. The Sun Devils ring in the New Year with a tough home test in the form of Boston College (6-7-2) this weekend.
The Eagles got off to a rather slow start in 2018, losing their first five games of the season, but have since boasted a record of 6-2-2.
Much like ASU, they will be led in large part by the man who serves as the last line of defense, their junior goaltender Joseph Woll. A draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Woll has the same save percentage as Daccord while sporting a slightly lower goals against average.
Offensively, the Eagles have struggled, scoring just 2.13 goals per game, which ranks 53rd in the nation. They are led offensively by junior forward David Cotton, who leads the team in goals and points with 11 and 18, respectively.
Boston College will be without freshman forward and 2018 11th overall NHL draftee Oliver Wahlstrom, who is competing with Team USA in the 2019 IIHF World Junior Classic in Canada.
Coming off a shootout win (an official tie) against the No. 3 team in the country, Minnesota State-Mankato, the Sun Devils will look to stay hot in 2019.
Friday night's game, presented by Gila River Hotels & Casinos, will be played at Oceanside Ice Arena with puck drop set for 7:05 p.m. (MST), while the finale on Saturday will be played in Glendale at Gila River Arena at 7:05 p.m. (MST) on Pac-12 Networks.
Friday night's contest is sold out, while tickets still remain for Saturday's contest at Gila River Arena here.