IRVINE, Calif. – For the first time since 1999, NCAA Division I finally returns to Orange County as Harvard hosts No. 16/14 Sun Devil Hockey for the SoCal Clash at FivePoint Arena Dec. 28-29.
ASU (10-6-2) is coming off a series split and rough Sunday afternoon at Omaha, while the Crimson (6-4-0) is on a four-game skid after starting the season on a six-game winning streak.
"It's a great opportunity for our fans and hockey fans in Southern California to see high-level college hockey," said head coach Greg Powers. "We're excited for the challenge, as Harvard is a very talented team and haven't played in a while, so they'll be rested and ready."
Sun Devil Rewind
It's been a tale of splits for the Sun Devils over the last month. After finishing November with a win and a tie against Vermont, followed by the same fate over then-No. 4 Denver, the Devils captured game one of their road series' at Michigan State and Omaha before losing game two.
After starting the season 0-2 on Saturday's, ASU has gone 5-0-2 since, which includes the past two series beginning on Saturday.
Junior forward Johnny Walker has enjoyed the month of December thus far, scoring six of his 12 goals on the season and recording another three assists for nine points in six games. His 12 goals is just one shy of the national lead, and he leads the country in points for the month of December with nine.
Tied with WALKER for the team lead in points is James Sanchez, who is coming off a three-assist weekend at Omaha. Sanchez and Walker are tied for 7th nationally in scoring with 22 points.
Along with Walker and Sanchez, there were four other Sun Devils recording multi-point games, including PJ Marrocco, Jacob Wilson, Jordan Sandhu and Dominic Garcia. Marrocco had his first multi-goal game of his collegiate career
California Dreamin'
For the first time since 1999, NCAA Division I hockey returns to Orange County as the Sun Devils and Harvard meet in the So Cal Clash.
The two programs have met four times in the past, with the Crimson owning the overall record 3-1-0. The Sun Devils won the most recent meeting in Boston with a 3-2 overtime victory.
Both teams lost their starting netminders from a year ago, while Harvard also lost their top d-man in Adam Fox. The Crimson are one of the top scoring teams in the country, averaging four goals per game. They also rank among the top-10 on special teams, ranking 10th on the power play and 8th on the penalty kill.
Harvard got off to a hot start to their season, winning six straight before dropping their last four. Harvard is loaded with talent, featuring eight NHL draft picks. However, they'll be missing one of their key contributors this weekend as forward Jack Drury is currently with Team USA's WJC U -20 team.
ASU (10-6-2) is coming off a series split and rough Sunday afternoon at Omaha, while the Crimson (6-4-0) is on a four-game skid after starting the season on a six-game winning streak.
"It's a great opportunity for our fans and hockey fans in Southern California to see high-level college hockey," said head coach Greg Powers. "We're excited for the challenge, as Harvard is a very talented team and haven't played in a while, so they'll be rested and ready."
Sun Devil Rewind
It's been a tale of splits for the Sun Devils over the last month. After finishing November with a win and a tie against Vermont, followed by the same fate over then-No. 4 Denver, the Devils captured game one of their road series' at Michigan State and Omaha before losing game two.
After starting the season 0-2 on Saturday's, ASU has gone 5-0-2 since, which includes the past two series beginning on Saturday.
Junior forward Johnny Walker has enjoyed the month of December thus far, scoring six of his 12 goals on the season and recording another three assists for nine points in six games. His 12 goals is just one shy of the national lead, and he leads the country in points for the month of December with nine.
Tied with WALKER for the team lead in points is James Sanchez, who is coming off a three-assist weekend at Omaha. Sanchez and Walker are tied for 7th nationally in scoring with 22 points.
Along with Walker and Sanchez, there were four other Sun Devils recording multi-point games, including PJ Marrocco, Jacob Wilson, Jordan Sandhu and Dominic Garcia. Marrocco had his first multi-goal game of his collegiate career
California Dreamin'
For the first time since 1999, NCAA Division I hockey returns to Orange County as the Sun Devils and Harvard meet in the So Cal Clash.
The two programs have met four times in the past, with the Crimson owning the overall record 3-1-0. The Sun Devils won the most recent meeting in Boston with a 3-2 overtime victory.
Both teams lost their starting netminders from a year ago, while Harvard also lost their top d-man in Adam Fox. The Crimson are one of the top scoring teams in the country, averaging four goals per game. They also rank among the top-10 on special teams, ranking 10th on the power play and 8th on the penalty kill.
Harvard got off to a hot start to their season, winning six straight before dropping their last four. Harvard is loaded with talent, featuring eight NHL draft picks. However, they'll be missing one of their key contributors this weekend as forward Jack Drury is currently with Team USA's WJC U -20 team.