In its home opener and third game of the season overall, ASU hockey fell to 0-3 on the season with its 4-3 loss to No. 18 Air Force at Gila River Arena on Saturday.
Earlier in the week, ASU head coach Greg Powers said beating Air Force would require matching their hard work and will to win. When asked if his team did that on Saturday, Powers wasn’t so sure.
“I don’t think so, not consistently enough to win,” he said. “We just made a few mistakes that you can’t make at this level against a Top 20 team to win. We think we’re capable of beating a team like that, I think we showed it in stretches, but we’re too inexperienced to do it in stretches.
"We have to be more consistent in every facet.”
ASU was outshot 36-30.
Air Force began the scoring in the first period with a goal from junior forward Ben Kucera, his third of the season. The Falcons would never trail in the contest.
ASU freshman forward Tyler Busch also got his third goal of the season with a tally in the first period, assisted by freshman forward Brett Gruber. Those two played on a line with captain and junior forward Dylan Hollman, and Powers said he thought the bunch was “probably our best line tonight.”
Busch was happy with his own performance.
“It was good,” Busch said. “All three of my goals I think have been my linemates making nice passes, I’ve kind of had time in the slot to pick my spots.
"It’s nice that they’re going in, but at the end of the night, I’d rather take a win, for sure.”
From earlier: ASU Hockey warms up at Gila River Arena ahead of its match with No. 18 Air Force. pic.twitter.com/49OO2WvAAy
— Matt J. Layman (@mattjlayman) October 15, 2016
Air Force would get another goal in the first period from junior defenseman Phil Boje. After a period of play, the Falcons led 2-1.
From that point on, each team would score one goal per period.
ASU freshman defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk scored his first NCAA goal on the assist by his brother, Steenn, in the second period.
“It was unreal,” Brinson Pasichnuk said of his goal. “I’ve been waiting for that my whole life, so when it finally happened, it was like a monkey came off my back. I’m thankful for it.”
The Sun Devils trailed 4-2 in the third period when sophomore defenseman Nicholas Gushue scored to make it 4-3. That’s where the score would remain.
Pasichnuk added that despite the loss, he thought the Sun Devils are a better team and would beat Air Force when the two square off again on Sunday.
“I think it starts with penalties,” he said. “We took a lot of bad penalties, and you can’t really win a game when you’re down one guy the whole game. If we can eliminate that – we’re way better than that team. We’re going to bring it Sunday and we’re going to crush them.”
Powers was less adamant, but echoed Pasichnuk’s claim that the Sun Devils could beat Air Force.
“If we can come back Sunday and play with the desperation that I think we played with in the last 15 minutes, I think we’re going to be in good shape,” he said.
Senior Robert Levin was the starting goaltender for the Sun Devils on Saturday, but he was pulled after giving up three goals in less than 25 minutes. Freshman Joey Daccord stepped in and made 19 stops, allowing one goal.
Coach Powers stated after Daccord’s performance that the Ottawa Senators prospect will start Sunday in the team’s rematch with the Falcons.
Reach the reporter at matthew.layman@asu.edu or follow @Mattjlayman on Twitter.
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