ASU hockey has been searching for its first win of the 2016-17 season. It's also been searching for its first win over a D1 program. On Sunday afternoon in Glendale, the Sun Devils (1-3) accomplished both feats and played their best hockey of the season.
ASU pulled the upset and defeated No. 18 Air Force by a score of 5-2 on Sunday night at Gila River Arena to get their first win of the season.
“First home NCAA win and first win over a ranked opponent, those are two huge benchmarks for us and two of our goals this year,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said. “Unbelievable team effort from the net out. Joey Deccord was incredible, we were good in every facet, we were great on special teams, and you have to be at this level to win and we proved it today.”
Coach Powers opted for freshman Joey Daccord in goal on Sunday. Powers started Robert Lavin in Friday’s loss.
Things did not start off as ASU planned, as the Sun Devils added two penalties to their long list of infractions in just four minutes. The Falcons (3-1-1) had puck possession for most of the first period, but the Sun Devils were leading in the most important statistic at the end of one period: scoring.
“Those two penalties were almost a flashback to my first start in Notre Dame,” Deccord said. “It felt really good to get a couple of shots in and kill those penalties off. After that, we really took off from there.”
The Sun Devils struck first as the captain, Dylan Hollman, put the puck in the back of the net on a rebound at the 5:53 mark of the first period. Just as the first period was winding down, freshman winger Brett Gruber found room on a breakaway and put it past Air Force sophomore goaltender Billy Christopoulos to make it 2-0.
The Falcons got on the board with just under four minutes to go in the second period as freshman Pierce Pluemer put it home. Daccord hugged the post, but the puck snuck over his shoulder.
Freshman sensation Tyler Busch came into the game leading the Sun Devils in goals this season with three. He added another to his stat line as he buried home a rebound off a shot from freshman defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk to make it 3-1 Sun Devils.
Graduate transfer Robbie Baillargeon added to the excitement as he slapped a one-timer past Christopoulos on a beautiful feed from defenseman Nicholas Gushue.
As the third period rolled along, ASU had total control of the game and they maintained it for the remainder.
Air Force added another goal thanks to Pasichnuk. He tried to clear the puck out of the zone, but instead he lost control and it ended up in the back of the net. Junior Tyler Ledford was credited with the goal.
“Those (two goals) were two of their better chances,” Daccord said. “One was a fluke goal. The other one was just an unfortunate bounce. In the end we scored more than they did and we won, so I’m pretty happy about it.”
Wade Murphy put the dagger in the Falcons as he roofed a snap shot over the catching glove of Christopoulos, making the score 5-2 and propelling the Sun Devils to their first win of the season.
.@TheSunDevils WIN! The program's first victory over a ranked opponent & first home win over an @NCAAIceHockey D-I opponent! #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/Ogu944sAOs
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) October 17, 2016
Daccord — the 7th round, 199th overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft by the Ottawa Senators — finished the night with 24 saves, picking up the first win of his collegiate career.
“(Daccord’s) performance started on Friday,” Powers said. “He shouldn’t have even gotten scored on because we put in both goals on him today. But his goose-eggs will come and that’s his first of many wins.”
Hollman and Baillargeon both finished the night with three points. The line of Hollman, Baillargeon and Murphy combined for a total of seven points.
“That line was incredible tonight,” Powers said. “Hollman gave those guys (Baillargeon and Murphy) exactly what they needed. He just injected confidence into those two kids. And if Robbie and Wardo (Murphy) play like they did tonight, we are going to get some more wins here.”
Air Force outshot ASU 26 to 23, but it finished the night just 1-for-5 on the power play.
ASU blocked 13 shots on the night and played a stout, defensive game in front of Daccord. The Sun Devils will look to continue their winning ways next weekend, as they head to Boston for a series with Northeastern.
“We have a swagger and a confidence that last year’s team clearly didn’t have,” said Powers. “Not a knock on our team last year, but it’s just different. We are much improved and it’s a drastically different team.”
Reach the reporter at wbdewitt@asu.edu or follow @westondewitt on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepresssport on Twitter.
