ASU Hockey: Sun Devils travel to face 19th-ranked Air Force

TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky performs on the field during the fourth quarter of the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky performs on the field during the fourth quarter of the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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After splitting the first two games of the season with UMass-Amherst, ASU hockey begins a six-game road trip versus No. 19 Air Force.

On Friday night, ASU hockey begins their series with 19th-ranked Air Force. The Sun Devils will look to pull off the upset on the road in one of their two games against one of the nation’s top teams.

The Sun Devils (1-1-0) are in the early stages of their second season in Divison-I. The team is trying to improve on a 10-19-3 record in 2016-17, and they are off to a good start splitting their first series with UMass-Amherst with a 5-3 win last Friday and a 4-2 loss last Saturday.

The weekend may have seemed like a disappointment as the team wanted a sweep. However, many found positives in the win, such as netminder Joey Daccord, who said, “If we bring the same mentality we brought Friday night, we can beat a lot of teams.” This has been a feeling felt around the locker room as head coach Greg Powers echoed those remarks in a press conference.

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The Air Force Falcons (1-0-1) will be the young Sun Devils’ first test as the Falcons are coming off of one of the best seasons in program history. Air Force finished last season with a 27-10-5 record, which was one win shy of setting the school record.

That season ended with a close 3-2 loss in the regional final that kept them from reaching the program’s first Frozen Four.

The key players for the Sun Devils include forwards Louie Rowe and team captain Dylan Hollman, who have five and four points, respectively. Although the hype has surrounded a talented freshman class, it’s the two upperclassmen that have led the team in scoring.

Their line, which includes Anthony Croston, has drawn a lot of praise from coach Powers. Powers even singled out Rowe, saying he was the “best overall player” over the weekend series.

The two highest scorers and their teammates will look to find some twine against standout Air Force goalie Billy Christopoulos.

Christopoulos has earned a lot of praise from Powers, who when asked about the goalie said he is, “…very good, he’s big, he moves well.”

The junior netminder is in his first year as a starter and has impressed so far with a 1.44 GAA and a .950 save percentage. The Falcons have needed his strong presence in net, as the team has scored only four goals in two games against Alaska.

Next: ASU Hockey: Sun Devils come up short against Minutemen

The weekend series in Colorado Springs should be an interesting one as both teams look to improve on starts they feel could have gone better against weaker competition.