ASU Hockey: Devils battle Boston University in final home series

ASU hockey finishes their last home series of the 2017-2018 season with a tough test against Hockey East powerhouse Boston University.

The Sun Devils (7-14-5) seek their first win of the year at Gila River Arena Friday night against Boston University. In three games at Glendale, the Devils are 0-3, including a Penn State sweep and a loss last weekend against Quinnipiac.

Although underperforming at Gila, the maroon and gold have had a hot start to 2018 with a record of 3-2-1, including its first-ever tournament at the Ice Vegas Invitational.

BU (11-11-2) will bring challenges as the Terriers represent one of the most decorated college hockey programs in one of the most daunting leagues.

“It’s got to be 60-minute effort. You can’t take shifts off against teams this talented. And when you do, they’ll hurt you,” said head coach Greg Powers.

Coming off a sweep against Merrimack, the Terriers look to return to tournament contention. Entering the year, BU ranked at No. 2 overall. However, with a struggle in the middle of season, they fell out of the top-20 and sit in fourth place in the Hockey East standings.

Their record may not show it, but the Terriers maintain an impressive roster lined with dazzling numbers, both offensively and defensively.

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In 22 games, sophomore goaltender Jake Oettinger boasts a 2.74 goals against average and a
.907 save percentage. In addition, Oettinger played a big role of the US National U-18 Team as he led the team to a bronze medal at the 2018 World Junior Championships in Buffalo.

Alongside Oettinger, freshman forward Brady Tkachuk, son of former Coyote Kieth Tkachuk, has put up 18 points in 24 games, which is tied for fifth among the Terriers.

On a team with seven skaters with double-digit points, junior forward Bobo Carpenter leads BU with 13 goals and 23 points.

Boston University has a potent power play with a 21.6 percent conversion that ranks 14th in the nation. With a heavily defensive structure, the Devils will fight in the special teams game as they hoist a premier penalty kill of their own.

Despite Quinnipiac scoring three goals on the man-advantage Saturday, ASU still holds a dominant kill, which ranks 22nd in the country.

“We faced really good power plays. BU is really talented and skilled,” said Powers. “We’re going to have to be dialed in. Most importantly, we are going to have to stay out of the box.”

The Devils offense will rely on the hot hand of ASU’s goal leader Johnny Walker. Over the last six games, Walker posted four goals and two assists.

“I’m adjusting my game, making little tweaks here and there, and really just simplifying my game,” said Walker.

Sophomore goaltender Joey Daccord will be in goal, facing one of the many hockey college programs he grew up observing in his home state.

“It’s always fun playing against teams I grew up watching, especially a conference like Hockey East,” said Daccord. “It’s always really cool to play against those schools.”

Joey Daccord displays a .912 save percentage, which places in the 29th spot. Daccord continues to stop an endless amount of pucks to the net as his 784 saves are the best in NCAA play.

Next: ASU Hockey: Slow start leads to 5-3 loss for the Sun Devils

The Sun Devils and Terriers face off Friday night at Gila River Arena and close out the final home series with Senior Night Saturday at Oceanside Ice Arena with puck drop set for 7:05 p.m. MT both nights.

All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.