ASU Hockey: Sun Devils defeated by Boston in Senior Night thriller

The ASU hockey team fell to the Boston University Terriers 4-3 in a penalty-riddled senior night game Saturday in Tempe.

Redshirt senior forward David Norris, the longest tenured played in the ASU hockey program, was honored before the game and scored a power play goal late in the third period. He was also named the second star of the game.

After an 8-0 embarrassment at Gila River Arena in Glendale Friday night, the Sun Devils found themselves trailing by a pair of goals entering the second period on Saturday. However, freshmen Johnny Walker and Jacob Wilson scored goals to tie the game early in the second period.

“I think we kind of sustained their quick knock-out punch,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said. “Our guys swung back, and that’s all we can ask.”

Boston’s Brien Diffley scored 19 seconds after Wilson to retake the lead for the Terriers, but it was Shane Bowers’ third period goal that proved to be the difference maker in the game. A confusing and controversial goal ruling gave the Terriers the go-ahead goal eight minutes into the final frame.

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The officials whistled a play dead while the puck was still loose in front of the ASU net. However, after the whistle blew, the puck deflected off of Bowers’ skate blade and trickled across the goal line. The officials initially called off the goal but changed the ruling after checking the replay.

Norris scored for ASU on the power play late in the period, but it wasn’t enough as the Devils were heavily outshot by the Terriers 41-21. Sophomore goaltender Joey Daccord was called on once again to keep the Sun Devils in the game. Daccord had faced more shots than any goalie in the country prior to this weekend’s series.

Penalties were the story of the night in Tempe. The Sun Devils and the Terriers combined for an outrageous total of 117 penalty minutes, 76 of which occurred in the second period. ASU brothers Brinson and Steen Pasichnuk, and Boston’s Brady Tkachuk and Drew Melanson were given 10-minute misconducts in the second period.

In the third period, ASU’s Tyler Busch received a 10-minute misconduct while captain Dylan Hollman earned a 5-minute major and a game misconduct. Additionally, Boston and ASU combined for 26 minor penalties throughout the course of the game.

Boston entered the weekend series with the 14th-ranked power play unit in the nation but struggled on the man advantage Saturday night. The Terriers’ scored on their first power play opportunity of the night, but came up empty-handed on their next seven chances as the Sun Devil penalty killers were outstanding. Despite the loss, Powers was proud of the way his team played against the Terriers.

Next: ASU Hockey: Sun Devils blown out by visiting Terriers

Arizona State will finish the final month of the season on the road as they battle Yale, Michigan Tech, and Michigan respectively.

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