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ASU Hockey: Sun Devils fall just short in Ann Arbor

By Josh Schaefer

TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky spikes the pitchfork at center field after the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. The Arizona State Sun Devils beat the Colorado Buffaloes 48-23. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky spikes the pitchfork at center field after the college football game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Sun Devil Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. The Arizona State Sun Devils beat the Colorado Buffaloes 48-23. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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After taking an early 1-0 lead, ASU hockey allowed four unanswered goals at Michigan as the Wolverines held on for a 5-3 win.

Down but not out. Despite losing 5-3 against No. 13 Michigan on Friday, Arizona State proved that they wouldn’t go down without a fight.

The Sun Devils (8-20-5) scored the opening goal of the contest, but surrendered the next four as Michigan appeared to be on its way to an easy victory.

However, ASU sophomore goaltender Joey Daccord was stout in the goal crease when his teammates began to generate offensive chances as the game progressed. Daccord stopped 29 of the 32 shots he faced.

“He put it together in the last two periods and he gave us a chance to win,” ASU head coach Greg Powers said. “He wasn’t bad in the first, but he wasn’t super sharp. With that said, all three of [Michigan’s] goals were preventable by the other five guys on the ice.”

ASU’s power play unit has had continuous struggles over the course of the season, but not on Friday. Freshman Johnny Walker and sophomore Brett Gruber each scored goals on the man advantage, propelling the Sun Devils back into the game.

“The power play unit did their job,” Powers remarked. “We could’ve had more, but they looked good.”

Walker, ASU’s leading goal-scorer, found the back of the net twice on Friday night. Gruber had an assist on both goals, and in the third period, Walker returned the favor.

He had the secondary assist on Gruber’s third period power play goal that brought the Sun Devils to within one.

Powers pulled Daccord for an extra attacker as the third period wound down, but Dakota Raabe scored an empty net goal for the Wolverines, putting a stoppage to ASU’s potential comeback.

Despite the loss, ASU can take many positives away from Friday’s contest. The Sun Devils’ power play finished the night at nearly 30 percent effectiveness, the penalty kill was flawless and ASU kept pace with Michigan in shots, as both teams finished with a total of 33.

For Powers and his team, however, this isn’t quite enough.

“We’re done with moral victories. We’re done,” he said. “We feel like we could have won that game if we played a better first period. There was a stretch of 10 minutes there where we got sloppy and didn’t play the way we needed to play. It’s time to turn the page and stop making those mistakes.”

Next: ASU Hockey: Sun Devils journey to Ann Arbor for Michigan series

The Sun Devils will search for a more concrete victory over the Wolverines on Saturday night in Ann Arbor.

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