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ASU Hockey: Sun Devils look for season sweep of Mavericks

By Nicholas Frias

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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The 16th-ranked ASU hockey team continues their six-game road trip Friday with a two-game series against Nebraska-Omaha, a team they swept back in October.

Sun Devil hockey pulled off their second overtime victory of the season on their visit to Harvard last weekend. The series split with the Crimson helped Arizona State move up to No. 16 in the USCHO poll.

This weekend, the Sun Devils travel to Omaha, Nebraska to face a Mavericks team they swept earlier in the season.

In the time since the first series with Nebraska-Omaha, the Sun Devils have gone 4-2, with both of their two losses coming on the road. They pulled off a home sweep of Michigan State in between the two road series, but that is the only other series win the Sun Devils have had since playing the Mavericks.

On the other hand, Omaha picked up their first two wins of the season in the two series they played after their unsuccessful weekend Tempe.

These two teams have played each other six times before, with the University of Nebraska-Omaha posting a 3-2-1 record in those games. The Sun Devils’ two wins both came this season, and this team looks poised to continue their hot streak against the Mavericks.

Led offensively by Johnny Walker, who is currently the nation’s leading goal scorer, the Sun Devils will look to replicate their 13-goal performance from the previous series with the Mavericks.

The senior forward duo of Anthony Croston and Dylan Hollman led the way with three goals in the Friday night 6-3 victory, and Johnny Walker’s four-goal night was more than enough to carry the Sun Devils to victory in the Saturday 7-2 thrashing of the Mavericks.

Walker has gone cold recently, although he did score the game-winning goal in overtime against Harvard. If he can find his consistent scoring touch again, the Mavericks, along with the entire nation, is in trouble.

Behind the forwards, the defensemen have been strong, and goaltender Joey Daccord won the first game this year that coach Greg Powers felt he had to steal.

The biggest weakness right now for the Sun Devils is discipline. The team racked up 20 minutes worth of penalty time during the Saturday game against Harvard in the second period alone.

Next. ASU Hockey: Sun Devils pull off series split against Harvard. dark

With a rivalry against Nebraska-Omaha budding before our eyes, Arizona State will be much better off if they don’t give the Mavericks a chance to test the No. 2 penalty kill in the NCAA.