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ASU Hockey: Sun Devils return to winning ways with shutout in Boston

By Nicholas Frias

TEMPE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 08: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot "Sparky the Sun Devil " performs during the college football game against the Michigan State Spartans at Sun Devil Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 08: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot "Sparky the Sun Devil " performs during the college football game against the Michigan State Spartans at Sun Devil Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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After losing their third straight game Friday night, Arizona State hockey took another step toward qualifying for its first NCAA tournament berth with a statement 3-0 victory over Boston University.

The Sun Devils’ duo of Hobey Baker award nominees, Johnny Walker and Joey Daccord, led the team to victory Saturday night, with two goals from Walker and the NCAA-best 7th shutout of the season from Daccord.

“Tonight was a great team effort,” ASU coach Greg Powers said, per Arizona State Athletics. “Great job in net by [Daccord], some big goals by Johnny, and guys played great on the penalty kill.”

ASU definitely needed the penalty killing units to be focused Saturday, as the team was shorthanded eight times over the course of the game.

Neither team managed to score in the first 20 minutes, with each putting up at least nine shots on goal in the first period. The Sun Devils led shots on goal 10-9 after one period, and they also led the face-off battle nine to seven.

Filips Buncis opened the scoring early in the second period during a stretch of 4-on-4 hockey thanks to a hooking call on Boston’s Cam Crotty. The hook came 40 seconds into Dylan Hollman serving time for a tripping penalty in the first minute of the period.

Other than ASU scoring in the 4-on-4 situation, neither team managed to pick up a true shorthanded or power play goal, going a combined 0-of-7 on both fronts.

After most of the second period had gone by, Walker doubled the Sun Devil lead with a redirect in front of the net, giving his team a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of play.

“The second period has been our worst period all year, and tonight I thought we really took over the game in the second period,” Powers said, per Arizona State Athletics.

Walker added his second of the game and 21st of the year in the third period, the third and final time the puck would cross the goal line.

Arizona State outshot the Terriers 39to 28, outscored them 3-0, and won 34 faceoffs compared to Boston’s 19. After a night of struggle to open the series, the Sun Devils bounced back with a dominant performance for the full 60 minutes in game two.

ASU Hockey: Sun Devils continue slide with 4-2 loss to BU. dark. Next

The Sun Devils will travel to New York to play Rochester Institute of Technology next weekend, the third to last regular season series for No. 17 ASU, who is now 17-10-1 on the season.

All quotes in this article were obtained by Devils in Detail.