Round of 16
Region 2
No. 2 "ASU Hockey Stuns Penn State" vs. No. 3 "Darcy Charrois' OT Winner Preserves The Streak"
The Case for 'ASU Hockey Stuns Penn State': In the world of college hockey, the Sun Devils' 3-1 victory against the Penn State Nittany Lions may have been the biggest upset of the year. The Sun Devils traveled to Happy Valley as enormous underdogs despite having won the first 18 games of their season. Penn State represented the first NCAA Division 1 opponent the Sun Devils would ever compete against. Furthermore, the Nittany Lions matriculated from the ACHA, where they won five titles before making the jump to the premier college circuit.
As if those odds weren't steep enough to overcome, the Nittany Lions roster was loaded with 18 scholarship players compared to 0 for the troop from Tempe. Nevertheless, Arizona State played with the passion, grittiness, and heart you would expect from a group of dreamers. When the final horn blew, the Sun Devils had outlasted the Nittany Lions behind a pair of goals from Kale Dolinski and an additional score from Faiz Khan.
The victory sent shock waves throughout the college hockey landscape, and put Arizona State on the map. It's no surprise that the Sun Devils landed the best recruiting class in program history after beating an NCAA opponent. The Penn State is a win that Sun Devil hockey fans will never forget, and it's a moment that figures to move deep into our bracket competition. - Kerry Crowley
Previous Results
Round 1: Won 86% to 14% (received 19 total votes) over No. 7 "Bowen's Empty-Netter Seals No. 32"
The Case for "32 Straight": Darcy Charrois' OT game winner was the most exciting finish of any of the 32 wins.
Over the past four seasons, the Sun Devil Hockey program has literally invented new ways to break the hearts of the Arizona wildcats. On February 22, Coach Greg Powers must have lost half of his hair with the way his boys pulled off a heart-stopping victory.
After the Sun Devils pulled off a thrilling third period comeback, Arizona State and Arizona entered an overtime period. The teams went back and forth before Darcy Charrois found a loose puck near the blue line and launched his famous slap shot in the direction of the net.
Charrois' slap shot combined power and finesse and found the back of the net in stunning fashion. Almost miraculously, the Sun Devils pulled off another incredibly heart-stopping win against the Wildcats and continued the torture for the folks in Tucson. -Kerry Crowley
Previous Results
Round 1: Won 55% to 45% (received 26 total votes) over No. 6 "Jahii Carson Sets Freshman Scoring Record For Pac-12 Tournament"