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In a scrimmage of high-intensity offense, seven goals were scored as ASU’s Maroon team nipped past Gold on a sophomore Jakob Stridsburg game winning goal, 4-3.
Though it was a scrimmage, the contest was every bit exciting. Gold led the game 3-1 at the end of the second period. Then, Maroon struck back scoring three straight, with goals coming from redshirt-junior David Norris, sophomore Jack Rowe and Stridsburg.
Five Takeaways
1. ASU Hockey recruits get in-game action
Of the eight top-notch recruits on the ASU team, seven saw time on the ice. Of those seven, Stridsburg and freshman Joey Daccord made the most impact.
Stridsburg scored the game-winner and got an assist from another first-year Sun Devil, Brett Gruber.
Though seven goals were allowed, Daccord shined in Oceanside Ice Arena as he allowed none.
“Obviously tonight, Joey (Daccord) was the best goalie of the three,” said coach Greg Powers. “We had one guy that was really good, and at the end of the day, if you have one goalie that’s really good, that’s all you need.”
2. Goalies: Who will be the starter?
“Consistently throughout (practice) they’ve all been really good, so we have a tough decision to make. Again, its one that you relish in because it’s a position you need depth at,” Powers said.
All three potential starting goalies had equal ice time tonight, but two of the three struggled. Sophomore Ryland Pashovitz let three goals into the back of the net, while senior Robert Levin gave up four. Pashovitz was the primary starter for the Devils last season as he led the team with 553 saves and had a .901 save percentage. Levin ended last season with 247 saves and a .876 save percentage.
Powers leaned toward Daccord after the game, and his resume surely fits his potential. Daccord (a 2015 seventh-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators), played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL last season, and posted a .904 save percentage along with a 3.08 GAA.
3. Jordan Masters the go-to-guy for the Sun Devils again
The sophomore led the team with eight goals and 14 assists last season. As a freshman, he finished 14th in the nation in points per game. Masters provided a major spark to he Sun Devils offense last season, and after scoring the first goal of the game about six minutes into the second period, he reminded the team that he’s here to do it again.
“Offensively, certainly Robbie and Masters looked good,” Powers said. “They could’ve had a couple (goals) tonight, or even five or six.”
4. In a high-scoring game. Was the defense present?
“We were just a little bit sloppy, which is probably expected at this time of the year,” said senior Ryan Belonger.
The Devils’ defense held its ground on both sides through the first period. Through about a half of play, neither team allowed a goal; the teams combined for seven goals the rest of the game.
ASU was outscored by its opponents 126-91 last season against a hybrid schedule of NCAA Division I and ACHA opponents. This season, the Sun Devils will have to lock down on defense against an all Division-I schedule.
5. ASU played well against each other. Can it bring it to Notre Dame?
The Sun Devils proved they can be dangerous offensively, and their new recruits have great talent, however winning against No. 9 Notre Dame will be a tough task.
The Fighting Irish landed ninth in the USCHO.com preseason poll and are coming off of a 19-11-7 season that earned them a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Notre Dame also returns three of its four top goal scores from a year ago.
“We certainly have pre-scouted our opponent and know how good they are and have film on them and have a game plan that will hopefully get us to go in there and have the best chance to win,” Powers said.