(Photo: Gabrielle Mercer/WCSN)
Since the start of 2018, Arizona State has found a new side of confidence that has been translating onto the stats sheet.
“We kind of wanted to put 2017 in the past and look ahead to 2018 and we kind of hit the reset button,” goaltender Joey Daccord said. “So far we’re 3-1 and I’d say, especially for us, that’s a hot streak for us.”
“I think we’ve had the most confidence we’ve ever had as a team,” forward Brett Gruber said. “Everyone’s playing with a little swagger right now.”
But even with a few upsets and a tournament victory already under the Sun Devils’ belt, head coach Greg Powers will be the first to remind you the team is in a building stage.
“When you’re building something, you want to have progress,” he said. “You want to be able to show you are improving and our guys are clearly showing that; it’s just adjusting to playing at this level. We have a core group of guys that lead us that are underclassmen and they’re starting to develop that confidence on a sustainable basis that it takes to beat top programs.”
Since the beginning of the season, Powers pointed out that the team cannot be results-oriented, they need to be process-oriented. It’s figuring out a system and process that works for them that will caliber to being able to defeat these top-ranked teams.
Last season, ASU defeated Quinnipiac in what was the team’s biggest victory at the time. Earlier this season, they had clashes with Princeton and UMass-Lowell in two more program-establishing wins.
Each victory showcases that hockey in the desert is here to stay and adds to the proof that ASU can compete at the highest level.
But as Powers mentioned, it’s confidence that is translating on the ice. His favorite example of that was the teams battle against Lake Superior State
“The puck possession, the shots, the scoring chances were so tilted in our favor,” he said. “We lost 4-1 and we did so many things right except one thing and that’s put the puck in the net and at the end of the day, when you want to win championships, you want to get to where you want to take this program, that’s going to be important but you got to take steps to get there.”
And the players are proving that they are taking the steps they need in order to get there.
Powers stated that he’s really proud of the veteran guys who have grown as teammates on and off the ice.
He’s especially proud of junior Jake Clifford, who originally played his first two years as a defenseman before being moved to center.
“He’s had some tough days where he was frustrated and struggling because he wasn’t playing and he stuck with it and he’s worked harder than anybody,” Powers said. “He became and developed into one of the most popular guys in the room because of his ability to fight through adversity and support his teammates through it all.”
Gruber is another player who Powers said he’s noticed the difference in his development is his confidence and patience with the puck.
“I think really he’s more effective for us as a center,” he said. “The puck’s on his stick a little bit more and he has a little bit more freedom offensively to make plays and he’s great on draws and I think that move for him was good and he’s reaped the benefits of it.”
Those benefits include the centerman’s 11 assists.
“I used to be a shooter but this year I kind of fell into more of a role of the playmaker and that’s fine with me,” Gruber said. “I have a couple guys on my line who could score and a couple guys on the [power play] I work with who can really shoot the puck so I like setting them up, but I also like to shoot so it’s the best of both worlds.”
Daccord said the team is on pace to finish with a better record this season. With recording his first shutout with the Sun Devils, Daccord wants to play as much as possible.
“Powers kind of put his trust in me and said, ‘Hey you know what? We’re going to give you the chance to take the ball here and run with it,’” Daccord said. “I just try to do the best I could to take advantage of that opportunity.”
