ASU hockey looks to take another big step

Arizona State hockey doubled its wins over NCAA teams to 10 last season from the year before. The Sun Devils beat two nationally ranked teams and tied two others.

A 10-19-3 record was progress by almost any measure compared to 5-22-2 vs. NCAA opponents in 2015-16 when ASU first became a varsity program.

Now, after adding a top 10-ranked recruiting class, can ASU continue to progress against a schedule with nine games against teams ranked in the preseason?

“We expect to take another big step forward,” coach Greg Powers said. “We’re much improved over last year. We return the entire roster pretty much and have only two seniors. I’m optimistic we’ll improve on last year’s success and going into 2018-19 we’re aiming to make a big jump.”

ASU won an exhibition last week over Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, a tune up for a seasonopening home series against Massachusetts. Games are at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Oceanside Ice Arena.

Freshman forward Johnny Walker believes ASU eventually will have almost an unfair recruiting advantage over the rest of college hockey. That will happen, he believes, once it builds its planned 5,000-seat hockey/multipurpose arena next to Wells Fargo Arena.

“Once the rink goes in, it will be tough for top-end kids to say no to such a great set-up here,” Walker said. “I don’t mind Oceanside. It only seats 1,000, but they’re right on top of you. There’s nowhere to hide in that rink. It speaks to how our program is a little bit. This is what we have and we’re going to make the most of it.”

ASU will return to Gila River Arena for three games -- Nov. 17-18 vs. Penn State and Jan. 20 vs. No. 14 Quinnipiac -but otherwise is playing at Oceanside in Tempe.

“It’s important to gain as much (fan) traction in the part of town where we’re going to be long term,” Powers said. “We’re starting to build up a student awareness of the program and really developing our student section. When we do have our building, students will be fighting to get in.

Walker is a home-grown addition to the Sun Devils. He grew up in Phoenix before going off to play junior hockey with the Minot Minotauros (NAHL) and Chicago Steel (USHL) for four seasons.

Walker is playing on the first line with sophomores Tyler Busch and Brett Gruber. Seven of ASU’s 10 double-digit point scorers last season return along with goalies Joey Daccord and Ryland Pashovitz.

Soccer, volleyball updates

ASU soccer and volleyball are home this weekend against nationally ranked opponents.

Coming off a 6-0 loss at No. 2 Stanford, soccer (4-5-2, 1-1-1) is at home against No. 1 UCLA (10-0-1, 3-0) on Thursday and No. 6 USC (8-1-1, 2-0-1) at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Arizona fell just 1-0 to Stanford last week and beat now No. 20 California 1-0. ASU tied Cal 1-1.

ASU volleyball (10-6, 0-4) carries a four-match losing streak against No. 13 UCLA at 8 p.m. Friday then hosts No. 15 USC on 6 p.m. Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena.

UCLA swept Arizona, 25-15, 25-17, 2520, on Wednesday.

Khalia Lanier, 6-2 sophomore outside hitter, of Scottsdale is among the leaders for USC. Although UA swept ASU on Sept. 21, the Sun Devils are No. 73 in the NCAA ratings percentage index with the Wildcats (7-7, 1-4) at No. 126.

ASU baseball opens Feb. 16

ASU baseball will open its season at home with four games including a Saturday doubleheader against Miami (Ohio), Feb. 16-18 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Other non-conference opponents include Long Beach State (away, Feb. 2728), Oklahoma State (home, March 2-4) and Cal State Fullerton (home, April 3-4).

There will be just one non-conference rivalry game this season with Arizona coming to Phoenix Muni on March 13. The three-game Pac-12 rivalry series will be played in Tucson. The conference schedule will be released in December.