For about 51 minutes, the Arizona State Sun Devils appeared they would go down easily in their first-ever NCAA Tournament game.
A goal by junior defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk woke the Devils up late, and ASU gave Quinnipiac all it could handle the rest of the way -- but the Devils' rally came up short, as they fell 2-1 in the first round of the 16-team NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The Sun Devils were outshot badly through two-plus periods -- and ASU didn't even manage a shot on goal for a near-16-minute stretch in the second period as the Bobcats built a 2-0 advantage. But Pasichnuk scored ASU's first-ever NCAA Tournament goal with 8:18 left in the third period to cut Quinnipiac's lead in half.
Brinson Pasichnuk scores the first NCAA Tournament goal in @SunDevilHockey history and with one shot has ASU right back in the game!
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 31, 2019
3rd Period | ASU 1 | QU 2#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/OI2DPtIrQd
Sophomore forward Johnny Walker, the NCAA's leading goal scorer, nearly tied the game moments later but had a shot rattle off the post. A 5-minute penalty to freshman defenseman Jarrod Gourley killed ASU's momentum late in the game.
In just their third full season at the NCAA level, the Devils advanced to the NCAA Tournament faster than any team in NCAA history.
Made it interesting, as we have all season.
— x - Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) March 31, 2019
Heck of a battle by the boys. #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/HtKfxbxmQA
