Playing three hockey games in three nights is never an easy task. But it is especially difficult when those games are on the road against quality competition.
The No. 9-ranked Sun Devil hockey club (7-1) hopes to be able to crush that competition this weekend when it battles the Utah State Aggies and Weber State Wildcats in Utah.
"I think we're going to take it one game at a time, just like we've been doing all season," freshman defenseman Tony Bonacorso said. "It's really going to be a gut-check for us."
The Sun Devils play Utah State (7-8-1) at 8 tonight in Logan, Utah. They defeated the Division II Aggies in two games at Oceanside Arena on Friday and Saturday, 8-2 and 2-1.
Junior forward Scott Jacko said the team was ready to battle Utah State again.
"The only reason they were in the game [Saturday] was because we let them," he said. "We have to play strong and not abandon the system."
On Friday, ASU will play rival and No. 6-ranked Weber State (6-1-2) in Ogden, Utah, at 8 p.m. The two teams will again face off Saturday night at 8 at the Steiner Ice Arena in Salt Lake City.
The Sun Devils lost five of their eight meetings with Weber State last season. Each defeat was disappointing, but the final game proved the hardest to take, as the Devils lost 3-2 in their second and final game of the national tournament.
ASU head coach Mike De Angelis said the team would have its hands full with the Wildcats.
"They are a big, physical team," he said. "I think we are a quicker team, but we haven't seen them yet this year. We've definitely got to bring our best."
This season, the Sun Devils have struggled at times with putting the puck into the net. They haven't had difficulty taking shots on goal but have had hard times getting those shots past the opposing goaltenders.
De Angelis said he thought the team would be able to overcome the challenges it faced on the offensive side of play.
"We've just got to bear down in practice and put teams away in games," he said. "If you run into a hot goalie it can make things real difficult."
The games against Weber State will mark the first time ASU has played a higher-ranked opponent this season. The Sun Devils and Wildcats will battle each other two more times during the regular season, Feb. 11 and 12 at Oceanside Arena.
Bonacorso said the team knew it had a chance to make a statement with its play in Utah.
"We've got an opportunity to move up in the rankings," he said. "Hopefully we can get it done."
Jacko said he was excited to get a chance to participate in the rivalry.
"I wasn't here last year," he said. "But all of the returning guys are letting us know how serious these games are."
Reach the reporter at jeremy.a.cluff@asu.edu.
