Defense wins championship, or so goes the old adage. If that is indeed the case, then the Sun Devils are looking pretty good heading into their first NCAA season.
The strength of the ACHA squad last season was the defense. Head coach Greg Powers said repeatedly he thought his defense was NCAA quality, and he wasn't kidding: Four players made the jump with the team up to Division I.
The forwards have more choices of players to plug into the lineup, so it also means more flexibility. There are 21 rostered forwards, but only nine defensemen.