Hockey, Men's Sports

Road Trip Weekend Recap: Daxon Rudolph’s Three Goals Lead Pioneers to Road Sweep of Sun Devils

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Anytime the Pioneers head to Tempe to take on the Sun Devils, it seems something crazy happens. Sometimes, neither defense shows up, and it’s a track meet; other times, it turns into a defensive stalemate on a Sunday afternoon in the desert. No matter what, though, it’s worth tuning in to see what happens. This weekend, we got a little bit of everything, and Denver’s freshman phenom Daxon Rudolph was, without question, the best player on the ice all weekend. The Pioneers won 6-3 on Friday behind Rudolph’s two third-period power-play goals and 1-0 in overtime on Sunday afternoon thanks to Rudolph’s sudden-death game-winner a minute and a half into three-on-three overtime.

Game One: #4 Denver 6, Arizona State 3

The #4 Denver Pioneers (6-2-1, 3-0-0 NCHC) are among the country’s best third-period teams, and it was on full display yet again in game one at Mullett Arena in Tempe, AZ. After skating to a back-and-forth 2-2 tie through two periods, the Pioneers found their third-period gear to take their first lead of the game before freshman defenseman Daxon Rudolph made his mark with two power-play goals on the same five-minute major power play to put the Arizona State Sun Devils (5-4-0, 1-2-0 NCHC) away and earn the game one road victory.

Denver outshot Arizona State 52-25, Johnny Hicks remained unbeaten for his career, and Rudolph put the Pioneers’ middling power play unit on his back, scoring his two PPGs in the span of two and a half minutes. Denver had the 3-2 lead by this point, but it was Landon Hafele’s textbook elbowing major midway through the third period that allowed the Pioneers and Rudolph to put an otherwise very competitive game out of reach.

Clarke Caswell sealed the 6-3 victory with an empty-net goal and Sam Harris’ secondary assist on Caswell’s marker, combined with his second-period goal, netted him his 100th career point.

Game Two: #4 Denver 1, Arizona State 0 (OT)

After a defensive stalemate fitting for a Sunday matinee, Daxon Rudolph’s breakout weekend continued a minute and a half into overtime, as he took a Sam Harris pass in transition and beat ASU goalie Sam Urban on the Pioneers’ 41st shot of the game. It was Rudolph’s third goal of the weekend and fifth on the season. He now has 11 points in nine games. Denver’s (7-2-1, 4-0-0 NCHC) victory over the Sun Devils (5-5-0, 1-3-0 NCHC) keeps them unbeaten early in conference play.

Rudolph has arguably been Denver’s best player through the first month of the season, which says a lot, considering the Pioneers’ depth. Kristian Epperson has undoubtedly been DU’s best forward, despite seeing his four-game goal streak snapped on Sunday afternoon, but Rudolph has been a game-changer every time he’s stepped onto the ice this season. The jump from Canadian major-junior hockey is often a big one, but Rudolph has made the transition with ease.

Rudolph wasn’t the only star on the ice for the Pioneers on Sunday, though. Sophomore goalie Johnny Hicks made his customary timely saves and kept the game under control in the rare situation where the Sun Devils had the Pioneers hemmed in the defensive zone. Hicks stopped all 28 ASU shots in game two and 22 of 25 on Friday night (ASU’s third goal came in garbage time when the game was already effectively over, hurting his SV% stats).

Hicks, sitting at 20-0-1 for his career, still has not lost a game. No, this streak will not last forever, but it’s been so much fun to watch, and we’ll enjoy keeping track of it as long as we possibly can.

For the Pioneers, though, it’s a big five road points over a team that, under new head coach Dave Hakstol, will likely keep punching above its weight as it did in game two. Even though game two didn’t fit into the Pioneers’ preferred style, they showed encouraging signs that they were willing to adapt to what the game required. They tightened up in the defensive zone to keep ASU outside and kept peppering Urban whenever they could, knowing something would eventually get through him. They would have preferred that it happened before overtime, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Now, Denver’s attention turns back to nonconference play next weekend as they welcome Lindenwood, the authors of one of the bigger upsets of the 2025-26 season when they beat the Pioneers in St. Louis last October, to Magness Arena. The Lions went to Ed Robson Arena this weekend and stole a 2-2 tie from the CC Tigers in game two after falling 4-2 the night before.

Friday Highlights

Sunday Highlight

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