WEST POINT, N.Y. – After trailing 2-1 in the third period, the Army West Point hockey team rallied from behind with an unassisted shorthanded goal from Michael Wilson to force overtime against Mercyhurst Friday night.
ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES
- Army and Mercyhurst both earned a point for the Atlantic Hockey standings with tonight’s tie.
- It was the Black Knights’ sixth overtime contest of the season and head coach Brian Riley‘s 93rd behind the bench.
- Blake Box netted Army’s first goal of the night and snapped his stick while doing so.
- It is the senior captain’s second score of the season and eighth of his career. The goal was also Box’s second against the Lakers.
- The Lakers snapped Army’s streak of killing off penalties. After denying its opponents on 16-straight power plays, Mercyhurst was able to capitalize when none other than Jack Riley got the score in the first period.
- Wilson is now on a two-game scoring streak with the Cadets’ unassisted shorthanded goal.
- It was the first shorthanded score for the sophomore and Army’s second of the season. The shorthanded goal was the Black Knights’ second in three contests.
- Wilson is Army’s leading scorer with 14 goals and eight assists for 22 points.
- Brendan Soucie and Zach Evancho were credited with assists in tonight’s matchup.
- Soucie increased his season helper total to three, while Evancho now has seven.
- Jared Dempsey started for Army and garnered 36 saves, one shy of his career-high.
- The rookie now boasts four games with 30 or more saves.
HOW IT HAPPENED
PERIOD ONE (ARMY 1 – HURST 1)
- Dominic Franco tested Brandon Wildung early with a crisp shot, but the goaltender made a save with his skate to keep the game rolling at 0-0.
- Taylor Maruya had a chance early on after tic-tac-toe passing from Conor Andrle and Trevor Fidler, but Wildung made the save again.
- Nine minutes into the contest, Army scored the opening goal off a faceoff. Soucie won the draw as Evancho pulled the puck out and knocked it over to Box. Box then took a shot from the right circle and it hit the inside post for the score while breaking his stick in the process.
- The Lakers didn’t stay quiet and West Point, N.Y., native Jack Riley scored on the power play off a loose puck in the middle to even things up with 6:45 to go in the frame.
PERIOD TWO (HURST 2 – ARMY 1)
- The Black Knights had an early power play in the frame, but Mercyhurst was able to kill it off.
- At the 15:40 mark, the Lakers struck again to pick up a 2-1 lead.
- Dempsey stood tall in net though and a minute later made a clutch glove save off a point-blank shot.
PERIOD THREE (ARMY 2 – HURST 2)
- The Lakers had a man-advantage just three minutes into the stanza.
- Wilson had two breakaway opportunities on the penalty kill and scored on the second chance 4:01 into the period.
- He stole the puck in the Army zone and rushed it up the left side shooting high right past Wildung for the first shorthanded goal, the first of his career.
- The goal forced the Black Knights and Lakers to a five minute overtime period.
OVERTIME (ARMY 2 – HURST 2)
- The intensity between the two squads continued into overtime.
- Dempsey made multiple saves throughout the five minute stretch to keep the Black Knights alive.
- With 24 seconds remaining, the netminder made a pad save as a Mercyhurst player flew into him on the rush
With Army match report
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