Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
4-12-2, 4-10-2AHA
Mercyhurst
7-4-2, 5-2-2AHA
Hockey Drops Conference Game to Mercyhurst
December 06, 2014 | Hockey
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WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army hockey team erased a three-goal Mercyhurst lead, but the Lakers finished off the game with three unanswered goals to defeat the Black Knights, 6-3, on Saturday night at Tate Rink.
Army (4-12-2, 4-10-2 AHA) saw three different skaters record multi-point games as Clint Carlisle, Conor Andrle and Brendan McGuire each had a goal and an assist. Tyler Pham posted an assist and he increased his point total on the season to a team-high 15 points. Cole Bruns got the start and made seven saves in the opening period. Parker Gahagen relieved the rookie and stopped 19 in the second and third periods, but took the loss.
The Lakers (7-4-2, 5-2-2 AHA) were led by Jack Riley, son of Army head coach Brian Riley. He had a big night with four points on two goals and two assists. He scored the first and last goals of the game. Overall, Mercyhurst had five goal scorers and Kyle Cook posted two helpers. Brandon Wildung stopped 30 shots to get the win.
"We knew we'd be in trouble if we didn't play our game," said Riley. "It was very back-and-forth and fast, which is how Mercyhurst likes to play and we found ourselves in the middle of that. We kept them within three and got back in, but let it go in the last 15 minutes."
The Lakers took the first lead of the contest with Riley scoring his second of the season in front of his father. It was on e of the quickest goals off a faceoff you will see as Riley took a chance and swiped hard at the puck. He connected and went high glove side and just below the cross bar.
Mercyhurst added to the lead with 8:17 left as Matt Zay scored his third of the year on a wrap around off a rebound. Bruns made the first save on Jonathan Charbonneau, but the puck came to Zay and he went behind the net and banked one off of Bruns and into the net for the 2-0 advantage. Kyle Just was also given an assist on the play.
In the second period, the Lakers gained a three-goal advantage with Kyle Dutra adding his sixth of the season with an assist to Cook. Mercyhurst broke into the zone on a 3-on-1 and Cook slid a pass over to Dutra and he fired a shot past a sprawled out Gahagen to make it 3-0, 1:25 into the middle frame.
The Black Knights cut the lead to 3-1 with Andrle netting his second of the year with 5:25 left in the second period. Carlisle was able to stop a clearing chance from the Lakers and found Andrle. The rookie jammed it home to get Army within two scores.
Army sliced the advantage again with a power play goal from McGuire with 2:23 remaining in the second stanza. The goal was the result of great passing between Tyler Pham and Andrle. The pair were given assists on the play as Andrle earned his second point of the night. McGuire camped out in the slot and Andrle shoveled a pass and he hit the one-timer past Wildung.
Carlisle knotted the game at 3-3 with the team's first shorthanded goal of the season with 15 minutes left in the game. McGuire skated in on Wildung, who made the save with his glove, but Carlisle didn't give up on the play. He charged the net and hit the loose puck into the net for his second of the year. The goal went under review, but it was determined that it was a good goal.
The Lakers fired back with three-straight to earn the 6-3 win. Daniel Bahntge and Ryan Misiak scored for Mercyhurst to make it 5-3 with under 10 minutes left. Riley assisted on both goals and then closed out the scoring at 6-3 with a breakaway tally.
Army narrowly outshot the Lakers by a 33-32 advantage. The Black Knights went 1-for-1 on the power play and had a shorthanded goal.
Army is off for just over three weeks and returns on Dec. 30 against the Russian Red Stars at Tate Rink.
Ice Shavings: The was the fourth meeting of the season and 48th overall between Army and Mercyhurst since the first meeting in 2000 ... series currently sits at 35-9-4 in favor of Mercyhurst ... Army scored its first shorthanded goal of the season ... the last shorthanded goal by the Black Knights also came off the stick of Carlisle as he scored vs. Air Force on Jan. 11, 2014 ... Andrle and McGuire tallied their second multi-point games this season ... Carlisle posted his fifth of his career ... Jack Riley finished with four points on the weekend on the home rink he skated at as a kid.
