Strong Start Boosts Army to 4-1 Victory over AIC

Tuesday, November 26

Springfield, MA

7:05 PM

Army West Point

8-4-0, 6-4-0

AIC

3-6-0, 3-3-0

Army

AIC

Strong Start Boosts Army to 4-1 Victory over AIC

November 26, 2019 | Hockey

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Army West Point hockey team's strong showing in the first period boosted the Black Knights to a 4-1 victory over American International on the road Tuesday night.

The Cadets went up 3-0 with 7:15 to go in the game, but the Yellow Jackets spoiled the shutout with a 6-on-4 score with 2:34 remaining. Army scored on the empty net to clinch the game by a 4-1 score.

Dominic Franco and John Laurito notched their first goals of the season and were joined by Mason Krueger and Zach Evancho in the scoring column.

Trevin Kozlowski kept AIC's high-scoring offense at bay, allowing one goal and pushing aside a career-high 35 shots.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Cadets jumped on top 10:11 into the game thanks to a power play score by Franco.
Alex Wilkinson setup Michael Wilson for a one-timer from the top of the left circle, but it was Franco who banked it home off the rebound to give Army a 1-0 lead with 26 seconds to go on the man-advantage.
Army worked off its momentum netting a second goal before the close of the opening period.
Kevin Dineen picked the pocket of a Yellow Jackets defender to set up Laurito for the score.
A breakaway goal by Krueger with a shot on the nearside pipe gave the Cadets a 3-0 lead with 7:15 to go in the game.
AIC pulled its netminder for nearly the remainder of the game and was awarded a 6-on-4 advantage with 4:02 on the clock.
The Yellow Jackets netted a power play goal at the 2:34 minute mark to spoil a shutout for the Cadets and to snap the team's penalty killing streak.
Army wasn't done yet however as Evancho netted an empty net goal while clearing the puck out of the Black Knights' zone with 18 seconds remaining in the game.

HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

After 683:40 minutes of not allowing a power play goal, the Black Knights' streak was snapped.
The Yellow Jackets needed more than a one-man advantage to score and netted their power play goal with a 6-on-4 advantage after pulling Zackarias Skog for nearly the final seven minutes of the game.
Kozlowski made a career-high 35 saves in net.
It was the second time in his tenure to make 30 or more saves.
Laurito and Dineen returned to Army's lineup tonight and were responsible for the team's game-winning goal.
Laurito registered the goal and Dineen the assist for their first points of the season.
It was Laurito's fourth-career goal and 15th-career point.
He notched the first game-winning score as a Black Knights.
Dineen's assist was his sixth overall and eighth point.
Franco posted his fifth point in five games tonight with the goal.
He now has nine points in 2019-20 and 83 in his career to lead all Black Knights.
It also marked Franco's 19th power play goal in an Army sweater.
Krueger produced his second score of the season and 11th in his career.
He now owns four points this year and 28 overall.
Evancho scored for the second game in a row.
The senior captain netted goal number four of the year and 35 overall.
He and Franco are tied with the most career goals on the team.
Evancho's 73 points rank him second on the roster in career tallies.
Wilkinson is also on a two-game point streak after assisting on the power play goal tonight.
That was his 54th helper in his tenure and 68th total point.
Wilson posted assist number two of the year and his sixth point.
His career totals increase to 24 (assists) and 53 (points).
Daniel Haider's assist on Krueger's goal was his first of the year and sixth in his career.
Cody Fleckenstein and John Zimmerman were credited with assists on the empty net goal.
Fleckenstein was on the stat sheet for the third time in four games with his third-career assist.
Zimmerman now boasts eight assists this season and 25 in his career.
He has recorded six points in five games now.