Army Pulls off Overtime Victory over Mercyhurst

Friday, March 8

Erie, PA

7:05 PM

Army West Point

10-18-7, 8-13-7AHA

Mercyhurst

13-18-5, 11-13-4AHA

OT 1

Army West Point

Mercyhurst

Army Pulls off Overtime Victory over Mercyhurst

March 08, 2019 | Hockey

Box Score

ERIE, Pa. – After 75:58 minutes played, Dominic Franco scored on a breakaway goal in overtime to defeat Mercyhurst 3-2 in Friday night's first round playoff game of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament.

Dalton MacAfee produced his first-career multi-goal game with the pair of regulation scores.

Matt Penta earned the first road win of his career with 33 saves, one shy of his career-high.

Tonight's win marked the Cadets' first overtime playoff victory since becoming a Division I program. Army is 4-0-1 against the Lakers this season with three wins coming in overtime.

HOW IT HAPPENED

MacAfee got the Black Knights on the board first with a score 5:33 into the action.
Trevor Fidler put in the work on the boards for at least a minute to set up the score.
Fidler moved the puck over to Mason Krueger who was able to change ice and keep Stefano Cantali off balance.
MacAfee fired one into the open net for the 1-0 lead.
The Lakers knotted the score six seconds into their first power play of the game.
Army bounced back with a 4-on-3 goal two 3:20 later.
Alex Wilkinson passed the puck over to MacAfee who was waiting atop the left circle.
MacAfee held the puck and the delayed shot enabled him to score top left on Cantali.
Zach Evancho sniped a bar-down shot from the left circle, but it was ruled to have not crossed the goal line at the 14:47 mark.
The Lakers came back down the ice on the next shift to score and tie it up 2-2.
Both shots were reviewed, but only the Lakers' would stand.
In the extra time, Krueger had a breakaway three minutes in, but Mercyhurst came up with the stop.
Moments later, Army was charged with a penalty and killed off the disadvantage.
Eric Butte and Ian Mansfield had opportunities in the extra time, but could not get the puck past the goal line.
With 5:24 on the clock, Taylor Maruya makes a diving play in front of his own net to block a Mercyhurst shot and to extend the game.
Alex Wilkinson was charged his first penalty tonight but enabled Army to cash in a 4-on-4 opportunity as Joseph Duszak was also sent to the box on the play.
Franco took the faceoff for Army and deflected a shot by a Laker forward. He then carried the puck up the ice and scored

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

For the first time in his career, MacAfee netted two goals.
The senior has produced 11 multi-point games this season and 16 in his career.
MacAfee leads the Black Knights in points with 32.
Krueger registered his fifth point in four games tonight.
He now boasts eight this season for 16 points.
Fidler returned to the lineup tonight and garnered helper number seven this year.
The senior has seven this year and 11 points.
In his career, Fidler boasts 30 assists and 54 points.
Wilkinson and Evancho assisted on the Cadets' second goal of the night.
Wilkinson tallied assist 20 and point 24 of the season.
He now has 48 career helpers and 61 career points.
Evancho notched his 18th helper of the year and 27th point.
The junior now has 35 assists and 66 points in his career.
Penta turned aside 33 shots, one shy of his career-high.
The nation's fifth-best team on the man-advantage recorded its 35th power play goal of the season.
The Black Knights have the fourth-most power play tallies in the nation behind No. 2 Massachusetts (38) and No. 5 Quinnipiac (36).
It is the fifth overtime game for Army in seven contests.