WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army hockey team went to overtime for the fourth time in the last five games and settled for a 1-1 tie against Sacred Heart to stay unbeaten against the Pioneers in three games this season.
The story of the night was the goaltending by both sides. Parker Gahagen got the start for the Black Knights and made 36 stops, while Brett Magnus made the same number of stops for the Pioneers in the draw.
Army (5-9-5, 3-7-5 AHA) got its lone goal from Tyler Pham with assists to Conor Andrle and Trevor Fidler. For Pham, it was his third of the season and first on the power play. Andrle added to his point total with his 15th of the season and has tallied points in nine of his last 11 games.
Sacred Heart (7-10-3, 6-7-2 AHA) earned the tie thanks to a third period goal from Erlich Doerksen, which was his first of the season, with an assist to Alec Butcher.
The two teams skated to a scoreless period despite six power play chances between the two squads. The best chance for the Black Knights came from Tyler Pham as the sophomore had a shorthanded breakaway chance, but Magnus closed his pads to keep it a scoreless game.
The Black Knights struck first with Pham scoring in the final seconds of a five-minute major. Andrle and Fidler did the dirty work in the corner and got the puck out to the point to Pham. The sophomore fired a wrist shot past Magnus with help from a screen in front by Joe Kozlak. It was Pham’s third of the year and first on the power play.
It didn’t take long into the third period for the Pioneers to tie it. Doerksen got open in the slot and fired one past the glove of Gahagen.
The two teams played a pretty even third period after that, but Army had a few more chances. However, the Black Knights couldn’t regain the lead. Gahagen stood tall in the extra period with six saves, including three during a flurry in front that also saw two defensemen block shots with the netminder caught at one post.
The game ended in a 1-1 tie with each team firing 37 shots on net. Army had six power play opportunities and scored once, while Sacred Heart was held off the board on three chances.
The two teams are back in action Saturday at the Milford Ice Pavilion with puck drop at 7:05 p.m.
Ice Shaving: This was the third meeting in a little more than a month between the Pioneers and Black Knights … first conference game since Dec. 12 against AIC … Army has scored a power play in 14-of-19 games this season … Pham tallied his third goal of the season and first of the year on the power play … Andrle leads the team with 12 assists and has equaled his output from a season a ago … the Black Knights went to overtime for the eighth time this season and are 0-3-5 in those games … Gahagen made 35 saves or more for the sixth time this season … Army has taken five of a possible six points from the Pioneers this season.
