NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Behind two goals from Conor Andrle, the Army hockey team held on for its first win at Dwyer Arena with a 4-2 victory over Niagara on Friday night.
Army (6-11-6, 4-9-6 AHA) saw Andrle tally his first career multi-goal game and only the second one this season for the Black Knights. He also added an assist for three points, which was a career high. Nick DeCenzo and Clint Carlisle posted two-point nights with a pair of assist each. Trevor
Fidler and Brendan McGuire were Army’s other goal scorers on the night.
The Black Knights had been on the wrong side of each decision at Dwyer Arena in their last eight meetings, but tonight was different.
“Our guys worked really hard tonight and it is hard to win on the road, especially up here at Niagara,” head coach Brian Riley said. “I am really proud of them to get this win tonight.”
Parker Gahagen got the start in net and made 29 saves to earn his sixth win of the season, which ties a career best. He wasn’t challenge much in the middle part of the game, but came up big in the third period for the Black Knights.
“Good goalies have to make great saves and tonight they were pushing in the third period, but Parker was solid in goal for us,” Riley added. “When he is like that, he makes the rest of the team better in front of him.”
Army’s power play came alive against the Purple Eagles with two goals on five opportunities.
“The power play and penalty kill guys have to be difference makers, and for us our power play came up huge with the two goals,” Riley said.
The Purple Eagles (3-19-3, 3-14-2 AHA) got goals from TJ Sarcona and Sean King in the loss. Jackson Teichroeb earned the start and made 16 saves in the first 40 minutes, but was relieved in the third period by Guillaume Therien and he made eight saves.
Army got the first lead of the game with McGuire’s sixth of the year after jamming home a great feed from Clint Carlisle. Nick DeCenzo brought the puck into the zone along the boards and fought through a hard check to get the puck to Carlisle. He wasted no time finding McGuire, who was wide open in front and he beat Teichroeb.
The Black Knights increase their lead to 2-0 with a power play goal from Andrle. The St. Louis Park, Minn., native scored his fourth goal on the man advantage. Ryan Nick did a great job keeping the puck in and found Andrle and he skated open to the net along the goal line. No defensemen picked him up and he buried it past Teichroeb for the two-goal lead.
Fidler made it 3-0 with another power play goal coming in the final minute. Tyler Pham fired a shot from the point that Fidler redirected at the side of the net for a beautiful goal and Army had a commanding lead heading into the first intermission. Andrle was given an assist on the play as well for his second point of the night.
The teams played most of the second period without finding the back of the net, but Niagara changed that with a crazy bounce. Sarcona took a shot from the side boards that had no business getting on net. The puck deflected off of an Army body in front and beat Gahagen to make it 3-1 with just over two minutes left in the game.
Army regained its three-goal advantage with three seconds left in the frame with Andrle scoring his second of the night. He played give-and-go with Carlisle and got the puck back in the slot and fired a changeup that Teichroeb couldn’t get to and the Black Knights led 4-1 entering the final frame. DeCenzo was credited with an assist, along with Carlisle.
Niagara was able to cut the deficit to two goals midway through the third period with King putting home a rebound on the power play, but that was the last of the scoring as Army won 4-2.
Both teams went 2-for-5 on the man advantage and the Purple Eagles had a 31-28 lead in shots.
The two teams are back at it tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Dwyer Arena.
Ice Shavings: This is the 15th meeting all-time between Army and Niagara … Army was featured on television for the fourth time this season as the game was live on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel … this was the second straight year, the Black Knights visited Niagara … Army scored on the power play for the first time since Jan. 8 at Sacred Heart … Four of Andrle’s five goals have come on the power play … the three goals in the first period tied a season high and was the most in the opening frame since last season against AIC in January of 2015 … Andrle had a career best three points and his first multi-goal game.
