HANOVER, N.H. – The Army West Point hockey team found itself down 2-0 late in the second period, but responded with two unanswered goals to earn a 2-2 tie at Dartmouth in the first day of the Ledyard Bank Classic.
The Big Green (4-5-3)advanced to the title game against No. 7 UMass-Lowell after a 1-0 win in the shootout, but the game is officially a tie in the overall record for both teams.
Army takes on Colgate in the consolation game at 4 p.m. tomorrow as the Raiders’ comeback fell short, 3-2, against the River Hawks.
Army (9-6-2) got goals from Blake Box and Conor Andrle, while Parker Gahagen stopped 29 shots.
After scoreless first period, the scoring lit up at the end of the second period with a combined three goals in the final 2:37 of the middle frame. Dartmouth took a 2-0 lead with two goals in a 46-second span with tallies by Corey Kalk and Cam Strong.
When it looked like the Big Green was taking a 2-0 lead into the final period, Blake Box gathered the puck in the high slot and skated in on Devin Buffalo and beat the netminder with a nifty wrister and the Black Knights cut the lead to 2-1.
Andrle tied the game 46 seconds into the third period with a nice collection of a rebound in front to make a 2-2 game.
Kalk was the lone skater to score in overtime. He beat Gahagen in the second round and Army could not answer in the third as the Big Green advanced.
ARMY GAME NOTES
The Black Knights returned to the Ledyard Bank Classic for the first time since 2008.
Current assistant coach Zach McKelvie was on Brian Riley’s squad that played in the 2008 tournament.
Former Army head coach Jack Riley was a 1944 graduate of Dartmouth College and the Big Green continue to wear patches honoring the U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer, who passed away during last year’s hockey season.
The Black Knights are 45-10-6 all-time against the Big Green.
Army’s last win against Dartmouth was in 1991 with a 4-3 win in overtime at Thompson Arena.
The Black Knights held an opponent scoreless in the first 20 minutes for the third-straight game.
This was Army’s second game of the year against an ECAC Hockey team after tying Colgate, 2-2, in the season opener on Oct. 1.
The Black Knights are 0-0-2 against ECAC Hockey teams and faces Colgate for the second time this year tomorrow.
Army has yet to be shutout this season through the first 17 games of the year.
Zach Evancho extended his point streak to four games with an assist. He ties Dominic Franco for the longest streak of the season by any player. Franco scored eight points during a four-game stretch in November.
Andrle added his fourth point in two games after posting three points against Holy Cross on Dec. 10.
Dartmouth and Army have played twice in the Ledyard Bank Classic and both games have gone into overtime.
Army played in its third overtime game of the season and is 0-1-2 in the three games.
TURNING POINT
Andrle scored his eighth goal of the season early into the third period to tie the game at 2-2. He collected a rebound in front after Nick DeCenzo fired a shot from the point.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams settled for scoreless first period, but Army had a flurry of chances midway through the frame. Buffalo denied the Black Knights three or four times in front of the net during a scrum.
The Big Green got on the board first with a power play goal with 2:37 left in the second period. Kalk was credited with his fourth goal of the season from the high slot with assists to Troy Crema and Shane Sellar.
Dartmouth then added its second in under a minute with Strong scoring his fifth of the year with assists to Cam Roth and Carl Hesler. The two goals came 46 seconds apart and the Big Green looked to have a 2-0 lead into the final period.
The Black Knights and Box had other ideas in the final seconds as the junior fired home his second of the year with 1.3 seconds left in the frame. Top liners Zach Evancho and Dominic Franco were given helpers on the goal.
The scoring continued into the third period as Andrle jammed home a rebound in front just 45 seconds into the final frame. Nick DeCenzo fired a shot that Buffalo stopped, but left a juicy rebound and Andrle capitalized with his eight of the season.
UP NEXT
The Black Knights are back on the ice at Thompson Arena for a 4 p.m. start against Colgate on Saturday in their second game of the Ledyard Bank Classic.
