KINGSTON, Ontario. – Backed by Cole Bruns’ shutout, the Army West Point hockey team topped the Royal Military College, 5-0, in an aggressive game on Saturday night. Michael Wilson led the Black Knights offensively with two power play goals.
ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES
The Black Knights continued on to an 11-game unbeaten streak and seven-game winning streak over the RMC in the longest standing international rivalry.
Wilson continued his hot streak on the power play with two more in the game.
He netted one in the first and one in the second period.
It was the Fond du Lac, Wisc., native’s first goals against the Paladins improving his point total in the series to four.
Tucker DeYoung netted the first goal of his career 5:35 into the third period.
Brendan Soucie scored late in the third to give him two points on the night after assisting on DeYoung’s.
It was the sophomore’s first career points against the Paladins.
Tyler Pham netted the Black Knights’ final goal of the game on the breakaway setup by Dominic Franco.
The goal was Pham’s first of his career versus RMC.
Dalton MacAfee assisted on both of Wilson’s goals for his third and fourth assists opposite RMC.
Pham, Zach Evancho and Brendan Soucie all had one assist each on the night.
Cole Bruns earned the shutout against RMC for his fourth-straight victory against the international rival.
The last time Army shutout the Royal Military College was on Jan. 24 in 2015 when the Black Knights topped the Paladins 8-0 backed by Bruns again.
HOW IT HAPPENED
PERIOD ONE (ARMY 1 – RMC 0)
The Black Knights went on the first power play of the game three minutes in after a high stick call.
Conor Andrle finished the man-advantage off with a shot that nicked the pipe.
Taylor Maruya had an opportunity at the halfway mark of the first period, but netminder Austin Hannford captured the loose puck.
The Black Knights went on the power play 15:38 into the game and scored 13 seconds later when Wilson capitalized on the door step. Pham and MacAfee were credited with the assists.
PERIOD TWO (ARMY 2 – RMC 0)
Army killed off a lingering penalty to start off the first and went on a power play of its own 3:39 in.
Wilson capitalized again from the left doorstep this time and slid the puck past the goal line with the play being set up by Wilkinson and MacAfee with 18 seconds left in the power play.
With five minutes remaining in the period, Trevor Fidler took back-to-back shots, but was unable to score.
PERIOD THREE (ARMY 5 – RMC 0)
The Black Knights killed off two penalties to start off the third frame.
Bruns picked up multiple saves in the stretch.
DeYoung netted his first goal of the year at the 14:25 mark. Soucie won the faceoff and passed it back to Evancho whose shot was rebounded by DeYoung in the slot.
The Black Knights went up 4-0 with 5:42 remaining. Andrle had a nice drop pass as Soucie crossed the middle and he scored from the left circle.
Pham closed out the game’s scoring off a successful breakaway set up by Wilson and Franco.
UP NEXT
The Black Knights return to Tate Rink for the next two weekends hosting Mercyhurst and Niagara.
(U.S. Army Men’s Hockey Photo)
