WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army hockey team scored four goals in the first period to cruise to an 8-0 win over the Royal Military Academy on Saturday night at Tate Rink. Clint Carlisle led the way with four points on a goal and three assists, while the Black Knights made it four-straight wins over their rival.
In addition to Carlisle’s four points, Army saw C.J. Reuschlein put two goals and add an assist for three points. Three players added multiple point games with Joe Kozlak, Maurice Alvarez and Ryan Nick adding a goal and an assist each. Cole Bruns earned the shutout with 19 saves.
The Black Knights outshot the Paladins by a 60-19 margin and goaltender Evan Deviller stopped 52 shots.
“Anytime you have a rivalry game you know there’s going to be a different level of intensity,” head coach Brian Riley. “We came out strong, I didn’t know what kind of game it was going to be like, but those early power play goals helped our momentum. Both military academies teach discipline and it was just good hockey without getting out of hand. I thought we did a really good job, especially with the power play goals.”
The Black Knights exploded for four goals in the first period with two coming on the power play. Reuschlein got the scoring started with an even strength goal with 13:32 left in the first. He took a pass from Conor Andrle on a rush up ice and wristed a shot past Deviller for the 1-0 lead.
Nick increased the lead to 2-0 with a power play goal coming with 8:33 remaining in the first stanza. Carlisle won the faceoff back to Nick and he skated the puck to the high slot and put his shot through traffic and into the back of the net. For Carlisle it was the first of three helpers in the period.
Army made it 3-0 with Joe Llaurado scoring from the faceoff dot on the right side. Kozlak then tipped home a shot from Nick on the power play with 56 seconds left in the stanza.
The power play goals kept coming in the second period with two of the three on the man advantage goals during a five-minute major penalty. Alvarez got the frame started to make it 5-0, 3:51 into the period. He found himself wide open in the slot and buried it. Reuschlein added to the lead with the first of two on the five-minute power play. He, like Alvarez, just had to tap the puck in at the far post to give the Black Knights a 6-0 advantage.
The scoring for the second frame ended with Zak Zaremba scoring with just under five minutes left. Army showed great tic-tac-toe passing on the power play and Zaremba reaped the reward after Josh Richards made a beautiful saucer pass through the crease to find Zaremba.
Army closed out scoring in the third period with Carlisle tallying the lone goal of the frame. He beat Deviller after getting a nice pass from Joe Kozlak. He made a move from behind the net and tucked it past the near post to make it 8-0.
The Black Knights are back on the ice on Tuesday night against Princeton in their final conference game of the season.
Ice Shavings: This was the 79th meeting for the Challenge Cup … the series with RMC started in 1923 … it was alumni weekend for the Black Knights with 59 former players recognized during one of the intermissions … the USA Warriors Hockey Team were in attendance … Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen presented the Challenge Cup trophy … tonight’s game was part of a weekend full of events between Army and RMC … Army is 43-29-7 in the series … head coach Brian Riley is unbeaten against the Paladins at 6-0-1 … tonight was the first shutout against RMC since 2003 when the Black Knights won 4-0 … Maurice Alvarez finishes his career with seven points vs. RMC in his career, the most for a senior.
