WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point hockey team extended its unbeaten streak to three games with 3-0 shutout victory over Sacred Heart on Friday night at Tate Rink.
ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES
The Black Knights (2-0-1, 2-0-0 AHA) got goals from Brendan Soucie, Dalton MacAfee and Conor Andrle in the win. For Andrle it was his fourth goal in the first three games, while Soucie tallied his first collegiate goal during his first-career appearance. MacAfee found the net for the first time in an Army uniform with a wrister from the slot.
Sacred Heart (1-2-0, 0-2-0 AHA) saw Brett Magnus stop 25 shots in the loss.
Goaltender Parker Gahagen stopped 25 shots to earn his second shut out of the season and did not give up a goal in the last two games against the Pioneers with 58 saves and has not given up a goal in the last 149:22 minutes on ice.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Black Knights attacked first just three minutes into the game during a scrum in front of the net. Soucie redirected a shot by Ian Mansfield to capitalize as the goaltender fell out of position. Domnic Franco was also credited with the assist on the play.
Army gained a 5-on-3 opportunity in the period, but did not score a point across the 1:37 span.
MacAfee prevented the Pioneers from getting on the board in the first with a diving block after Gahagen made the initial save to leave the goal wide open.
In the second period, MacAfee proved that he can score goals as much as block them. Michael Wilson connected with MacAfee to clinch his first point in an Army uniform during 4-on-4 play to push the Black Knights’ lead to 2-0.
Andrle padded the Black Knights’ lead to 3-0 with 2:33 left in the game after Joe Schecter fed him from behind the blue line.
TURNING POINT
MacAfee was the difference maker in tonight’s game with a blocked shot to secure the shutout, and the team’s second goal of the night.
UP NEXT
The Black Knights will travel to UMass next Friday for a non-conference game at 7:05 p.m.
