WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Army erased a pair of deficits, but American International scored with 44 seconds left in overtime to down the Black Knights, 4-3, on Friday night at the Olympia Ice Center.
Army (4-7-4, 3-6-4 AHA) got goals from C.J. Reuschlein, Nick DeCenzo and Joe Kozlak as the Black Knights lost their first overtime game of the season and sit 0-1-4 after regulation. Clint Carlisle added two assists in the lost and Ryan Nick continued his hot stretch with an assist to give him points in seven of his last eight games.
Parker Gahagen earned his eighth-straight start in net for the Black Knights and made 21 saves.
The Yellow Jackets (3-13-0, 3-8-0 AHA) saw Jackson Dudley even the game up with 3:10 remaining and then Austin Orszulak put home the gamewinner with 44 seconds left in the extra period. Bryant Christian and Trevor Cope also netted goals for the home squad. Alex Murray finished with 34 saves to earn the victory.
After scoreless first period, the Yellow Jackets broke the ice with 16:40 left in the second period with a shorthanded goal from Christian to give American International a 1-0 lead. The Black Knights fired back late in the period with Reuschlein scoring his third of the season on the power play with assists to Nick and Carlisle.
American International regained the lead at 2-1 with 16:09 left in the third period on a goal from Cope.
The goals then came at a furious pace in the final five minutes. It took nearly 55 minutes to score three goals before the two teams combined for three in a span of less than three minutes.
DeCenzo got it started with his fourth of the season coming with 5:14 left in the third period to tie the game at 2-2 with assists to Carlisle and Christian Pomarico. Just over a minute later, Kozlak gave the Black Knights their first lead of the game at 3-2 with his third of the campaign. Mike Preston and Trevor Fidler were added to the scoresheet with assists on the play.
The lead didn’t last long as Dudley scored 1:02 after Army had taken the lead. It was Dudley’s fifth of the season with helpers to David Gandara and Andrew Debrincat and it was tied at 3-3.
The Black Knights went to the extra period for the fifth time, but came up on the losing end for the first time as Orszulak found the back of the net in the final minute to give the Yellow Jackets a 4-3 victory.
Army had a big advantage in shots at 37-25 and scored a power play goal on five chances.
Army and American International are back on the ice tomorrow for a Saturday matinee at 3:05 p.m. at the Olympia Ice Center.
Ice Shavings: Army leads the series 58-24-6 and this was the 88th meeting between the two teams … Parker Gahagen made his 12th start of the season and eighth in a row … Army has scored a power play goal in six of its last seven games … Reuschlein scored his second goal in as many games and has five points in the last three … Carlisle added his first multi-assist game of the season and third of his career … it was his eight multi-point game of his career … Army is now 0-1-4 in overtime this year.
