WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army hockey team scored two goals on the power play, but it wasn’t enough as Brown defeated the Black Knights by a 4-2 score on Friday night at Tate Rink.
Army (2-4-1) ended its seven-game homestand to begin the season. The Black Knights got power play goals from Shane Hearn and Joe Kozlak in the loss. Cole Bruns earned the start between the pipes and made a season-high 32 stops. Army was 2-for-4 with the man advantage tonight. Mac Lalor had a great night from the blueline with two assists to lead all point-getters for Black Knights.
Brown (1-0-0) played its season opener at Tate Rink and 10 difference skaters registered points. Tyler Steel got the win in net for the visitors, making 29 saves. The Black Knights played disciplined, allowing only one power play for the Bears.
“This was probably one of our more incomplete games so far this season,” head coach Brian Riley said. “We came out in the third period with a sense of urgency and that’s easy when you are down two goals. Hopefully we learn from that.
“The good news was that our power play gave us a couple of goals and hopefully that is something that will give us a little bit of spark going into to next weekend on the road at Mercyhurst.”
The Bears opened the scoring with Max Willman tallying the Bears’ first goal of their 2014-15 season. The goal came five minutes into the first period with an assist to Sam Lafferty and Tyler Wood. Lafferty broke into the zone with Willman and they connected on a pass and then Willman solved Bruns for the 1-0 advantage.
The Black Knights answered just under three minutes later with Hearn scoring his first of the year on the power play. Army had great perimeter passing from Zak Zaremba to Lalor. The senior captain then slipped a pass to Hearn at the right circle where the junior ripped a wrister through traffic and beat Steel to tie the game. Junior captain Joe Kozlak provided a great screen in front of Steel that allowed the puck to escape the vision of the netminder.
The second period featured two goals from Brown as the Bears built a two-goal lead going into the third period. Davey Middleton regained the lead for Brown in the opening minutes of the middle frame and then Charlie Corcoran added to the advantage. Corcoran’s goal came off a blocked shot from Brandon Pfeil and he collected the rebound in front of Bruns and tucked it past the Army backstop.
Army sliced the lead down to two goals with Kozlak netting his second of the year and first on the power play. Ryan Nick shoveled a pass to Lalor at the high slot and he let one go that Kozlak tipped past Steel. Kozlak was provided another screen on the power play and had no resistance in front from any Brown defenders.
The Black Knights had opportunities down the stretch to get to within a goal, but Steel made a couple of stops in the final minute.
The Black Knights hit the road for the first time this year with a visit to Mercyhurst for a two-game league set.
Game Notes: Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Chief of Staff U.S. Army and were in attendance tonight … LPGA superstar Paula Creamer was at Tate Rink… U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team medalists from Sochi Kelly Clark, Devin Logan and Alex Deibold dropped the ceremonial puck … Army has scored a power play goal in three-straight games … Hearn became the 10th skater this season to record a goal … Lalor got on the scoresheet for the first time this season.
