WEST POINT, N.Y. – Down two goals after the first period, the Army hockey team scored five unanswered to earn a 5-2 win over Sacred Heart to sweep the weekend series from the Pioneers.
Army (4-6-4, 3-5-4 AHA) got goals from five different skaters and C.J. Reuschlein led the way with a three-point night on a goal and two assists. Trevor Fidler and Ryan Nick added two points each on a goal and an assist. Parker Gahagen stopped 26 shots, including 12 when the Pioneers put on the pressure in the final period.
Sacred Heart (5-9-2, 4-7-1 AHA) saw goals by Justin Danforth and Coltyn Hansen. Nathan Perry equaled Gahagen’s numbers with 26 stops with 14 coming in the first period.
After going down 2-0, head coach Brian Riley said his team didn’t panic.
“I told the team we still had 40 minutes left,” Riley stated. “We had been in this situation before and have been able to battle back, so our guys felt good and once we got that first goal, you could see that there was a spark and the guys took over from there.”
The Pioneers took the early lead with Danforth netting his sixth of the year. He was in the right place at the right time as Jordan Minello chipped a backhanded pass through the crease and Danforth jammed it home on the open net from the opposite post. Sacred Heart added to the lead with Hanson scoring on a shorthanded breakaway. He picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and beat Gahagen on the glove side to take a two-goal lead into the first intermission.
The Black Knights gained their stride in the second period with three goals to take a 3-2 advantage into the final frame. The period got started with Nick scoring from the point at the 13:34 mark on assists to C.J. Reuschlein and Trevor Fidler. Army tied the game 16 seconds later with Pham banking a shot off a Sacred Heart defender and past Perry to even the score at 2-2. Conor Andrle was rewarded for his effort with an assist.
Army took the lead for good with 8:05 left in the second on a snipe from McGuire. Christian Pomarico cleared the puck out to Nick DeCenzo in the neutral zone and he connected with McGuire on a cross-ice pass. The sophomore streaked into the zone on the right side and fired a shot that snuck under the arm of Perry and into the back of the net for the 3-2 advantage.
The Black Knights finished off the game with two goals in the third period to earn the 5-2 victory. Fidler tallied his fourth of the season with an assist to Reuschlein with less than six minutes remaining. Reusclein then added to his point total with an empty netter to seal the deal for the Black Knights.
It was Army’s first weekend series sweep since Feb. 18-19, 2011, when the Black Knights beat American International in a home-and-home series.
Army was held off the board on the power play for the first time in five games as the Black Knights were 0-for-3 with the extra skater. Shots were 31-28 in favor of the Black Knights.
Army hits the road next weekend for two contests at AIC with a Friday night puck drop at 7:05 p.m., followed by a 4:05 p.m. start on Saturday.
Ice Shavings: This is the 58th meeting between Sacred Heart and Army … the Black Knights ended a three-game winning streak by the Pioneers last night … Army has earned league points in all but one conference weekend this season … the Black Knights scored three goals in the second period, which was the most in a period this season … Army swept a weekend series for the first time since 2011 … Reuschlein tied a career high with three points … Nick posted his second career multi-point game.
