Air Force Academy
Holy Cross
Falcons and Crusaders skate to 5-5 overtime tie
11/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 24, 2007
U.S.A.F. ACADEMY, Colo. - Josh Frider's power-play goal early in the third period tied the game at 5-5 and that was how it ended as Air Force and Holy Cross skated to an overtime tie Saturday night in an Atlantic Hockey Association game at the Cadet Ice Arena.
Air Force is 7-4-1 overall and 5-4-1 in the AHA. Holy Cross is 4-4-2 overall and 3-3-2 in the league. AFA took three points in the series with the 3-1 win on Friday. Three of the last five games in the Air Force-Holy Cross series have ended in a tie dating back to last season.
In a wild first 40 minutes, the teams combined for nine goals. Holy Cross scored first on an Air Force turnover deep in its own end. Everett Sheen was the recipient of the gift and put it past Andrew Volkening at the 4:38 mark. Air Force answered three minutes later when Frider scored his first of two goals on the night at 7:10 mark. On the power play, Frank Schiavone took a shot from the point that was tipped by Eric Ehn to Frider who tied the score at 1-1. AFA took a 2-1 lead on Ehn's second goal of the series. Brad Sellers made a pass down the left wall to Olson who fed Ehn at the top of the left circle at the 13:08 mark. Holy Cross tied the score at the 14:51 mark with a power-play goal from Ryan Driscoll with some nice passing from Frank O'Grady and Rob Forshner. The Falcons jumped ahead 3-2 with 40 seconds left in the first period on a goal by Brett Nylander. His wrap-around goal was assisted by Sean Bertsch and Josh Schaffer.
Four more goals were scored in the second period, three by the Crusaders. At the beginning of the period, the Crusaders pulled starting goalie Ian Dams in favor of Adam Roy. Holy Cross tied the game at 3-3 just 1:13 into the second period on another Air Force turnover right in front of its own net. Dale Reinhardt created the turnover and found Sheen for his second of the night. AFA took a 4-3 lead with a power-play goal by Jeff Hajner. Derrick Burnett made a pass from down low on the left side to Hajner in the left circle. His shot through a screen came at the 5:22 mark. Greg Flynn also assisted on the play. Holy Cross scored the next two goals of the game. The Crusaders tied the game at 6:38 when Brodie Sheahan redirected a shot by Bill Pinel. After the goal, Air Force pulled Volkening from the pipes and put in senior Ian Harper. HC took a 5-4 lead at the 14:54 mark when Sheen completed the hat trick with his third tally of the night. Air Force was peppering Roy with shots, but was unable to get one past the freshman. Holy Cross then transitioned the puck at the end of a flurry to start an odd-man rush. Sheahan centered a pass to Sheen who scored his fifth of the season.
At the start of the third period. Air Force put Volkening back in the crease as Holy Cross stayed with Roy. The Falcons dominated the third period, out-shooting the Crusaders, 11-3, and controlling the puck for nearly the entire 20 minutes. AFA tied the game on the power play as Frider scored his second of the night at the 6:08 mark. Michael Mayra moved the puck over to Schiavone on the right boards. Schiavone's shot was saved by Roy, but Frider roofed the rebound for his fourth of the season.
Air Force again dominated play in overtime, out-shooting Holy Cross, 5-0. At the 3:09 mark, Chris Trovato smothered the puck in the corner and was called for delay of game, the second such call on the Crusaders in the game. The Falcons maintained possession, but Roy made all five saves in the final minutes.
The Falcons out-shot the Crusaders, 37-12, in the game. The Air Force power play was near the bottom in the nation coming into the game, but scored three times in six chances. Holy Cross, the No. 1 power-play unit in the country, was 1-for-3. Volkening allowed four goals in the game and made six saves in 52 minutes. Harper played 13 minutes in the second period and made one save while allowing one goal. Dams played the first 20 minutes for the Crusaders and allowed three goals on 10 shots. Roy played the final 45 minutes and stopped 25 shots while giving up two goals.
Air Force is on the road next weekend with a two-game league series against American International College (AIC), Friday-Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, in Springfield, Mass.
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