Friday, January 19
West Point, N.Y.
5:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
12-12-1, 9-5-1
8
at
1
Army
7-16-1, 5-11-1
1
2
3
F
Air Force
3
2
3
8
Army West Point
1
0
0
1
Air Force defeats Army, 8-1
1/19/2024 9:21:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Air Force scored three power-play goals, two short-handed goals and Guy Blessing made a career-high 40 saves in an 8-1 win over Army in an Atlantic Hockey game Friday, Jan. 19, at Tate Rink in West Point, N.Y. The Falcons have won four of their last five games and three straight over Army this season.
In the first two minutes of the game, Luke Robinson drew a penalty and the Falcons took the early lead. Andrew DeCarlo's shot was saved, but the puck ended up on Will Gavin's blade in the right circle . Gavin set up Luke Rowe for a slap shot at the center point. Rowe netted his fourth goal of the season, and second on the power play, at 2:36. Air Force took a 2-0 lead when Clayton Cosentino scored on a short-handed breakaway at 12:31. Army got on the board at 15:41 when Vincent Salice was wide open on the back door and cut the Falcon lead to 2-1. After another penalty on Air Force, the Falcons scored their second short-handed goal of the game as Austin Schwartz scored on a breakaway at 16:37. The shorthanded goal was the third for Schwartz this season and the seventh by the Falcons, tied as the most in the nation.
Air Force (12-12-1, 9-5-1 AHA) took a 4-1 lead at 12:44 of the second period. Will Gavin gave the puck to Luke Robinson in the right circle. His shot was blocked, but Robinson got the puck back and found Parker Brown on the far side. Brown scored his fourth of season for a 4-1 lead. Late in the period, Schwartz drew a penalty and the Falcons scored their second power-play goal of the game. A pair of freshman teamed up as Brendan Gibbons tipped in a point shot by Nolan Cunningham with 35 seconds left in the second period.
The Falcons added three more goals in the third period. Mason McCormick scored at 15:51 as Nate Horn and Holt Olphant assisted on the play. Rowe scored his second power-play goal of the game, from Chris Hedden and McCormick, with 4:39 left for a 7-1 lead. With 46 seconds remaining, Gibbons forced a turnover and senior Jacob Marti scored his first goal of the season to make up the final margin.
"This did not feel like an 8-1 game," head coach Frank Serratore said. "Everything went our way tonight. Our special teams were special and we did a good job of defending the good ice for the most part. We still have some things to clean up as we gave them some chances. Our goalie (Guy Blessing) was really good. He was the best player on the ice and you usually don't say that in an 8-1 game. We were the better team, but we weren't 8-1 better."
The eight goals are a season high and tie as the most since the Falcons beat AIC, 10-3, March 10, 2015. Air Force has scored 25 goals in the last five games. The eight goals are the most the Falcons have scored against Army since a 9-6 win (at Cadet Ice Arena) in 1995 and the third most goals ever against the Black Knights. The eight goals are the most the Falcons have scored at Tate Rink since a 9-2 win in 1976, Air Force's first trip to West Point.
Army outshot Air Force, 41-39, in the game. Air Force was 3-for-4 on the power play and killed all four of Army's power plays. Army junior Evan Szary started the game and made 22 saves, while allowing five goals in two periods. Senior Gavin Abric gave up three goals and made nine saves in the third period.
Fourteen different Falcons had a point in this game. Rowe's two goals are a new career high. McCormick's three points (1-2-3) are also a career high. Gibbons tied his career high with two points (1-1-2).
Air Force and Army (7-16-1, 5-11-1 AHA) conclude the two-game league series on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 4:05 pm ET in West Point.
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In the first two minutes of the game, Luke Robinson drew a penalty and the Falcons took the early lead. Andrew DeCarlo's shot was saved, but the puck ended up on Will Gavin's blade in the right circle . Gavin set up Luke Rowe for a slap shot at the center point. Rowe netted his fourth goal of the season, and second on the power play, at 2:36. Air Force took a 2-0 lead when Clayton Cosentino scored on a short-handed breakaway at 12:31. Army got on the board at 15:41 when Vincent Salice was wide open on the back door and cut the Falcon lead to 2-1. After another penalty on Air Force, the Falcons scored their second short-handed goal of the game as Austin Schwartz scored on a breakaway at 16:37. The shorthanded goal was the third for Schwartz this season and the seventh by the Falcons, tied as the most in the nation.
Air Force (12-12-1, 9-5-1 AHA) took a 4-1 lead at 12:44 of the second period. Will Gavin gave the puck to Luke Robinson in the right circle. His shot was blocked, but Robinson got the puck back and found Parker Brown on the far side. Brown scored his fourth of season for a 4-1 lead. Late in the period, Schwartz drew a penalty and the Falcons scored their second power-play goal of the game. A pair of freshman teamed up as Brendan Gibbons tipped in a point shot by Nolan Cunningham with 35 seconds left in the second period.
The Falcons added three more goals in the third period. Mason McCormick scored at 15:51 as Nate Horn and Holt Olphant assisted on the play. Rowe scored his second power-play goal of the game, from Chris Hedden and McCormick, with 4:39 left for a 7-1 lead. With 46 seconds remaining, Gibbons forced a turnover and senior Jacob Marti scored his first goal of the season to make up the final margin.
"This did not feel like an 8-1 game," head coach Frank Serratore said. "Everything went our way tonight. Our special teams were special and we did a good job of defending the good ice for the most part. We still have some things to clean up as we gave them some chances. Our goalie (Guy Blessing) was really good. He was the best player on the ice and you usually don't say that in an 8-1 game. We were the better team, but we weren't 8-1 better."
The eight goals are a season high and tie as the most since the Falcons beat AIC, 10-3, March 10, 2015. Air Force has scored 25 goals in the last five games. The eight goals are the most the Falcons have scored against Army since a 9-6 win (at Cadet Ice Arena) in 1995 and the third most goals ever against the Black Knights. The eight goals are the most the Falcons have scored at Tate Rink since a 9-2 win in 1976, Air Force's first trip to West Point.
Army outshot Air Force, 41-39, in the game. Air Force was 3-for-4 on the power play and killed all four of Army's power plays. Army junior Evan Szary started the game and made 22 saves, while allowing five goals in two periods. Senior Gavin Abric gave up three goals and made nine saves in the third period.
Fourteen different Falcons had a point in this game. Rowe's two goals are a new career high. McCormick's three points (1-2-3) are also a career high. Gibbons tied his career high with two points (1-1-2).
Air Force and Army (7-16-1, 5-11-1 AHA) conclude the two-game league series on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 4:05 pm ET in West Point.
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Team Stats
AFA
AWP
Shots
39
41
PPG
3
0
SHG
2
0
Penalties
5
5
Penalty Mins
10
10
Faceoffs Won
39
28
Game Leaders
+/-
1
Goals
1
Sh
1
A
2
+/-
1
Goals
1
Sh
3
A
1
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
3
A
2
Players Mentioned
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