WEST POINT, NY — Army scored three goals in a span of three minutes in the second period for a 5-2 win over Air Force in an Atlantic Hockey Association game, Saturday, Jan. 11, at Tate Rink in West Point, N.Y. Army took five of the six points in the series.
Army (14-7-2, 11-5-2 AHA) drew first blood with short-handed goal at 7:16. The Falcons turned the puck over at their own blue line and Black Knight Michael Wilson poked it ahead. Wilson skated in uncontested and scored his team-leading ninth of the season.
Air Force (6-10-4, 6-6-4 AHA) tied the game early in the second period with a flurry in the Army end. Shots by Brady Tomlak and Trevor Stone were saved, but Kieran Durgan netted his fifth of the season to tie the game at 1-1 at 1:41 of the second. Stone and Luke Rowe had the assists. Army answered less than four minutes later on Alex Wilkinson’s shot from the left point through traffic at 5:19. Army then scored two more goals in the next three minutes. On the rush, Patrick Smyth put back a rebound of Noah Wilson’s shot for a 3-1 lead at 6:31. On the play, a penalty was called on Air Force and Army went on the power play. A second penalty on the Falcons gave Army 1:18 of a 5-on-3 and the Black Knights took advantage. Wilson’s shot from the left point was saved, but John Keranen put back the rebound for a 5-on-3 power-play goal at 8:05.
The Falcons cut the Army lead to 4-2 at 11:10 of the third period. A shot by Brady Tomlak was saved, but Durgan collected the loose puck behind the net and scored his second of the game, sixth of the season. Stone picked up his second assist of the night on the play. Tomlak also had an assist and has a point in 12 of the last 14 games. With 3:15 left in the third, Air Force pulled Alex Schilling in favor of the extra attacker. After a flurry that saw the Falcons put two shots on goal, Army’s Colin Bilek scored and empty-netter to seal the game.
Army outshot Air Force, 20-19, in the game. The Falcons were 0-for-4 on the power play while Army was 1-for-6. Schilling made 15 saves for the Falcons while Trevin Kozlowski had 17 for the home team.
“Sometimes you get what you deserve,” head coach Frank Serratore said. “We dug ourselves an early hold, but we came back and tied it and I thought the worm would turn on that goal. However, we were sloppy and they scored those three goals. Army was the better team tonight and we have a long way to go.”
Air Force returns home for a two-game series against Niagara, Jan. 17-18, at Cadet Ice Arena.
