WEST POINT, N.Y. A five-goal second period for the United States Military Academy was the difference as American International College dropped their regular-season finale, 5-1, at the hands of the Black Knights in Atlantic Hockey Conference action from Tate Rink.
The Jackets end the regular season at 4-23-7 overall and a 4-17-7 mark in the Atlantic Hockey Conference while Army improves to 8-20-4 on the year and 8-15-4 in league played headed into the first-round of the playoffs next weekend.
Army will head to no. 8 Sacred Heart as the number nine seed for the best-of-three series while AIC locks up the tenth seed will head west to battle no. 7 Air Force starting on Friday.
The teams traded chances throughout the first half of the opening period before an interference call gave the Yellow Jackets the man-advantage 13 minutes into the frame.
AIC nearly missed on back-to-back chances during the power play as sophomore Austin Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.) was left alone up top and skated into the right slot and let rip, but was denied by Black Knight sophomore goaltender Parker Gahagen (Buffalo, N.Y.) at 13:10. Senior Alexander MacMillan (Calgary, Alb.) secured the rebound and was also denied by Gahagen with his bid just outside the short side post keeping the game scoreless.
Army came right back just 30 seconds later winning a puck battle along the boards as freshman Tyler Pham (Fort Collins, Colo.) sprung free up the middle for a shorthanded bid going one-on-one with freshman net-minder Alex Murray (Burlington, Ont.). Pham deked and attempted to slip the puck under the leg of the rookie, but Murray slammed the door with the right pad to thwart the threat.
The hosts came out skating hard in the second and it paid off as junior Shane Hearn (Auburn, Maine) initiated an odd man rush over the blue line and dropped the puck back to freshman Brendan McGuire (Flower Mound, Tx.) who ripped a wrist shot from the right slot that went off the pad of Murray and in for the 1-0 lead at 2:54.
The Black Knights kept the pressure on and pushed the score to 2-0 just after an AIC penalty had expired as junior Joe Kozlak (Duluth, Minn.) won the battle along the end boards, skated in front of the net and slipped the puck five-hole at 5:30.
Pham then gave Army a 3-goal lead as he ripped a shot off the catching glove of Murray and into the back of the net at 10:55. Then just two minutes later McGuire lit the lamp for his second of the game for the 4-0 lead ending the night for Murray after the freshman made 20 saves over 32:54 of gameplay.
Pham then lent a hand in the fifth goal for Army after his initial shot was saved he collected the loose puck and dished it in front and sophomore C.J. Reuschlein (Flint, Mich.) finished at 18:57 to cap off the five goal second period outburst.
AIC finally broke the shutout with the help of a man-advantage midway through the final frame. After a great chance by senior Jason Popek (Hamilton, Ont.) from right out in front found the glove of Gahagen early in the power play it was senior Matt Cassidy (London, Ont.) who tipped home a wrister by junior Brandon Lubin (Commerce Township, Mich.) from the point at 11:58 with an freshman Johno May (Mahtomedi, Minn.) also earning an assist on the play.
Sophomore Hunter Leisner (Garland, Tx.) recorded 15 saves over the final 27:06 of game play after relieving Murray who takes the loss and falls to 3-15-5 for the year while Gahagen improves to 6-13-3 after stopping 34 of 35 pucks on the night.
Army rebounded well off last night's defeat and outshot the visitors 40-35 while the Jacket penalty kill was again superb shutting down the hosts on all three chances they had on the power play and AIC also converted 1-of-4 with the man-advantage of their own.
