WEST POINT, New York The No. 19 American International College ice hockey team earned a stunning 4-3 overtime win by scoring twice in the final 90 seconds of regulation with the extra attacker and then sealed the win with a power play tally by sophomore
Blake Bennett on Thursday, January 7.
FAST FACTS:
SCORE: No. 19 AIC 4, Army West Point 3 (F/OT)
RECORDS: AIC improves to 8-2-0 on the season and 6-0-1-1 in the Atlantic Hockey Conference; Army falls to 1-4-0 overall and 1-3-1-0 in AHC play.
LOCATION: Tate Rink, West Point, New York
STATS:
Army:
Colin Bilek: Two goals
John Laurito: One goal
Trevin Kozlowski: Loss (0-3-0), 33 saves in 62:13
AIC:
Aaron Grounds: One goal, one assist
Chris Theodore: Two assists
Tobias Fladeby: Two assists
Justin Cole: One goal
Austen Long: One goal
Blake Bennett: One goal
Jake Kucharski: Win (2-0-0), 12 saves in 60:07
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- In a first period where the shot totals were fairly even, Army struck first, cashing in on a rebound chance in the slot by Colin Bilek at 15:27.
- Army scored its second of the evening on an unusual play, as a high clear out of its own end fell just beyond AIC's blue line and John Laurito banged in his own rebound at 13:30 to double the Black Knight lead.
- AIC pulled back into the matchup late in the period, as redshirt sophomore Eric Otto's pass through the slot was tipped by freshman Aaron Grounds to sophomore Austen Long, and the winger snapped home his first of the season at 18:54 to send AIC to the locker room down just 2-1.
- Army killed two penalties in the third, including a major that was incurred shortly after Long's goal, and just after the second power play ended, Bilek got behind AIC's defense and scored at 15:12 to put his side back up by a pair.
- In desperation, head coach Eric Lang pulled redshirt freshman Jake Kucharski from the net for a sixth attacker, and the offense went to work, with a point shot from senior Tobias Fladeby tipped home at the netmouth by Grounds for his fourth of the season at 18:24; redshirt sophomore Chris Theodore picked up the other assist.
- Still trailing, AIC continued the six-skater strategy, and Fladeby set up redshirt junior Luka Maver for a bid that was stuffed home by classmate Justin Cole at 19:35 for his third of the season to tie the game.
- In overtime, Army committed its sixth penalty of the game, and paid the price for it, as redshirt sophomore Zak Galambos fed Theodore a pass, and Theodore went across the slot for a one-timer for Bennett, who buried his first collegiate goal at 2:32 to complete the comeback.
MR. GAME SEVEN:
- Cole now has three goals in two games.
- Cole has had significant success at West Point, notching five goals and one assist for six points in six career games when AIC visits Army.
NEXT UP:
- AIC and Army finish the three-game week on Sunday, January 10 at 4:05 p.m. at the MassMutual Center.
STAY CONNECTED:
- For more updates about the AIC ice hockey team, follow@AIC_HockeyonTwitterandInstagram, and likeAmerican International College Ice HockeyonFacebook. For updates on all AIC Yellow Jackets teams, follow@AICAthleticsonTwitterandInstagram, and likeAIC Yellow JacketsonFacebook.
