Army captured the first of a must-win two-game series with American International Friday night, making a 4-3 winner out of head coach Rob Riley in his 500th game behind the Black Knights’ bench.<\/p>\n
In picking up its first road win of the 2001-02 season at the Olympia Ice Center, Army (6-15-5\/4-8-5) moved three points ahead of AIC for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings.<\/p>\n
The Black Knights jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the first period. Senior captain Tim Murphy got the visitors started when he scored 4:55 into the contest off a feed from Nathan Mayfield. Thirty seconds later, Mayfield made it a two-goal advantage when freshman defenseman Justin Fagan sent the senior winger in all alone on a breakaway. After AIC (6-13-0\/5-12-0) pulled within a goal three minutes later, Army answered right back as freshman defenseman Matt Field scored unassisted. <\/p>\n
The Black Knights dictated much of the play in the second period, outshooting the Yellow Jackets, 17-7. Freshman Chris Garceau scored a power-play goal midway through the middle stanza, staking Army to a 4-1 lead. Garceau redirected a shot from classmate Chris Casey at the point. Casey received a cross from Chad Mayfield, who had held the puck in the zone along the far boards, and fed Garceau standing right in front of the goal. <\/p>\n
Senior goaltender Scott Hamilton picked up his second straight win, making 28 saves on the evening. AIC freshman goaltender Frank Novello also made 28 saves in the losing effort.<\/p>\n
“(Hamilton) has gotten two wins in a row for us. He made some big saves near the end,” Riley said. “In the third period, he did a good job of clearing the puck out of our end. His puck-handling certainly was a key down the stretch.<\/p>\n
“It was a must-win for both teams. We need to learn how to win on the road if we want to be a factor in the playoffs.”<\/p>\n
AIC battled back, scoring a power-play goal in the third period and then getting its third tally of the night on a tip-in that just trickled over the goal line. But it was not enough to beat a determined Army hockey squad backstopped by the stellar play of Hamilton between the pipes.<\/p>\n
These same two teams will go at it again Saturday night at Tate Rink with faceoff scheduled for 7 p.m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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