Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
0-5-0, 0-2-0
RIT
5-2-0, 4-1-0
Hockey Falls to RIT 4-2 in Series Opener
November 03, 2023 | Hockey
WEST POINT, NY - Army West Point hockey (0-5-0, 0-2-0 AHA) fell by a score of 4-2 in its home conference opener against the RIT Tigers (5-2-0, 4-1-0 AHA) at Tate Rink on Friday night.
Army outshot the Tigers 36-35 in the end as the game was deadlocked 1-1 until Matthew Wilde scored his second goal of the game with 3:11 remaining in the second period to give RIT its first lead.
Trevor Smith and Brent Keefer each scored for the Black Knights, while Evan Szary made 28 saves in net in his first career start at home. Szary left the game due to injury with 12:52 remaining.
Army got the opening goal less than five minutes in, scoring on the power-play through Trevor Smith who buried his first of the season. Nik Hong skated in before laying off to Jake Hewitt, whose centering pass found the stick of Smith who put it past reigning AHA Goaltender of the Month Tommy Scarfone. It marked the first career assists for both Hong and Hewitt.
RIT peppered Szary in the Army net throughout the first, eventually finding the game-tying goal with 1:49 left in the frame through Matthew Wilde. Szary finished the period with 15 saves as the teams went in knotted at one after twenty minutes.
Both teams had their chances early in the second, with the goaltenders holding firm to not allow the second goal. Army outshot the Tigers 15-10 in the period, but RIT entered the third with a 2-1 lead after Wilde scored on the power-play off an assist from Carter Wilkie.
Army had its best chance to tie the score after getting 3:37 on the power-play following a Wilkie major while on an RIT power-play. The Tigers PK held strong, maintaining the lead through the extended kill. Szary left the game with an injury soon after, as Gavin Abric made his first career relief appearance in his 59th career game for the Black Knights.
Before Army could go to the empty net, RIT deposited its third of the game with just under five minutes remaining. Army went to the empty net following the goal, as Wilkie fired in a shorthanded empty netter to ice the game at 4-1.Â
The Black Knights got one back in the final minute as Brent Keefer tucked one home with assists from Michael Sacco and Joey Baez. Keefer tied Baez for the team-lead with two goals this season.
Army will return tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. to host the final game of the series.Â
