Hockey Opens Season with 1-1 Tie at Union, Wins Shootout 2-0

Saturday, October 4

Schenectady, N.Y.

5 p.m.

Army West Point

Union

Hockey Opens Season with 1-1 Tie at Union, Wins Shootout 2-0

October 04, 2025 | Hockey

Box Score

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Army West Point hockey (0-0-1, 0-0-0 Atlantic Hockey America) opened its 2025-26 campaign with a tie and a shootout win in Saturday in Schenectady, N.Y. at the M&T Bank Center, the new home of Union College Hockey.

The Black Knights scored in the first period to take an early lead and, after a third period equalizer from the Garnet Chargers (0-0-1, 0-0-0 ECEC Hockey), Army claimed the shootout win as the Black Knights went 2-0 over three rounds.

Lukas McCloskey put Army on the board in the period, recording his first collegiate goal in his collegiate debut. Team captain Barron Woodring logged the shootout winner in the third round after Dylan Wegner scored in the first round of the shootout to put Army up 1-0.

JJ Cataldo returned as Army's starting goaltender in the first tilt of the season, earning 38 saves in his first outing of the season.

Union's Cameron Korpi made 25 saves in net for the Garnet Chargers against 30 shots on goal from Army.

The Black Knights jumped out on a hot pace to start the game, notching 19 shots in the first period, eight of which landed on-target. Army drew back-to-back penalties from Union on a cross-checking call and a boarding call to earn a five-on-three opportunity a little over halfway through the period.

Despite a barrage of shots from the Black Knights, it wasn't until after the first of the penalties expired that Army found paydirt.

Plebe Lukas McCloskey scored the first goal in a men's hockey game at the new M&T Bank Arena just over 14 minutes into the action on Saturday evening. The Newport Beach, Calif. local fired a laser from the point that lifted over the right shoulder of Union's netminder on a beautiful setup from Brent Keefer and Sam Groebner.

McCloskey's goal would stand alone and give Army a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

The two teams traded blows in the second period with 16 saves from the yearling goaltender JJ Cataldo to maintain Army's lead through the second frame.

Union brought things tied midway through the third period with a heads-up play that saw a quick chip up in front of the net batted in by Connor Smith to even the score at 1-1.

A tense battle ensued in the final 10 minutes of regulation but both teams locked down their defense to send the game into overtime.

The Garnet Chargers controlled the puck for during the overtime period, logging three shots on goal to Army's one, but a trio of saves from Cataldo kept the game alive and sent the game into a shootout. As a non-league contest, the game result was set as a tie before the shootout began.

Dylan Wegner took to the ice first for the Black Knights and snuck the puck around Korpi's left skate to put Army up 1-0, a lead maintained moments later as Cataldo denied Union's first skater.

After a scoreless second round of the shootout, Army's captain Barron Woodring took to the ice and slipped the puck past Korpi's right skate to clinch the shootout win for Army.

Army trailed in total shots with 58 to Union's 73, landing 30 shots on goal to Union's 41. Cataldo put on a strong performance in goal, recording 38 saves in the contest for the most saves for the Stuart, Fla. native since his 48 saves at Niagara in March.

The Black Knights will head to Boston, Mass. on Friday, Oct. 10^th for a matchup at Northeastern. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.