Army received three power-play goals from its defensemen, including two by Casey Bickley, to come from behind and tie visiting Connecticut 3-3 in overtime before a sold out Tate Rink crowd of 2,664 at West Point Saturday night.
The Black Knights (10-15-7, 8-10-6 Atlantic Hockey) fell into fifth place in the league standings, one point behind Bentley, after the Falcons completed a sweep of Canisius on the road. UConn (9-19-2, 8-15-1 AHA) is in sixth place heading into the final four games of the regular season for all eight Atlantic Hockey schools.
Army erased a two-goal deficit in the second period with two power-play tallies 2:22 apart. Ian McDougall registered his second goal of the season, both coming against UConn, with a blast at 9:13 that sliced the Huskies’ lead in half. Bickley then evened the score at 11:35 with a slap shot past Connecticut goalie Brad Smith.
However, John Stockler put the visitors on top with five minutes left in the middle frame with a power-play goal of his own, and the Huskies led 3-2 after 40 minutes of play.
Bickley picked up his second goal of the evening with a wicked one-timer from the left faceoff circle midway through the third period to draw the Black Knights even once again, and that is how things would remain.
Army goalie Brad Roberts made 22 saves on the night, but more importantly, became the school’s all-time saves leader when he stopped UConn’s Cole Koidahl in the second period. It marked the senior’s 2,859th career save, moving him past former All-East goalie Tom Garver (USMA ’77) on Army’s all-time chart. Roberts now holds 11 Academy records in his illustrious career at West Point.
Smith made 23 saves for Connecticut.
J.R. Corkery had given the Huskies a 1-0 lead 2:25 into the second period after the two squads went scoreless in the first 20 minutes of play. Sean Erickson doubled that advantage nearly two minutes later before the Black Knights began their comeback.
Tim Manthey registered two assists in the contest as Army blue liners accounted for seven of the team’s nine points in the tilt.
For the second straight night, the Black Knights potted three power-play goals, going 3-13 overall with the man advantage, including Bickley’s first goal, which came during a five-minute major to Stockler for head butting. Connecticut finished 1-6 on the power play.
