WEST CHESTER, PA (Sunday, February 18, 2007) -- Navy's ice hockey team
spotted Drexel an early 1-0 lead, then battled back with five unanswered
goals to defeat the Dragons, 5-1, to claim third place in the Eastern
Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA) playoffs Sunday afternoon at Ice Line
Arena in West Chester, PA.
More importantly, the Midshipmen earned their 20th victory in their final
game of the 2006-2007 season, a season in which they essentially played all
31 games on the road. Navy finished with an impressive record of 20-10-1.
Drexel got on the scoreboard early Sunday with an Alex Cohen tally, but the
Mids evened the score a short time later when senior Kevin Krmpotich scored
at 4:27, the assists going to senior Joe Liles and junior Nick Schwob.
Navy took a 2-1 lead three-and-a-half minutes later when sophomore Charlie
Daniel banged home a rebound of a Donnie Horner shot at 6:58, with Liles
picking up an assist along with Horner. Less than two minutes later, at
8:33, senior defenseman Alex Sandroni scored an unassisted goal to put Navy
in front, 3-1.
Before the first period ended, freshman Nick Hinkley found the back of the
net, the single assist going to Drew Stoner, at 11:46 to give the Mids a 4-1
advantage.
Neither team scored in the second stanza, and Navy scored the only goal of
the third period, coming off the stick of senior defenseman Adam Sheppard,
with Krmpotich and Schwob getting the assists.
Freshman goaltender Eric Anderson earned the victory for the Midshipmen,
while junior Jason Mardinly suffered the loss for the Dragons.