FORT WASHINGTON, MD (Sunday, January 28, 2007) ? Navy?s ice hockey team
got
goals from eight different players and held Rutgers to just 16 shots as the
Midshipmen defeated the Ice Knights, 8-1, in Eastern Collegiate Hockey
Association (ECHA) action Sunday afternoon at the Tucker Road Ice Rink in
Fort Washington, MD.
With Sunday?s win, Navy improved to 16-7-1 overall this season and 11-3-1 in
the ECHA. With 23 total points, the Mids are solidly in third place in the
league standings, four points ahead of West Virginia, which is idle until
next weekend. The Mountaineers must still visit Rutgers and West Chester,
then host Towson and West Chester.
Navy still trails West Chester by 5 points in the standings, 28-23. The
Rams have three games remaining, including Navy this Friday night at Piney
Orchard followed by a home-and-home series with West Virginia on Feb. 3 and
10. In order for Navy to finish in second place, the Mids would have to win
its remaining three ECHA contests while West Chester would have to lose its
three.
Rutgers, meanwhile, fell to 2-11-1 in the ECHA following Sunday?s loss.
Navy jumped out to a 1-0 first period lead on a goal from sophomore Jeff
Martin at 7:36, the assists going to freshman defenseman Andrew Ochalek and
sophomore center Nolan Anliker. Ochalek was playing in his first game for
the Mids.
Charlie Daniel put Navy ahead 2-0 when he stole a Rutgers pass and beat Ice
Knight netminder Mike Costa on a solo breakaway at the 12:38 mark.
In the second stanza, the Mids increased their lead to 4-0 thanks to a power
play tally from junior Donnie Horner at 2:59 and an even strength goal from
senior Kevin Krmpotich just 24 seconds later at 3:23. It was Horner?s
fourth goal of the season, while Krmpotich?s tally was his 20th.
Navy put the game out of reach with four third period goals, the first three
coming from junior Nick Schwob at 3:30 (his 20th of the season), Anliker on
the power play just over a minute later at 4:34, and sophomore Alex Wallis
at 15:53. It was Wallis? first goal of his Navy career.
Down 7-0, Rutgers averted a shutout when sophomore forward Josh Esformes
scored with just 1:10 remaining in the third period.
The Mids completed the scoring when senior defenseman Alex Sandroni found
the back of the net with just 51 seconds showing on the Tucker Road Rink
clock. Junior Derek Johnson and sophomore Charlie Daniel assisted on
Sandroni?s goal, his second of the season.
A pair of freshmen Navy goaltenders anchored the Mid defense. Eric Anderson
started and played just over 30 minutes, stopping all 7 Rutgers shots he
faced. He was relieved by fellow plebe Jeremey Estevez, who recorded eight
saves on nine shots during his 29? minutes of action. Costa had 48 saves for
Rutgers, which was outshot by a 56-16 margin by the Mids.
Navy was 2-for-3 on the power play, while Rutgers was 0-for-6.
The Mids play a pair of games next weekend: Friday night against West
Chester at 8 p.m. at Piney Orchard Ice Rink in Odenton, and Saturday against
Scranton at 4 p.m. at Wells Ice Rink in College Park.
PUCK POINTS: With team captain Jay Alspach and junior Drew Stoner still
sidelined with injuries, several Mids have stepped in and seen some game
action including Wallis, Ochalek, Eric Smitley, Charlie Hymen, and Adam
Shields?Shields has played well on defense, while Horner has been a factor
offensively after being moved from defense to a forward line?at 6?2?, his
presence in the crease is similar to the kind of play the Mids routinely get
from 6?1? junior Brian Gleason?Krmpotich and Schwob are now tied for the
team lead in goals with 20?despite losing to the Mids Saturday night, Lehigh
is practically guaranteed a spot in the ECHA playoffs thanks to Villanova?s
shootout win over Scranton Saturday night?Lehigh needs to beat Rutgers this
Thursday night and the Ice Hawks will qualify as the sixth seeded team.
SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST PERIOD
N ? Martin 6 (Ochalek, Anliker) 7:36
N ? Daniel (unassisted) 12:38
SECOND PERIOD
N ? Horner 4 (Krmpotich, Schwob) 2:59
N ? Krmpotich 20 (Horner, Sheppard) 3:23
THIRD PERIOD
N ? Schwob 20 (Liles, Krmpotich) 3:30
N ? Anliker 10 (Hinkley, Swezey) 4:34
N ? Wallis 1 (Daniel) 15:53
R ? Esformes (Jones, Mazzucola) 18:50
N ? Sandroni 2 (Johnson, Daniel) 19:09
SAVES
Costa (Rutgers) 20 18 10 - 48
Anderson (NAVY) 4 3 x - 7
Estevez (NAVY) x 1 7 - 8
SHOTS
Rutgers 4 4 8 - 16
NAVY 22 20 14 - 56