ODENTON, MD (Friday, February 2, 2007) – West Chester skated to a 3-0
first
period lead and never looked back in defeating Navy’s ice hockey team, 10-3,
in Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA) action Friday night at Piney
Orchard Ice Rink in Odenton.
With the loss, the Midshipmen fell to 16-8-1 overall this season and 11-4-1
in the ECHA. West Chester’s Golden Rams, meanwhile, improved to 15-1-0 in
the league standings. In the battle for third place in the ECHA, Navy
maintained a four point lead over West Virginia, which was in New Jersey
late Friday night to face Rutgers.
West Chester got on the scoreboard quickly with a goal from Jim Gehring just
4:04 into the first period. The Rams extended their lead to 3-0 thanks to
Gehring’s second tally of the night at 13:14, followed quickly by a Ken
Bergeron goal just 33 seconds later at 13:47.
The Mids got their first goal of the night when senior defenseman Joe Liles
flipped the rebound of a Jim Doherty shot over West Chester netminder Corey
Hackney at 16:24 of the first period. Before the period ended, the Rams had
increased their lead to 4-1 with a Rob Troxell tally at 18:37.
In the second stanza, West Chester put the game out of reach, starting with
a Bob Kenworthy tally at 10:10. Navy cut the Golden Ram lead to 5-2 a short
time later when junior Donnie Horner tipped a Joe Liles shot past Hackney at
12:34, with senior Kevin Krmpotich picking up the other Navy assist.
But the Golden Rams rebounded with three unanswered goals before the period
ended: from Chris Orlando at 16:17, Bergeron again at 16:39, and Gehring --
his third of the night -- at 17:59.
Trailing 8-2 entering the third period, Navy got its third and last goal of
the night 8:36 into the period when Liles recorded his second tally of the
game, the assists going to Horner and junior Nick Schwob.
West Chester closed out the scoring with goals from Robert Bushman at 10:54
and Tom Waite at 14:34.
Navy freshman goaltender Eric Anderson made 24 saves on 31 West Chester
shots before he was lifted with 3:21 remaining in the second period in favor
of fellow freshman Jeremey Estevez. In his 23:21 of playing time, Estevez
stopped 7 of 10 Golden Ram shots on goal.
Hackney registered 27 saves for West Chester.
Navy is in action again Saturday (February 3) against ECHA foe Scranton at 4
p.m. at the Wells Ice Rink in College Park, Maryland. To reach the Wells
Ice Rink from the Annapolis area, take Route 50 West towards Washington to
the Capital Beltway/495 North, take the Capital Beltway/I-495 North to
Kenilworth Ave./Rt-201 South exit 23, go South on Kenilworth Ave./Rt-201
about 3 miles to Paint Branch Pkwy. (formerly Calvert Rd.), take a right on
Paint Branch, and the Wells rink is first building on the left.
SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST PERIOD
WC – Gehring (Devine) 4:04
WC – Gehring (Johnston, Bushman) 13:14
WC – Bergeron (unassisted) 13:47
N – Liles (Doherty) 16:24
WC – Troxell (Jordan) 18:37
SECOND PERIOD
WC – Kenworthy (Gehring) 10:10
N – Horner (Krmpotich, Liles) 12:34
WC – Orlando (Gehring) 16:17
WC – Bergeron (unassisted) 16:39
WC – Gehring (Bushman) 17:59
THIRD PERIOD
N – Liles (Schwob, Horner) 8:36
WC – Bushman (Gehring, Devine) 10:54
WC – Waite (Jordan) 14:34
SAVES
Hackney (West Chester) 7 14 6 - 27
Anderson (NAVY) 14 10 x - 24
Estevez (NAVY) x 1 6 - 7
SHOTS
West Chester 18 15 8 - 41
NAVY 8 15 7 - 30