ANNAPOLIS, MD (Sunday, November 18, 2007) – Navy’s ice hockey team offensively dominated the University of Pittsburgh, but the visiting Panthers escaped from the McMullen Hockey Arena Sunday afternoon with a 3-2 victory over the Midshipmen thanks to a goal just 45 seconds into overtime.

 

With the loss, Navy’s overall record dropped to 6-12, while Pittsburgh improved to 8-4.

 

The Panthers got on the scoreboard first Sunday, getting a goal from sophomore Justin Thomas at 6:44.  The Mids evened the score 1-1 near the end of the period with a goal off the stick of junior Jeff Martin, assisted by classmate Matt Swezey and sophomore Keegan Kinkade.  It was Martin’s eighth goal of the season.

 

Navy took its only lead of the day early in the second stanza when junior Jon Westerman scored a power play goal just 38 seconds after the opening face-off, assists going to senior Nick Schwob and Swezey.  It was Westerman’s second goal of the season.

 

Pittsburgh pulled even before the period ended, thanks to Thomas’ second goal of the day, on a power play, at the 2:52 mark.

 

Neither team scored again over the game’s next 37 minutes, even though the Mids thoroughly dominated play, outshooting the Panthers 21-4 in the second stanza and 16-3 in the third period.

 

But in the five-minute overtime, Pitt got the puck deep in Navy’s zone and got off a shot that was initially stopped by sophomore Midshipmen netminder Jeremey Estevez.  But the Panthers’ Thomas was once again camped out on the crease and slid the rebound past Estevez just 45 seconds into the extra session to give Pittsburgh the win.

 

Estevez finished with 15 saves on just 18 Pittsburgh shots, while Panther netminder Ed Nusser recorded 53 saves on 55 Navy shots, as the Midshipmen dominated the shots-on-goal category by a three-to-one margin, 55-18.

 

Navy is now idle until Friday, Nov. 30, when the Midshipmen host Stony Brook at the McMullen Hockey Arena, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

 

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

Pittsburgh         1          1          0          1          -           3

NAVY             1          1          0          0          -           2

 

First Period

P – Thomas (Cohen) 6:44

N – Martin 8 (Swezey, Kinkade) 15:02

 

Second Period

N – Westerman 2 (Schwob, Swezey) 0:38 (pp)

P – Thomas (Wano, DiSanti) 2:52 (pp)

 

Third Period

None

 

Overtime

P – Thomas (Cohen) 0:45

 

 

SAVES

Nusser (Pittsburgh)       17        20        16        0          -           53

Estevez (NAVY)          8          3          3          1          -           15

 

SHOTS

Pittsburgh                     9          4          3          2          -           18

NAVY                         18        21        16        0          -           55