NAVY NIPPED BY URI, 5-4,
WILL HOST PENN STATE NEXT WEEKEND
ANNAPOLIS, MD (Saturday, October 27, 2007) – On a very special day for the Navy ice hockey program, the Midshipmen played one of their better games of the season but fell just short of upsetting the University of Rhode Island, dropping a 5-4 decision to the #3 ranked Rams at the McMullen Hockey Arena.
Just prior to the game, U.S. Naval Academy and Naval Academy Athletic Association brass formally dedicated the Thornton D. and Elizabeth S. Hooper Brigade Sports Complex, which houses the McMullen Hockey Arena. Not only did the Midshipmen formally unveil their new rink, they also sported colorful new uniforms for the second consecutive game.
But the special fanfare wasn’t quite enough to propel Navy to their first win in the newly created Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL). Instead, the Mids fell to 5-6 overall and 0-6 in the ESCHL, while Rhode Island improved to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the new league.
Navy got off to a great start in the rare Saturday morning clash, getting a power play goal from defenseman Matt Gross at 16:14, the lone assist going to senior Nick Schwob. The game was stopped momentarily to grab the puck for Schwob, because that assist earned the likeable senior a spot in the Navy Hockey Program’s prestigious 100-Point Club.
Down 1-0, Rhode Island pulled even just before the first period ended, thanks to a Jon Biliouris even strength tally with only 17 seconds showing on the scoreboard clock.
URI picked up a pair of early second period goals from Stephen Gaffney -- the first coming at 3:47 and the second at 8:17 -- to take a 3-1 lead.
The resilient Midshipmen struck back a short time later when Schwob earned his 101st career point with an unassisted goal at 10:20, and Navy knotted the score at 3-3 when senior defenseman Adam Shields recorded a power play goal at 16:03, the assists going to classmate Brian Gleason and junior Jeff Martin.
Rhode Island once again demonstrated its knack for scoring a key goal late in a period, getting Gaffney’s third tally of the game at 18:18 to give the visiting Rams a 4-3 advantage entering the third period.
The Rams then increased their lead to 5-3 when Gaffney scored his fourth goal of the day midway through the final stanza, at 9:18.
But Navy fought back once again to pull within one when senior defenseman Donnie Horner scored an unassisted, even strength goal at the 17:54 mark.
The Midshipmen peppered URI goaltender Ray Martin with several quality shots in the game’s final two minutes, especially in the final 40 seconds when Navy’s coaches pulled sophomore netminder Eric Anderson for an extra attacker. Although the Mids were unable to get the equalizer, they demonstrated that despite their current league record, they will be a force to be reckoned with in the ESCHL in the months and years ahead.
Anderson finished with 37 saves on 42 URI shots, while Martin was credited with 39 saves on 43 Navy shots on goal.
Unlike Friday night’s penalty filled game, referee Henry White called only seven infractions Saturday -- four against the Mids and three against the Rams.
Navy is in action again next weekend, when perennial powerhouse Penn State pays a visit to the McMullen Hockey Arena for a pair of 7:30 p.m. games on Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3.
SCORING SUMMARY
URI 1 3 1 - 5
NAVY 1 2 1 - 4
First Period
N – Gross (Schwob) 16:14 PP
RI – Biliouris (Krannich) 19:43
Second Period
RI – S. Gaffney (J. Gaffney, Coleman) 3:47
RI – S. Gaffney (Biliouris) 8:19
N – Schwob (unassisted) 10:20
N – Shields (Gleason, Martin) 16:03 PP
RI – S. Gaffney (unassisted) 18:18
Third Period
RI – S. Gaffney (Krannich, Coleman) 9:18
N – Horner (unassisted) 17:54
SAVES
Martin (URI) 9 11 19 - 39
Anderson (NAVY) 10 13 14 - 37
SHOTS
URI 11 16 15 - 42
NAVY 10 13 20 - 43