NAVY OUTLASTS TOWSON, 6-4,

IMPROVES TO 5-2-0 OVERALL

 

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Sunday, October 14, 2007) – Navy’s ice hockey team scored three unanswered third period goals to overcome a one-goal deficit and defeat Towson University, 6-4, Sunday afternoon at the McMullen Hockey Arena.  Seniors Brian Gleason and Nick Schwob led the Midshipmen with two goals apiece.

 

With the victory, Navy improved its won-lost record to 5-2.  Towson’s Tigers dropped to 0-5 with the loss.

 

Navy is idle until this Friday night (October 19) when the Mids host Drexel at 7:30 p.m. at the McMullen Hockey Arena.  Navy then travels to Philadelphia Saturday at 2:45 p.m. for the second game of the home-and-home series with the Dragons.

 

The Mids broke on top early Sunday when Gleason scored just 29 seconds after the game’s opening face-off, the assists going to classmates Derek Johnson and Donnie Horner.

 

Towson evened the score at 1-1 just 55 seconds later on a Kevin Baum goal at the 1:24 mark, but Navy regained its one-goal advantage at 6:17 thanks to Schwob’s first goal of the game.  Linemates Jon Westerman and Sam Carlson assisted on Schwob’s goal, which gave the Mids a 2-1 edge.

 

The Tigers pulled even later in the first period when Jason Davis recorded a power play tally at 12:50, but the Mids struck back again in the see-saw battle with a power play goal from junior defenseman Matt Swezey at 17:58 to put Navy up 3-2 before the first period ended.

 

Towson dominated the second stanza, tying the game 3-3 with an Andrew Callaghan power play goal at 3:45, then taking a 4-3 lead with a Matt Doyle extra man tally at 11:14.

 

A short time later, in an effort to give the Midshipmen a spark, Navy head coach Mike Fox pulled starting goaltender Jeremey Estevez and replaced him with fellow sophomore Eric Anderson with 5:51 remaining in the second period.  That decision proved to be a turning point in the hard-fought battle.

 

In the third period, Navy evened the score, 4-4, thanks to Gleason’s second goal of the afternoon at 3:05, the lone assist going to defenseman Matt Gross.

 

The Midshipmen took their fourth lead of the game, 5-4, midway through the third period with a power play goal off the stick of junior Jeff Martin at 9:03.  Senior Drew Stoner and Gross picked up assists on Martin’s third tally of the season.

 

Navy finally put the game away 49 second later with Schwob’s second goal of the day (and team leading ninth of the season) at 9:52, the lone assist recorded by Westerman.

 

Estevez was credited with 17 saves on 21 Towson shots in his 34:09 of work, while Anderson stopped all 11 shots the Tigers sent his way during his 25:51 between the pipes.  Towson netminder Jon Cipriano stopped 28 of Navy’s 34 shots, as the Tigers outshot the Mids, 36-34.

 

Referee Scott Pomento called a total of 27 penalty minutes, 15 against the weary Tigers – who were playing their third game in less than 48 hours – and 12 against the Midshipmen.

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

Towson            2          2          0          -           4

NAVY             3          0          3          -           6

 

First Period

N – Gleason 1 (Johnson, Horner) 0:29

T – Baum (Scharff) 1:24

N – Schwob 8 (Westerman, Carlson) 6:17

T – Davis (Higgins) 12:50  PP

N – Swezey 4 (unassisted) 17:58  PP

 

Second Period

T – Callaghan (Plant, Sclagenhauf) 3:45  PP

T – Doyle (Higgins) 11:14  PP

 

Third Period

N – Gleason 2 (Gross) 3:05

N – Martin 3 (Stoner, Gross) 9:03  PP

N – Schwob 9 (Westerman) 9:52

 

SAVES

Cipriano (Towson)       10        11        7          -           28

Estevez (NAVY)          11        6          x          -           17

Anderson (NAVY)       x          4          11        -           15

 

SHOTS

Towson                        13        12        11        -           36

NAVY                         13        11        10        -           34