Lehigh University
Navy
Ice Hockey Team Loses to Navy
2/1/2016 2:12:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey (ACHA D1)
The Lehigh Ice Hockey team travelled to Annapolis, MD to take on the Naval Academy. Lehigh is one point behind Navy in the ECHA standings, so the game is extremely important in the battle for first place and a berth in the ACHA National tournament.
Nay scored first on a power play when Navy found a back-door skater who fired the puck beyond goalie Andrew Carlin. The game went up and down the Olympic-sized ice the rest of the period. Lehigh showed a little rust since this was their first game in 45 days. The Mountain Hawks had many opportunities where the Navy goalie made the save or the puck just missed the goal. Navy scored late in the period on another power play when the puck was shot through the legs of a Lehigh defenseman and was not seen by Carlin.
The second period was a slugfest as Navy took 6 penalties to Lehigh's three. The Mountain Hawks could not capitalize on the 4 power play opportunities. The period ended like it began at 2-0.
Navy scored their third power play goal early in the third period to make the score 3-0. Lehigh finally got on the scoreboard when Kevin McGee scored with an assist from Henry Brooks. Just prior to the ensuing faceoff, goalie Andrew Carlin skated to the bench in obvious pain suffering from leg cramps. Backup Patrick Walgren took on the difficult task of entering the game cold with 10 minutes to go. Walgren was able to keep the puck out of the net for the next 5 minutes. Navy scored on another power play to make the score 4 to 1. They scored twice more and the game ended at 6-1.
Navy now controls their destiny with 2 games left. If they win both, they will remain in first place and represent the ECHA at Nationals. Lehigh has 3 games left, one with Towson and two against Villanova. Lehigh is playing to get a bye in the league playoffs by placing second in the league. Three wins will guarantee that outcome.Â
