West Point’s club hockey team will enter the American Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs with a 20-1 record and on a 15-game winning streak after the cadets rolled past Marist, 4-1, in the Super East Collegiate Hockey League semifinals Feb. 11 before downing Sacred Heart, 5-1, in the championship Feb. 12 at McCann Ice Arena in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Army, which entered the weekend ranked No. 4 in the ACHA Northeast Region, will now prepare for the Northeast Regional Championship Feb. 24-26 at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Four teams from that region will advance to nationals at the same venue near Boston from March 17-21.
“We’re playing really great team hockey,” senior forward and team captain Austin Federici said. “Everyone on the team knows their role, embraces it and does what is needed to win.”
Led by junior forward Kai Holm’s two goals and senior goalie Chris Eno’s 24 saves on Feb. 12, the Black Knights rallied from a 1-0 deficit to celebrate their second straight SECHL playoff championship after also winning the regular-season title. Holm scored Army’s first two goals for a 2-1 lead and junior forward Matt Moellering, freshman defenseman Chris Tamer and sophomore defenseman Anthony Chambers completed the five-goal rally.
“I am so proud of our group and how they battled throughout the weekend,” said Chambers, an alternate captain. “They gave everything they had, every single shift. I am also proud of the way our guys handled themselves after the whistle and stayed focused on winning the hockey game.”
On Feb. 11, in a dominating yet tight affair against Marist, Army broke open a 1-1 tie to begin the third period with goals from freshman forward Charlie Aronov, junior forward Mark Lehman and freshman defenseman Bobby Staring. The Black Knights outshot Marist, 63-12, and Eno had to make just one save in the third period.
On the weekend, Army outshot its two opponents, 103-37.
“Always great to see the whole team – from the fourth line to the first line -- contribute toward the team’s success,” said senior forward and alternate captain Nicholas Liebers.
In addition to winning the SECHL regular-season championship and playoff championship, the team received three individual awards by the league on Thursday.
Yearling forward Caleb Kaiser was named to the all-SECHL first team and Lehman and Tamer made the second team. Additionally, Tamer was named to the all-rookie team and rookie of the year. Staring also received votes for the all-rookie team.
Clarkson forward Ty Hlywa joined Kaiser on the first team and was named SECHL player of the year.
Through 17 games, Tamer led the Black Knights with 26 points. He and Lehman (23 points) both had a team-high 12 goals. Kaiser, who led Army with 15 assists, had 24 points.