(Milford, CT) – Joe Kozlak scored a game-tying goal with 33 seconds left in regulation for the Army Black Knights, forcing the Sacred Heart Men's Hockey team to settle for a 4-4 tie Saturday night in the home opener at the Milford Ice Pavilion. 

Kozlak jammed the puck from behind the net off a body in front to tie the game with the Army goalie off for the extra attacker.  Thane Heller and Andy Starczewski earned the assists, also poking away at the puck in a scrum behind the net.

In a back-and-forth game throughout, Army answered every one of SHU's four goals.  The Pioneers struck for the go-ahead goal at 11:35 of the third on a tip-in by Morgan Boner (Aurora, ON) for his first career goal.  Nick Curry (Augusta, GA) skated out of the corner to the right point and sailed a wrist shot into traffic, which Bonner redirected to give SHU a 4-3 lead.

The Pioneers scored a goal late in the second to go up 3-2 before the intermission.  Kyle Verbeek (Birmingham, MI) tipped in a blast from the right point by Matthew Solomon (Toronto, ON), set up first by Chad Filteau (Regina, SK) for a power play goal with 11 seconds left.  However, Andy Starczewski tied the game for Army 7:35 into the third with his fourth goal of the weekend, sniping a wrist shot under the crossbar blocker-side on the rush.  Willie Faust and Luke Jenkins assisted the goal.

Eric Delong (Oakville, MB) opened the scoring 1:09 into the game, assisted by Brian Sheehan (St. Louis, MO).  The Black Knights responded on a goal by Josh Richards on a two-man advantage, letting a shot fly from the right faceoff circle after puck movement between Maurice Alvarez and Luke Jenkins. 

Sheehan put SHU back on top with a two-man advantage goal at 4:03, finishing off tick-tack-toe passing from Drew George (Regina, SK) and Jared Eng (West Vancouver, BC).  However, Army once again tied it on a power play goal by Faust, who gathered a blocked shot for a near-post wrister from Jonathan Gehrt and Kozlak at 15:02 of the second.

Sacred Heart returns to action Saturday night, October 27 at 7:05 pm when the Pioneers host the Penn State Nittany Lions at the Milford Ice Pavilion.