FAIRFIELD, Conn. (February 10, 2023) – The Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team has been among Atlantic Hockey's best on the penalty kill all season long. On Friday night, it was not. Air Force utilized a trio of power-play goals in four chances, including two from Sam Brennan, to post a 5-4 victory in the first meeting of the year between the two teams. Neil Shea (Marshfield, Mass.) scored twice and added an assist in defeat for the Pios, in front of a sold-out crowd of 4087 at Martire Family Arena.
With the loss, Sacred Heart falls to 14-13-2 (12-7-2 AHA) and has lost three in a row, while Air Force improves to 11-16-2 (7-11-1 AHA). The two teams wrap up their weekend series on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Martire Family Arena.
Things began innocuously enough, with each side finding the net once in the first period. Willie Reim opened the scoring at 3:27 with his 10th of the year, after Brennan sprang him on a breakaway with a long outlet pass up the middle of the ice. Todd Goehring (Wayside, N.J.) answered for SHU on the man-advantage at 13:03, when he finished off a rebound at the left post, for his 10th of the season.
The middle frame was filled with four goals, three of which went to Air Force, which bookended the stanza with power-play tallies to stake out a 4-2 lead. Some slick passing reclaimed the lead at 1:58, with Brennan ultimately finishing his first of the campaign at the right post.
Again, SHU responded, at 5:43, after Shea forced a turnover behind the Air Force net. Shea drifted into the right circle looking for a passing lane, but seized the opportunity as the defense sagged away from him and picked the top-right corner for his 10th of the year.
The Falcons took the lead for good just 27 seconds later, after forcing a turnover of their own behind the SHU net. Mason McCormick fed the puck out front for Austin Schwartz, who put home his fourth of the season at 5:43. Air Force added another power-play score at 10:45, when Chris Hedden let a one-timer fly from the top of the right circle for his third of the season.
"Obviously, the game came down to special teams; their power play got it done," said SHU head coach C.J. Marottolo after the game. "We took some stick penalties tonight, which to me means we're not moving our feet and we're not skating."
SHU got one back 89 seconds into the third, as Hunter Sansbury (Lomita, Calif.) found the net through traffic from the right point for his sixth of the season. Shortly thereafter though, a major penalty allowed Air Force to pick up an important insurance marker at 4:59, when Brennan cleaned up a loose puck in the slot for his second of the night.
SHU created the 5-4 final in an extra-attacker situation at 18:30, as Shea picked the corner from the right circle again, for his second of the game. The Pios could get no closer though.
"We pushed hard in the third, but we're not in it for moral victories," added Marottolo. "We've got to find more in this group and that's on me as the head coach to get more out of this group. So that'll be our task going into tomorrow."
Brandon Milberg (Thornhill, Ontario) started in net and made 14 saves against 18 shots, before departing after the Hedden goal in the middle of the second. Luke Lush (Sherwood Park, Alberta) stopped nine of 10 the rest of the way, but was stuck with the loss (11-12-2) anyway, as he allowed what would stand as the game-winning goal. Maiszon Balboa (4-3-0) made 29 saves against 33 shots in the Air Force crease.
