ANOTHER BUSY WEEK
It's the second straight three-game week for the first-place Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team, which will look to keep banking as many Atlantic Hockey points as it can. The busiest stretch of the season continues on Tuesday night, as the Pios roll into West Point, to wrap up their season series with the Black Knights of Army. SHU has a 1-0-1 edge thus far, and will be looking to claim the season series in the 7 p.m. puck drop at Tate Rink. The game is available live on FloSports.

LAST WEEKEND
SHU engineered a reverse split of its home-and-home with Bentley, but came away with four points to show for it, as the loss came in overtime. On the road on Friday night, Daniel Ebrahim scored twice in the second period and TJ Walsh had an important third-period insurance marker in a 4-3 Pioneer win. At home on Saturday night, Walsh and Blake Humphrey struck in the second period, but it was Bentley which pulled out the 3-2 overtime victory, courtesy of Stephen Castagna's game-winner. Five different Pios had three points in three games last week, led by Ebrahim and Walsh, who each tallied 2-1-3 across a 1-1-1 week for the team.

SCOUTING THE BLACK KNIGHTS
For its part, Army had Holy Cross in town for a pair at Tate Rink over the weekend, and split with the Crusaders. Joey Baez scored the second-period winner and added an assist on Friday night, while Evan Szary posted a 24-save shutout in a 3-0 Army win. Holy Cross answered on Saturday with two goals in the second frame to break a 1-1 tie and pull away for a 3-1 victory. Army boasts the reigning Atlantic Hockey Player (Baez), Goaltender (Szary) and Defensive Player (Brent Keefer) of the Week after going 1-1-1 in its three games last week.

PREVIOUSLY AGAINST ARMY
The two teams met just last Tuesday, at Martire Family Arena in Fairfield. Army got third-period goals from Joey Baez and Ricky Lyle to erase a 3-1 deficit and forge a 3-3 (OT) tie on the road. SHU responded in the shootout to make sure it still came away with two points at least, via a 1-0 win. Kevin Lombardi provided the shootout's only goal, while Chase Clark stopped all three shots he faced, after making 28 saves against 31 shots during the game itself.

ALL-TIME SERIES
The two teams have met 87 times in a series which dates to February of 1996, with Army holding a slim, 38-35-14 advantage, which includes a 29-25-14 margin in Atlantic Hockey play. Tate Rink has been something of a house of horrors for the Pioneers, who are just 12-27-6 in 45 all-time contests at West Point. SHU is winless in its last seven at Tate Rink (0-5-2) and has not claimed victory at West Point since Feb. 21, 2020.

UP NEXT
SHU has another home-and-home on tap this weekend, with Holy Cross. The Pios will host the Crusaders at Martire Family Arena on Friday night and make the return trip to the Hart Center in Worcester, Mass., on Saturday. Puck drop both nights is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets for Friday are available through Ticketmaster