HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Picking up positive momentum on which to build and receiving an amazing performance in goal, the UAH hockey team tied with visiting Air Force on Friday night at the Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center. The 1-1 result moves the Chargers to 0-6-1 while Air Force now owns a 2-2-1 record.
Clarke Saunders stopped an astonishing 55 of the 56 shots he faced on the night, marking the second time in his career the sophomore has stopped over 50 shots. Last season in a contest at Nebraska-Omaha, the Brockville, Ont., native stopped 58 shots.
After a scoreless first period, the Chargers got on the board at the 8:07 mark of the second.
With UAH on the man-advantage, captain Tom Durnie riffled a shot from the top of the right circle that was stopped by Stephen Caple. The puck caromed, however, right to freshman
Kyle Lysaght who buried it for his first goal of the season.
The goal was the first on the power play this season for the Chargers, ending an 0-for-28 drought to start the season.
Just as the goal ended the fruitless stretch on the power play, the goal also ended Lysaght's scoreless start for the team's leader in shots.
Saunders was impressive particularly in the frame in which UAH scored as he faced an extraordinarily high total of 24 shots in the second and turned them all aside to give the Chargers a 1-0 advantage going into the third – the first time UAH has led after two periods this season.
The sophomore goalie stood on his head into the third period, as well, making a pair of key stops on point-blank tries with about eight minutes remaining in the contest that kept the Chargers up 1-0.
But on UAH's sixth penalty of the night, Air Force was able to finally get one past Saunders as Cole Gunner tallied to even the contest at 1-1 at 16:29 of the final period to setup the overtime and the ultimate final.
On the night, the Falcons outshot UAH by a 56-29 margin, while faceoffs were tilted in Air Force's favor by a 29-23 clip.
The two teams will square off again Saturday night with the opening faceoff slated for 7 p.m.
