Army hockey got off to a rough start to the season, a 3-0 exhibition loss against Long Island University, but the Black Knights would rebound a day later, earning a hard-fought 1-1 tie on the road against Union College, before defeating the Chargers in a shootout.
A main contributor to Army’s performance in Schenectady, New York, was freshman defenseman Lukas McClosky. The Newport Beach, California, native scored his first collegiate goal in his first career college game at Union. McCloskey is one of five active defensemen in the nation to score in their first collegiate game, and the only one to do so on the man advantage.
Army West Point News:
- Cataldo’s 38-Save Masterclass Leads Army to Shootout Win Over Union in Season Opener
- Head Coach Zach McKelvie was “Excited to get that first game out of the way,” Despite Exihbiton Loss to LIU
- Army Hockey Falls to LIU in Exhibition Finale Before Season Opener
The plebe was also credited with two shots against Union and recorded one block to add to his performance as the Black Knights held Union scoreless for nearly 50 minutes of action.
Talking about McCloskey after the LIU game, here’s what coach head Zach McKelvie had to say about his freshman defenseman. “I thought he [McCloskey] did pretty well. I was pleasantly surprised by his effort. He moves pucks really well, sees the ice. There were a few times when he overhandled the pucks. But for his first game, as with all our freshmen, I thought he played pretty good tonight.”
McCloskey is the first freshman to earn the AHA Defenseman of the Week title for Army since the 2023-24 season, when Mac Gadowsky garnered the honor as a plebe on Feb. 12, 2024.
Last season, McCloskey played 48 games in the Western Hockey League for the Wenatchee Wild, scoring eight goals, recording 24 total points, and -5 in his only major junior season. In his first year on post, McCloskey is expected to be an impact player on Zach McKelvie’s first defensive pair alongside sophomore Sam Groebner.
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