Ivey Brothers Shine as Army Hockey Battles Sacred Heart to 3-3 Draw, Falls in Shootout

Fairfield, CT – Brothers Ben and Jack Ivey combined for three goals, but Army West Point hockey couldn’t solve Sacred Heart in the shootout, falling 2-0 after a thrilling 3-3 tie Thursday night at Martire Family Arena.

The Black Knights (4-8-4, 1-8-3 Atlantic Hockey America) earned a hard-fought point in the standings despite the shootout loss, showing resilience in a back-and-forth Atlantic Hockey America battle with the Pioneers (7-6-2, 4-3-2 AHA) before 2,360 fans.

Signature Win Momentum Continues

Thursday’s performance marked the second consecutive strong outing for Army following their signature 5-4 upset of No. 18 UMass at Tate Rink, which snapped a nine-game winless streak (0-7-2). The Black Knights showed they could compete with quality opponents, earning a point on the road against a Sacred Heart team allowing just 2.5 goals per game—second-best in Atlantic Hockey America and 16th nationally.

The Pioneers entered Thursday ranked 12th nationally with an 84.9% penalty kill success rate, making Army’s power-play conversion all the more impressive.

Ben Ivey’s Two-Goal Performance

Senior forward Ben Ivey delivered his best performance of the season, scoring twice—including the game-tying goal with 0.4 seconds remaining in the first period and the power-play go-ahead goal in the second. The goals were Ivey’s fifth and sixth of the season and marked his first multi-goal game of 2025-26.

“He is a really good player, we need guys like him to step up in big games and he certainly did that tonight,” said Army head coach Zach McKelvie. “Many of our guys played well tonight.”

Ben Ivey nearly completed the hat trick multiple times in regulation, finishing with a game-high five shots on goal and winning 9-of-15 faceoffs.

The senior forward has found his scoring touch over the past four games, netting four goals—three on the power play—but remained characteristically humble about his production.

“The guys around me have done an unbelievable job and the entire credit goes to them,” Ivey said. “Obviously three of those goals have been on the powerplay, and the unit has been able to make the right plays and the goals just happened to be on my stick. Little shoutout to Barron Woodring who’s been a great net front presence, a lot of our success on the power play starts with him down low.”

Jack Ivey Answers Sacred Heart Surge

Sophomore forward Jack Ivey provided the Black Knights’ third goal just 22 seconds after Sacred Heart tied the game 2-2 early in the third period. The younger Ivey brother pounced on a rebound from Barron Woodring’s shot at the doorstep, giving Army a 3-2 lead at 3:22 of the final frame.

“Our team did a lot of really positive things but we are still learning how to win games,” McKelvie said.

The goal was Jack Ivey’s fourth of the season and his first since Nov. 22. He finished with four shots on goal and added an assist on his brother’s power-play tally.

Woodring’s Faceoff Dominance

Junior forward Barron Woodring continued his stellar season in the faceoff circle, winning 13-of-24 draws Thursday night. The team leader with 12 points and eight assists ranks fifth nationally with 187 faceoff wins, providing Army with consistent possession advantages throughout the game.

Woodring’s faceoff prowess was critical in setting up Army’s offensive zone pressure, which resulted in a 43-36 shot advantage. His rebound assist on Jack Ivey’s third-period goal showcased his ability to impact the game beyond the dot.

Ben Ivey specifically praised Woodring’s net-front presence on the power play, crediting him as a catalyst for the unit’s recent success.

Trudeau Continues National Scoring Tear

Sacred Heart’s Felix Trudeau proved to be the difference-maker for the Pioneers, scoring both third-period goals to erase Army leads and force overtime. The two tallies gave Trudeau 14 and 15 goals on the season, maintaining his position tied for the national lead at 1.0 goals per game.

The Terrebonne, Quebec, native entered Thursday’s game having scored nine goals over his previous five contests, including two hat tricks in that span. Trudeau now shares the national lead with two hat tricks alongside Penn State’s Matt DiMarsico, ranks third in game-winning goals (3), and is tied for seventh in power-play goals (5).

“He’s been playing extremely well for the past month,” said Sacred Heart head coach C.J. Marottolo. “He can skate. He can score. He loves the big moments. He wants the puck on his stick when it’s crucial time in the game. And we jumped on his back tonight, and he pulled us right into the fight.”

Trudeau’s game-tying power-play goal at 7:05 of the third period—his sixth power-play tally of the season—assisted by Marcus Joughin and Mikey Adamson, came just over a minute after Army had retaken the lead and proved crucial in salvaging a point for the Pioneers.

Joughin Reaches Career Milestone

Senior forward Marcus Joughin continued his steady production, assisting on Trudeau’s power-play goal to push his career total to 76 points (19 goals, 57 assists). The Windsor, Ontario, native leads all current Pioneers in career scoring, with the next closest sitting at 67 points.

Joughin also converted Sacred Heart’s second shootout attempt to secure the extra standings point, capping a strong performance that saw him finish with three shots on goal and an assist.

The senior is tied for the most career games played among active Pioneers, appearing in his 123rd game Thursday night alongside John Driscoll.

Pabich Extends Point Streak

Sacred Heart senior forward Reid Pabich opened the scoring at 3:55 of the first period, extending his point streak to seven of his last nine games. The Wisconsin native now has 49 career points (18 goals, 31 assists) and has been a consistent offensive threat for the Pioneers throughout the season.

Pabich finished with seven shots on goal, one goal, and one assist, showcasing his ability to generate scoring chances and create opportunities for teammates.

Bryant’s Rookie Impact

Freshman forward Gavin Bryant capped Sacred Heart’s shootout victory with the decisive third-round goal, demonstrating the poise and skill that has made him one of the Pioneers’ most productive first-year players.

Bryant’s shootout conversion was his fifth goal-scoring moment of the season, the most by a Sacred Heart first-year player since 2022-23, when three rookies scored four or more goals—led by All-Rookie Team member Marcus Joughin.

Adamson’s Defensive Excellence

Senior defenseman Mikey Adamson continued his strong season, assisting on Trudeau’s power-play goal to extend his team-leading assist total to five. The Quincy, Mass., native—named Atlantic Hockey America Defenseman of the Month for October—leads all Sacred Heart defensemen with six points (1 goal, 5 assists) and 11 blocked shots.

Adamson’s ability to quarterback the power play and contribute offensively from the blue line has been a key factor in Sacred Heart’s success this season.

Biron Stands Tall in Second Consecutive Start

Sophomore goaltender Jacob Biron made his second straight start and delivered another strong performance, stopping 33 of 36 shots through regulation and overtime. Biron faced additional pressure in the five-minute overtime period, turning away four Sacred Heart attempts to keep Army’s hopes alive.

“I thought our guys played pretty solid in front of Jacob tonight,” McKelvie said. “They are a good hockey team and you know they are going to get some looks but our guys did a pretty good job of limiting how many they had.”

Biron denied Joughin in the first round of the shootout but couldn’t stop Joughin’s second-round attempt or Bryant’s third-round conversion, sealing the extra point for the Pioneers.

On the other end, Sacred Heart goaltender Teagan Kendrick was equally impressive, making 40 saves to keep the Pioneers in the game during Army’s sustained pressure. Kendrick, who recorded one of Sacred Heart’s two shutouts this season (both against RIT), improved his record and helped the Pioneers maintain their 16th-ranked national defense (2.5 goals against per game).

“Our goalie kind of settled us in. I thought he made some big saves,” Marottolo said. “Really disappointed with the goal with 14 seconds left on a draw. But that’s hockey. You know, things happen.”

Game Flow: Back-and-Forth Battle

Sacred Heart struck first at 3:55 of the opening period when Pabich scored his third goal of the season, assisted by Driscoll and Aiden VanRooyan.

The Black Knights responded with sustained pressure, drawing two power plays and outshooting the Pioneers 11-10 in the first period. Ben Ivey’s dramatic goal with 0.4 seconds remaining—assisted by Easton Zueger and Owen Nolan—sent the teams into the first intermission tied 1-1.

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Army seized momentum early in the second period, and Ben Ivey capitalized on a power-play opportunity at 5:24, assisted by Nils Forselius and Jack Ivey, to give the Black Knights their first lead at 2-1.

The Pioneers responded in the third period with Trudeau scoring twice—first at 3:00 to tie the game 2-2, then again on the power play at 7:05 to knot the score at 3-3.

Special Teams: Mixed Results

Army’s power play converted 1-of-4 opportunities, with Ben Ivey’s second-period strike providing the lone tally against Sacred Heart’s 12th-ranked penalty kill (84.9%). The conversion was a significant achievement against one of the nation’s best penalty-killing units.

The unit had additional chances late in regulation, including a power play in the final four minutes, but couldn’t capitalize.

“Our power play got us a big goal but I thought they could have been a lot better especially late in the game,” McKelvie said. “Often your best players are on your power play and three out of our last four games we had power plays in the third to get the lead and we did not get it done.”

The penalty kill delivered a clean sheet in regulation, going 3-for-3 against Sacred Heart’s power play. However, the Pioneers scored their game-tying goal just seconds after a penalty expired, capitalizing on a transition opportunity.

Discipline remains a concern for Army, which ranks sixth nationally with 14.67 penalty minutes per game and carries a 77.0% penalty kill success rate (43rd nationally).

“Our kill is a work in progress and we have had some really good games and some games we want back,” McKelvie said. “A team like Sacred Heart you don’t want to give them too many opportunities because eventually with their talent they will figure it out.”

Sacred Heart finished 1-for-3 on the power play, with Trudeau’s third-period goal providing the crucial conversion.

“I think their goalie in the second period made an unbelievable post-to-post save on one of our power plays,” Marottolo said. “They do a good job. They block shots extremely well. There’s a lot of sacrifice in that team. We just have to execute a little bit better within our routes.”

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Statistical Breakdown

The game was remarkably even across the board:

• Shots on Goal: Army 43, Sacred Heart 36
• Faceoffs: Sacred Heart 31-30
• Blocked Shots: Sacred Heart 16, Army 12
• Goals: 3-3
• Assists: 5-5
• Penalties: Army 4 minors (8 minutes), Sacred Heart 5 minors (10 minutes)

Woodring led Army with 13 faceoff wins in 24 attempts, while Nik Hong contributed six shots on goal. Zueger added four shots and an assist.

For Sacred Heart, Kendrick made 40 saves and stopped two of three shootout attempts. Pabich finished with seven shots on goal, one goal, and one assist.

Shootout Decides Extra Point

After a scoreless five-minute overtime period that saw both goaltenders make critical saves, the game went to a shootout to determine the extra Atlantic Hockey America point.

Army’s Vincent Salice and Woodring were both denied by Kendrick, while Joughin and Bryant converted for Sacred Heart to secure the 2-0 shootout victory and the extra standings point.

Learning to Win: McKelvie Addresses Late-Game Struggles

Thursday’s shootout loss marked the second time this season Army has lost after leading late in the third period, following a similar outcome against Canisius. While the Black Knights earned a valuable road point, McKelvie acknowledged the team’s ongoing challenge of closing out games.

“Winning is really tough, the depth in our league is really good this year so these are hard lessons that we are going through,” Zach McKelvie said. “But it does us no good to stop moving forward, we just need to keep learning and really dial it in when we have leads.”

The Black Knights have shown significant improvement since their nine-game winless streak, but converting one-point performances into three-point victories remains the next step in their development.

Coaches Reflect on Hard-Fought Battle

Both coaches praised their opponent’s effort in what proved to be a closely contested Atlantic Hockey America matchup.

“I’m just really happy with how we battled back from being down two times by a goal, and in the third, how we responded,” Marottolo said. “I think Army is a very good team. They had us on our heels a lot. We fought, we got it done, and it was a big two points for us. Our league’s going to be very tight, so we’ll take the two points.”

McKelvie emphasized the team’s positive performance despite the shootout loss.

“I thought it was a good hockey game overall and our team did a lot of really positive things,” McKelvie said. “But we are still learning how to win games.”

Players Remain Positive Despite Shootout Loss

Despite the disappointment of the shootout defeat, Ben Ivey emphasized the team’s strong overall performance and commitment to their process.

“I think we played really well today, just didn’t get our bounces toward the end of the game, so we’re going to keep playing to our identity and keep following the process that Coach Z is ingraining into us,” Ivey said. “The team played well but just fell short, and we can’t get discouraged after playing a solid game with solid effort.”

McKelvie echoed similar sentiments about the team’s growth process.

“We did have a few chances to win the game, but we didn’t and that is where we need to grow as a team,” McKelvie said. “We have been in this position several times lately and haven’t been able to get it done. Our team will learn from it and start to figure out it’s hard to win and when you have a lead you need to lock it down.”

McKelvie also addressed the team’s penalty issues, particularly late in games.

“Continue to work through it as a group, late penalties hurt and when you have a lead sometimes they happen but you don’t want them to be careless,” he said.

Quick Turnaround: Blessing and Challenge

The Black Knights will have less than 24 hours to regroup before Saturday’s rematch, a quick turnaround that Ben Ivey views as both a challenge and an opportunity.

“Yes and no, it’s definitely going to sting tonight and we’ll feel it tomorrow, but it’s great to get a response a day later and hopefully get the result we want,” Ivey said. “We’re going to come tomorrow with that feeling and use it as extra encouragement and fire for us.”

Looking Ahead

Army and Sacred Heart return to the ice Saturday for game two of the weekend series at 5 p.m. ET at Martire Family Arena. The Black Knights will look to build on Thursday’s strong performance and secure their second road win of the season (1-2-3 away from West Point), while the Pioneers aim to complete the weekend sweep and gain separation in the tight Atlantic Hockey America standings.

With Trudeau continuing his torrid scoring pace and the Ivey brothers finding their offensive rhythm, Saturday’s rematch promises another high-intensity battle between two evenly matched opponents.

GAME NOTES:

• Attendance: 2,360
• Army West Point: 4-9-3 overall, 1-9-3 Atlantic Hockey America
• Sacred Heart: 7-6-2 overall, 4-3-2 Atlantic Hockey America
• Game duration: 64:53 (regulation + OT)
• Officials: Robert Peterkin, Andrew O’Brien (Referees); Patrick Philbin, Christopher Peterkin (Linesmen)
• Next Game: Saturday, Dec. 7, 5:00 PM ET at Martire Family Arena
• Broadcast: FloHockey (Randy Brochu/Anthony Saccone, Paul Pacelli)

ARMY MOMENTUM: Thursday’s point marked Army’s second consecutive strong performance after a signature 5-4 upset of No. 18 UMass at Tate Rink, which snapped a nine-game winless streak (0-7-2). The Black Knights are 1-2-3 on the road this season.

LATE-GAME STRUGGLES: Thursday marked Army’s second loss this season after leading late in the third period (also Canisius). Riley emphasized the team’s need to “dial it in when we have leads” as they continue learning to close out games.

DISCIPLINE CONCERNS: Army ranks sixth nationally with 14.67 penalty minutes per game, contributing to a 77.0% penalty kill (43rd nationally). Sacred Heart’s 84.9% penalty kill ranks 12th nationally.

IVEY’S HOT STREAK: Ben Ivey has scored four goals in his last four games, with three coming on the power play. The senior credited Barron Woodring’s net-front presence as a catalyst for the unit’s success.

WOODRING’S FACEOFF EXCELLENCE: Barron Woodring leads Army with 12 points and eight assists while ranking fifth nationally with 187 faceoff wins. He won 13-of-24 draws Thursday.

Sacred Heart

TRUDEAU NATIONAL LEADER: Felix Trudeau entered Thursday’s game tied for the national lead at 1.0 goals per game (13 goals in 13 games). His two goals Thursday gave him 15 in 15 games. Trudeau has scored nine goals over his last six games, including two hat tricks in that span. He shares the national lead with two hat tricks alongside Penn State’s Matt DiMarsico, ranks third in game-winning goals (3), and is tied for seventh in power-play goals (6).

JOUGHIN’S MILESTONE: Marcus Joughin’s assist on Trudeau’s power-play goal pushed him to 76 career points (19 goals, 57 assists), leading all current Pioneers in career scoring. The next closest active Pioneer sits at 67 points. Joughin appeared in his 123rd career game Thursday, tied with John Driscoll for most among active Pioneers.

PABICH POINT STREAK: Reid Pabich has a point in seven of his last nine games and now has 49 career points (18 goals, 31 assists).

BRYANT’S ROOKIE SEASON: Gavin Bryant’s five goals are the most by a Sacred Heart first-year player since 2022-23, when three rookies scored 4+ goals, led by All-Rookie Team member Marcus Joughin.

ADAMSON’S OCTOBER HONOR: Mikey Adamson was named Atlantic Hockey America Defenseman of the Month for October, his first monthly honor. He leads SHU defensemen with six points (1 goal, 5 assists) and 11 blocked shots.

SACRED HEART DEFENSE: The Pioneers allow just 2.5 goals per game (16th nationally, second in AHA) and boast an 84.9% penalty kill (12th nationally). Teagan Kendrick has recorded one of SHU’s two shutouts this season (both vs. RIT).

TALE OF THE TAPE (National Rankings out of 63 teams):

• Overall Record: Sacred Heart 7-6-2 (.536/30th), Army 4-9-3 (.367/48th)
• Home/Away: SHU 3-3-0 / 3-2-1, Army 3-6-0 / 1-2-3
• Goals For/Game: SHU 2.71 (42nd), Army 2.60 (46th)
• Goals Against/Game: SHU 2.50 (16th), Army 3.13 (38th)
• Power Play: SHU 16.7% (43rd), Army 22.0% (22nd)
• Penalty Kill: SHU 84.9% (12th), Army 77.0% (43rd)
• Penalty Minutes/Game: SHU 12.64 (11th), Army 14.67 (6th)

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