The Army Black Knights men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the United States Military Academy. The Black Knights are members of Atlantic Hockey America and play at the Tate Rink in West Point, New York.
| Army Black Knights men's ice hockey | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
 | |
| University | United States Military Academy |
| Conference | AHA |
| First season | 1903–04 |
| Head coach | Brian Riley 21st season, 242–359–92 (.416) |
| Assistant coaches |
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| Captain |
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| Arena | Tate Rink West Point, New York |
| Colors | Black, gold, and gray[1] |
| Conference regular season championships | |
| AHA: 2007–08 | |
| Current uniform | |
 | |
History
editThe men's ice hockey program at West Point has been in existence since the 1903–04 season. The team played outdoors until 1930 when the Smith Rink opened.[2] The team competed as independent members of NCAA Division I from the inaugural season through the 1960–61 season.[3] In 1961 the program became a founding member of the ECAC.[3] The team, known at the time as the Army Cadets, played as members of the ECAC from 1961 to 1962 season through the 1972–73 season before dropping their program to Division II status when the NCAA instituted numerical divisions. The Cadets would remain there until 1980 when they rejoined the ECAC as an associate member. Army became a full ECAC member in 1984 in the aftermath of the Hockey East schism but the Cadets wouldn't remain for long and left the conference in 1990. The Cadets joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), which began sponsoring men's hockey at the time, in 1999 and in 2001 the team name was changed to Army Black Knights along with the other athletic programs at the Academy.[3] In 2003, the MAAC's ice hockey division split off and became the Atlantic Hockey Association, a hockey-only NCAA Division I conference.[4]
In 2007–08 season the Black Knights won their only conference title to date, the Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Championship. In that season the Knights finished with an overall record of 19 wins, 14 losses, and 4 ties and went 17–8–3 in conference play.[5] Took the No. 1 seed into the Atlantic Hockey playoffs and swept (#10) American Int'l two games to none in the three game first round series.[4] The Black Knight's season came to an end in the semifinal game when they lost to (#5) Mercyhurst 2–4.[6]
Shortly after the end of the 2023–24 season, the Atlantic Hockey Association merged with College Hockey America, a women-only league with which it had shared a commissioner and office staff since 2010. The merged league became Atlantic Hockey America.[7]
Since 1950, the Cadets/Black Knights have been coached by a member of the Riley family. Jack Riley, best known for leading the United States to the gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics, coached at West Point from 1950 to 1986. He handed the reins to his son Rob in 1986, who in turn handed coaching duties to his younger brother Brian in 2004.
Army–RMC rivalry
editThe Army Black Knights have a long-standing rivalry with the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Paladins. It is considered one of the longest-running annual international sporting events in the world.[8][9]
The tradition originated when the commandant of RMC, Sir Archibald McDonnell, and the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur, suggested a game of ice hockey between the two schools in 1921.[10] After two years of exchanging ideas, the first game was played on February 23, 1923, at West Point. The Redmen won that first game 3–0.[11] In 1924 the series moved to Kingston, Ontario (the location of RMC), thus beginning the tradition of rotating venues. This was Army's first away game and up until 1941, the West Point Game was the only time that Army played away from the Academy.[8][9]
Season-by-season results
editAll-time coaching records
editAs of March 5, 2024
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–Present | Brian Riley | 20 | 242–359–92 | .416 |
| 1988–2004 | Rob Riley | 18 | 257–288–33 | .473 |
| 1950–1986 | Jack Riley | 36 | 542–343–20 | .610 |
| 1945–1950 | Len Patten | 5 | 33–35–2 | .486 |
| 1944–1945 | Robert Lutz | 1 | 7–2–1 | .750 |
| 1943–1944 | John Hines | 1 | 5–4–0 | .556 |
| 1923–1943 | Ray Marchand | 20 | 76–106–9 | .421 |
| 1920–1923 | Talbot Hunter | 3 | 12–12–2 | .500 |
| 1918–1920 | Philip Day | 2 | 6–4–1 | .591 |
| 1917–1918 | Joseph Viner | 1 | 6–3–0 | .667 |
| 1914–1917 | Frank Purdon | 3 | 9–10–1 | .475 |
| 1912–1914 | Philip Gordon | 2 | 7–6–0 | .538 |
| 1910–1912 | LeRoy Bartlett | 2 | 3–4–1 | .438 |
| 1907–1910 | George Russell | 3 | 5–7–4 | .438 |
| 1904–1907 | Robert Foy | 3 | 15–8–0 | .652 |
| 1903–1904 | Edward Leonard King | 1 | 5–1–0 | .833 |
| Totals | 16 coaches | 121 seasons | 1230–1192–166 | .507 |
Awards
editU.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
editThe following individuals have been inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
- Jack Riley (1979, 2000†)
† As the coach of the 1960 Olympic team.
IIHF Hall of Fame
editThe following individuals have been inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
- Jack Riley (1998)
Army Sports Hall of Fame
editThe following individuals have been inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame.
- Jack Riley (2004)
Lester Patrick Award
editThe following individuals have been awarded the Lester Patrick Award.
- Jack Riley (1986, 2002)
NCAA
editIndividual awards
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All-Americans
editAHCA Second Team All-Americans
- 2007–08: Josh Kassel, G
- 2020–21: Trevin Kozlowski, G; Colin Bilek, F
- 2021–22: Colin Bilek, F
Individual awards
edit
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First Team[13]
- Brad Roberts (2003)
Second Team
- Joe Dudek (2003)
Rookie Team[14]
- Chris Casey (2002)
- Brad Roberts (2003)
Individual awards
edit
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| Individual Sportsmanship Award
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| Regular Season Goaltending Award
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First Team[17]
- Josh Kassel (2008)
- Zach McKelvie (2008, 2009)
- Luke Flicek (2008)
- Owen Meyer (2009)
- Alexander Wilkinson (2018)
- Trevin Kozlowski (2021)
- Thomas Farrell (2021)
- Colin Bilek (2021, 2022)
Second Team
- Brad Roberts (2006)
- Tim Manthey (2006, 2007)
- Josh Kassel (2007)
- Owen Meyer (2008)
- Marcel Alvarez (2010, 2011)
- Cody Omilusik (2010)
- Parker Gahagen (2016, 2017)
- Michael Wilson (2018)
- Dalton MacAfee (2019)
- Dominic Franco (2020)
- John Zimmerman (2021)
- Gavin Abric (2022)
- Anthony Firriolo (2022)
- Joey Baez (2023, 2024)
Third Team
- Luke Flicek (2007)
- Cody Omilusik (2011)
- John Keranen (2023)
Rookie Team
- Tim Manthey (2006)
- Owen Meyer (2007)
- Marcel Alvarez (2009)
- Joe Kozlak (2013)
- C. J. Reuschlein (2014)
- Tyler Pham (2015)
- Alexander Wilkinson (2017)
- Dominic Franco (2017)
- John Zimmerman (2018)
- Anthony Firriolo (2020)
- Lincoln Hatten (2021)
- Max Itagaki (2023)
- Mac Gadowsky (2024)
Statistical leaders
editCareer scoring leaders
editGP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Years | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Rost | 1973–1977 | 104 | 226 | 330 | ||
| Tom Rost | 1976–1980 | 118 | 169 | 287 | 284 | |
| George Clark | 1971–1975 | 153 | 113 | 266 | ||
| Jim Knowlton | 1978–1982 | 90 | 172 | 262 | ||
| David Merhar | 1966–1969 | 112 | 117 | 229 | ||
| Robbie Craig | 1980–1984 | 86 | 135 | 221 | ||
| Ed Collazzo | 1979–1983 | 93 | 104 | 197 | ||
| Frank Keating | 1978–1982 | 65 | 131 | 196 | ||
| Dan Cox | 1979–1983 | 61 | 133 | 194 | ||
| Biff Shea | 1981–1985 | 68 | 120 | 188 |
Career goaltending leaders
editGP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Minimum 35 games
| Player | Years | GP | MIN | W | L | T | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevin Kozlowski | 2017–2021 | 65 | 3865 | 36 | 21 | 6 | 142 | 3 | .911 | 2.18 |
| Jack Shepard | 1960–1963 | .920 | 2.20 | |||||||
| Neil Meiras | 1961–1964 | .896 | 2.28 | |||||||
| Parker Gahagen | 2013–2017 | 110 | 6372 | 41 | 49 | 16 | 255 | 10 | .926 | 2.40 |
| Josh Kassel | 2005–2009 | 77 | 4415 | 37 | 31 | 7 | 181 | 8 | .909 | 2.46 |
Statistics current through the start of the 2022-23 season.
Roster
editAs of September 14, 2023.[19]
| No. | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Gavin Abric | Senior | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2001-01-11 | Hayward, Wisconsin | Jersey (NCDC) | — |
| 2 |  | Mac Gadowsky | Freshman | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-01-10 | Fairbanks, Alaska | Fairbanks (NAHL) | — |
| 3 |  | Easton Zueger | Freshman | D | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2003-06-07 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Sioux City (USHL) | — |
| 4 |  | John Driscoll | Sophomore | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2001-08-19 | Littleton, Colorado | Green Bay (USHL) | — |
| 5 |  | Jon Bell | Freshman | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2002-06-22 | St. Cloud, Minnesota | Wisconsin (NAHL) | — |
| 6 |  | Pierce Patterson | Freshman | D | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2002-02-26 | Valrico, Florida | Amarillo (NAHL) | — |
| 7 |  | Andrew Gilbert | Junior | D | 6' 5" (1.96 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 2000-05-02 | Fairfield, Connecticut | Jersey (NCDC) | — |
| 8 | | Ricky Lyle (C) | Senior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2000-08-21 | Duluth, Minnesota | Madison (USHL) | — |
| 9 | | Nik Hong | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-08-27 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | St. Cloud (NAHL) | — |
| 10 |  | Jake Felker | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2000-03-19 | Omaha, Nebraska | Youngstown (USHL) | — |
| 11 | | Josh Bohlin | Junior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2000-02-10 | Wausau, Wisconsin | Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) | — |
| 12 |  | Jake Hewitt | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002-07-05 | Ashburnham, Massachusetts | Nanaimo (BCHL) | — |
| 13 |  | Michael Sacco (C) | Junior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1999-11-16 | Syosset, New York | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (NAHL) | — |
| 14 | | Owen Nolan | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000-03-10 | Mahopac, New York | Lone Star (NAHL) | — |
| 15 |  | Lucas Kanta | Sophomore | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2001-04-20 | Grand Forks, North Dakota | Minnesota Magicians (NAHL) | — |
| 16 | | Hunter McCoy | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2000-08-01 | Newburyport, Massachusetts | Maryland (NAHL) | — |
| 17 |  | Vincent Salice | Freshman | F | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2003-02-28 | Commerce Township, Michigan | Omaha (USHL) | — |
| 18 | | Dayne Hoyord | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-03-19 | Scandinavia, Wisconsin | Odessa (NAHL) | — |
| 19 |  | Max Itagaki | Sophomore | F | 5' 5" (1.65 m) | 155 lb (70 kg) | 2002-06-18 | Glenview, Illinois | Nanaimo (BCHL) | — |
| 20 |  | Sean Vlasich | Sophomore | D | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2001-04-20 | Hillsdale, New Jersey | North Iowa (NAHL) | — |
| 21 | | Stephen Willey | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2001-03-26 | Shelton, Connecticut | New Jersey (NAHL) | — |
| 22 | | Jude Brower | Sophomore | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-06-11 | Mahopac, New York | Boston Jr. Bruins (NCDC) | — |
| 23 | | Joey Baez | Junior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2000-01-12 | Tampa, Florida | Lone Star (NAHL) | — |
| 24 | | Andrew Garby | Junior | D | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 2000-09-17 | Canton, Michigan | Fairbanks (NAHL) | — |
| 25 | | Barron Woodring | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2002-07-05 | Chicago, Illinois | Sioux City (USHL) | — |
| 26 | | Joey Dosan | Sophomore | F | 6' 6" (1.98 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 2001-03-20 | Bloomington, Minnesota | Springfield (NAHL) | — |
| 27 |  | Trevor Smith | Sophomore | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2001-03-02 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Boston Advantage (NCDC) | — |
| 28 | | Brent Keefer | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2001-09-28 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Northeast (NAHL) | — |
| 29 |  | Eric Huss | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1999-03-16 | Dallas, Texas | Lone Star (NAHL) | — |
| 31 |  | Evan Szary | Junior | G | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2000-02-29 | Nashville, Tennessee | South Shore (NCDC) | — |
| 33 |  | Gus Holt | Freshman | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 206 lb (93 kg) | 2003-02-21 | Bowling Green, Ohio | Victoria (BCHL) | — |
Olympians
editThis is a list of Army alumni were a part of an Olympic team.
| Name | Position | Army Tenure | Team | Year | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Palmer | Goaltender | 1956–1959 |  USA | 1960 |  Gold |
As of July 1, 2022.
| Player | Position | Team(s) | Years | Stanley Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Hinote | Center | COL, STL | 1999–2009 | 1 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Army Brand Guidelines (PDF). April 13, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ "West Point Association of Graduates". www.westpointaog.org. Archived from the original on 2012-06-10.
- ^ a b c Army Men's Hockey 2010–2011 History :: Statistics :: USCHO.com :: U.S. College Hockey Online. USCHO.com (October 13, 2011). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
- ^ a b Atlantic Hockey : ATLANTIC HOCKEY HISTORY. Atlantichockeyonline.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
- ^ Army Men's Hockey 2007–2008 Team :: Statistics :: USCHO.com :: U.S. College Hockey Online. USCHO.com (October 13, 2011). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
- ^ Welcome to. Collegehockeystats.net (February 12, 2005). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
- ^ "Atlantic Hockey and College Hockey America Join to Form Atlantic Hockey America" (Press release). Atlantic Hockey America. April 30, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- ^ a b "Army-RMC Rivalry". Go Army Sports.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
- ^ a b Crowly, R, and Guinzburg, T: "West Point: Two Centuries of Honor and Tradition" (ISBN 0-446-53018-2), page 234. Warner Books, 2002.
- ^ The 75th Army-RMC Game Set For Saturday Night :: Black Knights and goalie Brad Roberts go for four in a row. Cstv.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
- ^ Greg Gillespie Go army! beat RMC? the history of the United States military academy-royal military college of Canada hockey rivalry International Journal of the History of Sport, Volume 17, Issue March 1, 2000, pages 94 – 112
- ^ "Army Hockey 2017-18 Record Book" (PDF). Army Black Knights. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
- ^ "All-MAAC Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
- ^ "MAAC All-Rookie Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
- ^ "AWARDS - NCAA (AHA) PLAYER OF THE YEAR". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
- ^ "Awards - NCAA (AHA) Best Defenseman". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
- ^ "All-Atlantic Hockey Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
- ^ "Army West Point Men's Hockey 2017-2018 Record Book" (PDF). Army West Point. 2018-08-21.
- ^ "2023-24 Hockey Roster". Army Black Knights. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "Alumni report for Army". Hockey DB. Retrieved August 23, 2020.