Division I Men :      April 7, 2000 [ The Game Story]
Lehigh 11 Army 13 Scoring: Scoring: Doug Mckerns Christian Castellani David Cohen Brandon Wenk Steele John Gabe Osorio Hernan Zapata (3, 1) (4, 0) (0, 4) (1, 2) (1, 1) (1, 0) (1, 0) John Ryan Tim Pearson Mike Kamon John Fernandez Lee Dingman Tom Martin Alex Fyfe Chris Roberts Jimmy Vlahakis Jim Silliman Jim Scullion Dan Russo (4, 0) (1, 3) (0, 2) (2, 0) (2, 0) (0, 1) (0, 1) (1, 0) (1, 0) (1, 0) (1, 0) (0, 1) Saves: Saves: Todd Schreiner 25  (0.658) Dominic Nogic 9  (0.450) Current Record :     (5-3) Current Record :     (5-3) Team Page For 2000 Team Page For 2000       The Game Story:

Lehigh's defense, anchored by goalie Todd Schreiner, was physical all day, but Army got back up every time they got knocked down. Lehigh's defenders, which include Tim "Goose" Gosser, Ethan Marsh, and Mark Okrent, worked overtime today as their team took a ton of penalties. It didn't seem like the game went three minutes without the Mountain Hawks drawing another flag. While Army rarely capatilized, in the end it took a toll which was evident when Lehigh defender Trevor Twist had to leave the game late with a calf cramp. Black Knight freshman, John Ryan, was the story on offense in the first half with four goals, but Lehigh clawed back once in the first quarter to tie it 4-4, and then again in the second to tie it 7-7. The third quarter was all Lehigh with two goals to none to go into the fourth 9-7. John Ryan claimed the fourth quarter for Army after the game. "Basically the fourth is ours, we know even if we are in a hole that it's our quarter." It was, Army went on to score six goals to Lehigh's two and end it, 13-11.

Hernan Zapata set the physical tone on offense for the Mountain Hawks when he threw his 6'1", 200 pound body into the defense and bulled his way in; despite being poked in the face he scored. John Fernandez answered for Army with an unsettled goal that he threw over Schreiner's right shoulder. The Black Knights got a similiar one from Lee Dingman before Lehigh began it's never ending string of penalties. Army didn't convert, but shortly after Ryan scored the first of his four, 3-1. The "Goose" got the next penalty for Lehigh, but as it expired it was D-man Mark Okrent who led a fast break culminating in a Gabe Osorio goal, 3-2. On the third man-up of the quarter for Army they finally capatalized to go up 4-2. Then, with only 17 seconds to go David Cohen slipped into the back door unoticed and Christian Castellani hit him from up top to make it 4-3 in favor of Army. Lehigh wasn't done yet, they came down on the face-off and tied it up at 4-4. With five seconds to go you would think the quarter was over, but Zapata took the opportunity to flatten the face-off man. One minute for unnecessary roughness.

Army didn't capatalize on the man-up, but eventually with some great ball movement they forced Lehigh out of position and Ryan put his team up 5-4. The two teams would trade goals for the rest of the half to end it 7-7.

The third quarter was an incredible display of defense on the part of Lehigh. They didn't dominate by a long shot, but they shut Army out for the entire fifteen minutes. It was partly due to great goaltending as well as solid defense, and partly due to players just sacrificing life and limb to keep the ball out of the cage. At one pivotal point in the quarter, defenseman Ethan Marsh, snuck in behind Schreiner to make not one, but two saves with his body that had beaten his goaltender. The quarter ended with Lehigh fans ringing the bell and doing the wave as they were up 9-7.

Army wasn't going to roll over, afterall, they own the fourth quarter. The most telling play in the fourth quarter which Army won 6-2 came on the Black Knights 11th goal. Army attack Jimmy Vlahakis drove from the bottom corner and got wasted by a freight train defender by the name of Mark Okrent. The ball squibbed over to Lee Dingman who put the ball in the back of the net and tied the game. Vlahakis dusted himself off as Army players did all day. They scored two more to end it 13-11.

It was a truly entertaining game to watch and players on both sides deserve a pat on the back. On a side note, like a good soldier John Ryan had no comment on whether or not to send Cuban boy Elian back to Cuba or keep him here. When asked what kind of animal he would be if he had the choice, and why he responded,"I'd be a Cheetah, because then I would be faster than everyone else."