Courtesy: Army Athletic Communications http://www.goarmysports.com Danny Colvin

THE MATCHUP: The Army hockey team will begins its quest for an Atlantic Hockey Association tournament championship and berth in the NCAA tournament this weekend in a quarterfinal series against service academy rival Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The best-of-three series begins Friday at 9:05 p.m. at Cadet Ice Arena with games on Saturday and Sunday if necessary, also at 9:05 p.m.

The Black Knights earned a bye in the opening round of the tournament and will travel to Air Force as the number six seed.

Army completed the regular season with an 11-16-7 overall mark and finished sixth in the conference with a 10-12-6 mark and 26 points.

Air Force, the three-time defending league tournament champions, went 14-14-6 overall and earned the No. 3 seed with a 14-8-6 mark in league games. The Falcons swept Sacred Heart last weekend and finished with 34 points.

Army won the AHA regular season championship two years ago and is looking to return to the conference finals for the first time since 2007 when it lost to Air Force.

Army beat (4-2) and tied (3-3) Air Force during two regular season meetings and will compete in a playoff game in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the first time. 

FOLLOW ALONG: The entire series will be broadcast in the Hudson Valley on WALL-AM (1340-AM) and WEOK (1390-AM). Tony Morino will call the games. An audio stream will be offered as well at goARMYSports.com through the ITT Knight Vision subscription package.

The B2 Networks will offer a video stream of the games through its subscription-based package as well.

In addition, periodic Twitter updates will be posted at www.twitter.com/ArmyAthletics.

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Army is 5-7 all-time in Atlantic Hockey Association playoff games and has qualified for the playoffs in all seven seasons it has been in the conference. Army is 0-1 against Air Force.

THANK YOU SENIORS: Army honored its four seniors prior to its 2-2 overtime tie against AIC February 27. Forwards Eric Sefchik and Owen Meyer and goaltender Joe Spracklen were joined on the ice by Ken Rowe and members of the Army Athletic Association. Rowe played for two seasons at Wisconsin before transferring to West Point and entering the Academy as a freshman. He used all of his eligibility in his first two years. Rowe has branched Infantry and will post to Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo. Meyer scored a goal and Spracklen made 31 saves in the overtime tie which helped Army secure a first-round bye.

PLAYOFFS: The playoff format is the same as last year. The first round included two single-elimination games as Holy Cross beat AIC, 4-2 and Connecticut upset Bentley, 2-1. Connecticut will now travel to top-seeded RIT while Holy Cross visits #2 Sacred Heart. In the other quarterfinal, #5 Canisius plays at #4 Mercyhurst.

All quarterfinal winners will be reseeded for the semifinals on Friday, March 19, at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y. The finals will take place the next day at Blue Cross Arena.

TAKING OUT OUTSIDE: As has become tradition, the Army hockey team made the short trip to Bear Mountain State Park for a practice session on the outdoor rink.

Teams were determined by a player that blindly choose sticks and the hour-long contest was played without contact since the rink, which overlooks the Hudson Valley, doesn't have glass but fencing for boards.

The Gold team won in a shootout.

TV TIME: Army continued to play well on national television, skating to a 4-4 overtime tie at Mercyhurst on Feb. 19.

The Black Knights scored twice in the final period to secure the point and move to 4-0-2 on national TV in the last two years with a 3-0-1 mark on CBS College Sports Network. Dave Ryan, also the play-by-play announcer for Army football home games this season, and Dave Starman called the game.

The Black Knights went 1-0-1 on national television last year, beating Mercyhurst 4-3 on a game broadcast on CBS College Sports while skating to a 3-3 draw with Holy Cross.

During the 2007-08 season, Army went 2-0-0, beating Air Force twice while topping the Falcons during the 2006-07 season, 2-0.

This marked the seventh consecutive season Army has appeared on national television.

UP NEXT: The Atlantic Hockey Association semifinals will be held March 19 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y. Games are scheduled for 4:05 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. with the championship the next night.

ACADEMIC STARS: Twenty-two members of the Army hockey team were named to the Dean's List following the fall semester. All but five players, or 69% of the team, were on the Dean's List.

Five players have a total quality grade-point average of at least 3.67 and no player received a grade lower than a 'C' minus.

Sophomore forward Kyle Maggard had the highest fall QGPA with a 4.065 and the highest academic term grade point average with a 4.128. Junior goalie Jay Clark had the highest cumulative grade-point average with a 3.926.

PACKED HOUSE: Army averaged nearly a sellout in its last seven games at Tate Rink. An average of 2,510 fans turned out for two games against Connecticut and two games against Air Force. A sellout crowd of 2,529 was announced opposite Connecticut at the 2,525-seat arena while 2,309 were in attendance for a Senior Day celebration against AIC. Army averaged 1,990 fans in 15 home games while compiling a 7-5-3 mark at home.

HUNDREDS: Playing in his 100th career game, Cody Omilusik scored his 38th career goal. A junior from Traverse City, Mich., Omilusik skated in his milestone game Feb. 13 in a 5-2 loss to RIT. He netted a power play goal in the third period to give him 74 points through 100 games.

Joey Ammon also skated in his 100th career game this season, reaching the milestone in an 8-6 win at American International on Feb. 26.

IRONMEN: Ten Army players have competed in all 34 games this season. Seniors Eric Sefchik and Owen Meyer, juniors Cody Omilusik and Pat Copeland, sophomores Mike Hull, Marcel Alvarez, Danny Colvin, Kyle Maggard and freshmen Cheyne Rocha and John Clark have dressed for every game this season.

CAREER BESTS: Army has established a number of career highs this season. Among them: Marcel Alvarez (assists, 20; power play goals, 6); Cody Omilusik (goals, 18; points, 34; power play goals, 9); Alex McRae (assists, two; points, five); Mike Hull (games played, 34; goals, 8; assists, 19; points, 27; power play goals, 1; short-handed goals, 2; game-winning goals, 1); Eric Sefchik (goals, 11; assists, 23; points, 34; power play goals, 4); Pat Copeland (games played, 34; assists, 5; points, 5); Mark Dube (games played, 33); Jack Barnes (games played, 19; assists, 2; points, 4); Bryant Skarda (goals, 6); Bill Day (goals, 2; points, 3; game-winning goals, 1); Danny Colvin (games played, 34; goals, 6; assists, 12; points, 18; game-winning goals, 2); Kyle Maggard (games played, 34; goals, 6; assists, 12; points, 18; short-handed goals, 1; game-winning goals, 1); Joe Spracklen (games, 5; minutes played, 269:58); saves, 141) and Jay Clark (games played, 30; minutes, 1782:14; saves, 872; shutouts, 1).

AF FOLLOW: Army beat and tied Air Force Jan. 29-30, extending the Black Knights unbeaten streak at home against the Falcons to six games (5-0-1). Army had swept its service academy rivals the two previous trips during the 2007-08 and 2005-06 seasons.

HONORS FOR CHEEKS: Army senior captain Eric Sefchik was named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week for consecutive weeks after four straight multiple-point games.

A center from Brooklyn, Ohio, Sefchik was first honored Feb. 1 when he accumulated two goals and two assists as Army beat Air Force 4-2 and then skated to a 3-3 overtime tie the next night. Sefchik scored Army's first goal in the Jan. 29 victory and then netted the tying goal with just 11 seconds left in regulation of the next night's overtime draw. He scored a power play goal on Friday and then dished to Kyle Maggard on a short-handed tally. During Saturday's game, Sefchik was credited with the assist on Andy Starczewski's goal as Army dug out of a 2-0 hole. Sefchik then netted his seventh goal of the season with 11 seconds left as the team two teams played to a draw.

Sefchik extended his streak of consecutive multiple-point games to four with a five-point weekend to help Army earn two points against Holy Cross and his second Athlete of the Week nod.

Sefchik totaled two goals, including a short-handed tally and posted three assists over the weekend while registered a +3 plus/minus rating. Sefchik scored a short-handed goal and matched his career best with an even strength goal later in a 4-1 win. He handed out three assists during the first game of the series, the third time in his career he has registered three assists.

FOUR TIMES: During an 8-6 win at American International on Feb. 26, Mike Hull handed out four assists, the first time an Army player has done so in 10 years.

Hull dished out four assists in a wild, 8-6 win, the first time an Army player had four assists in a game since Mike Fairman did so vs. Bentley on Nov. 17, 2000.

In a 7-2 win against Canisius, Hull handed out three assists and now has 19 helpers this season.

FORGOTTEN, ON DVD: "Forgotten Miracle," the story of the 1960 U.S. men's hockey Olympic gold medal team coached by Army legend Jack Riley, is now available on DVD.

The story documents the United States' push to a gold medal during the Squaw Valley Games, the first-ever Olympics televised. Riley helped choose the team and then led the squad to seven wins in 10 days.

Riley coached at Army for 36 years before his retirement in 1986 with 542 victories. Jack Riley watched the DVD for the first time while visiting West Point with members of the Army coach staff, including his son, Brian.

For more information, to watch the trailer or buy the DVD, visit forgottenmiracle.com.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: The official Army Athletic Association twitter page can be found at www.twitter.com/ArmyAthletics. Score updates, links to game notes and feature stories and breaking news are all "tweeted."

DRAMATIC FINISHES: Army scored a pair of dramatic goals to earn three points against Air Force. The Black Knights scored four goals during Friday's win, a 4-on-3 power play goal by Eric Sefchik, a short-handed tally by Kyle Maggard and an empty net goal by Bryant Skarda but it was Drew Pierson's even-strength score that was the game-winner. Pierson netted his first goal of the season with less than five minutes remaining, his second career game-winning goal.

During the second game, Army fell behind 2-0 after being out-shot 21-6 in the first period but rallied for the tie. Army Starczewski and Maggard scored to tie the game before Air Force went back on top with under four minutes to play. Army used its timeout and pulled goalie Jay Clark for an extra skater and it paid off when Eric Sefchik knotted the game at three with just 11 seconds left.

DROP THE PUCK: The Army Athletic Association participated in Hockey Weekend Across America presented by Reebok Jan. 29-30 with a pair of special puck drops.

Hockey Weekend Across America is aimed at two major objectives: to celebrate hockey and all involved using all means possible and to provide opportunities to those who haven't played hockey to try the game.

Prior to the Jan. 29 game, Col. Ed Naessens, Army's Head Officer Representative and head coach of the West Point Atoms dropped the ceremonial first puck. Former Army coach Jack Riley did the honors on Saturday to help celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic men's hockey squad.

More details about Hockey Weekend Across American can be found at www.usahockey.com.

TWO HUNDRED TIMES: Army head coach Brian Riley coached in his 200th game Jan. 8 at Sacred Heart in a 3-3 overtime tie. Through 200 games, Riley showed a 79-93-28 record. The only other Army coaches with at least 200 games are Brian's father, Jack Riley (542-343-20 in 36 seasons) and brother, Rob Riley (257-288-33 in 18 seasons).

HELPING FROM GOAL: Army goalie Jay Clark has four assists this season, all coming on special teams. Clark collected his third assist Jan. 22 on Danny Colvin's game-winning, power play goal and also recorded his first career shutout. He picked up his second assist of the season Jan. 8 at Sacred Heart, on Joey Ammon's short-handed goal. Clark also registered an assist on Mike Hull's short-handed tally Oct. 9 at Nebraska-Omaha. His fourth assist was on Owen Meyer's second-period short-handed tally Feb. 26 against AIC. His assists are the first time a goaltender was given an assist since Brad Roberts earned a point against Mercyhurst on Jan. 7, 2006.

Clark is tied for third in the conference with his three short-handed points, one before teammate Eric Sefchik and two behind Mike Gurtler of Mercyhurst.

BLANKED: Army goalie Jay Clark earned his first career shutout against Connecticut on Jan. 22. A junior from Baudette, Minn., Clark turned away 31 shots with nine saves in the first, 10 in the second and 12 in the final period on the way to a 5-0 victory. He also picked up the assist on Danny Colvin's game-winning power play goal.

Clark allowed just two goals the next game and was named the Atlantic Hockey Association Goalie of the Week, the first time this season he has been honored with the award.

The shutout was Army's first since Josh Kassel made 24 saves in a 4-0 victory against AIC on March 7, 2008 in a playoff game.

Clark was named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week after his performance against RPI on Oct. 31. Clark finished with 39 saves as Army rallied for a 2-1 win against the Engineers, from ECAC Hockey. It was the first honor of the season for a hockey player.

Clark earned his second honor from the AAA the week of Nov. 30. Clark allowed just three goals in a weekend sweep of Canisius with double-digit saves in four of six periods.

2,100 TIMES: The Army hockey team played its 2,100 contest on Friday, Jan. 29, against Air Force. The hockey program at West Point began in 1904 and the historic contest was a 4-2 victory against its service academy rivals.

BUCCI IN THE HOUSE: ESPN personality John Buccigross was among the crowd of 2,513 for the Jan. 30 Air Force contest. Buccigross toured the grounds of West Point and was also a guest with Tony Morino on the radio broadcast. He later penned a column on espn.com about his experience.  

BRANCHING OUT: All three senior members of the hockey team selected Air Defense Artillery as their branch. While Owen Meyer and Eric Sefchik will serve as athletic interns next year, Joe Spracklen posted to Fort Bliss, Texas. Meyer and Sefchik will choose their posts next year.  

HAT TRICKS: Army junior Cody Omilusik netted his first career hat trick at Bentley on Nov. 20 with two goals in the first period and one in the third. Omilusik's three-goal effort was Army's first since Bryce Hollweg registered three goals on Nov. 16, 2007, also against Bentley.

HONORS FOR STARZ: Army freshman forward Andy Starczewski was named the Atlantic Hockey Association Rookie of the Week following his performance in a weekend sweep against Canisius Nov. 27-28. Moved to the top line, Starczewski netted two goals and two assists to earn his first conference honor. Starczewski is the first Army player to be feted by the AHA this season.

LEADING THE WAY: Several Army hockey players are among national and Atlantic Hockey Association leaders (see list on page 5).

Cody Omilusik and Eric Sefchik stand tied for ninth in the conference with 34 points and 64th nationally while Owen Meyer is tied for 14th place in the conference. Sefchik is tied for sixth in the league with 23 assists while Marcel Alvarez and Omilusik are tied for 11 th in power play points with 15. Mike Hull and Sefchik are tied for third in the conference and tied for eighth nationally with two short-handed goals. Goalie Jay Clark is fifth in the conference with a 3.00 goals against average and .907 save percentage.

STREAKING: Mike Hull has a four-game scoring streak with eight points over that span on two goals and six assists ... Mike Santee has a point in each of his last two games and points in three of his last four contests ... Owen Meyer is riding a four-game scoring streak and has a goal in each of his last two games. Meyer has three goals and five assists in his last four contests ... Danny Colvin has a point in five straight games with one goal and four assists ... Kyle Maggard has a point in four out of his last five games with one goal and four assists.

HECK OF A HELPER: Army senior captain Eric Sefchik leads the team with 23 assists and shares the team lead with 34 points. Sefchik had a three-assist game against Holy Cross on Feb. 5 and has five games with two assists. The center from Brooklyn, Ohio, has an assist in 16 games this season.

TOP-20 GAMES: Army's 3-2 upset win over then #2-ranked Miami on Jan 3, 2009, was among the 20 games selected as Atlantic Hockey's best in the last decade. Correspondent Chris Lerch put together the list in which games were picked "because of their historic significance, watchability or both." Lerch noted the career-best 56-save performance by goalie Jay Clark in the win.

HE'S BACK: Army hockey fans will recognize a familiar face in the new volunteer assistant coach. Brian Sherry, who spent two years as an assistant at Army before being named associate head coach at Manhattanville, returned to assist the Black Knights for the second semester. Sherry is a 2004 graduate of Findlay and is completing his master's degree at Manhattanville.

SLEDDING ALONG: For the third consecutive season, Army participated in a sled hockey game with the Long Island RoughRiders. Following a 4-2 win against Sacred Heart on Dec. 5, selected members of the team took to the sleds.

According to the Long Island web site, "Sled hockey is played mainly by people with various lower extremity disabilities. The players are seated on sleds, which are affixed to two hockey skate blades under the seat. The sleds are about three inches off the ice and are from 2-4 feet long, depending on the size of the player. The sled glides on the blades and a metal bar located at the front of the sled. For beginners, the blades can be set wide apart for stability. As skills progress, the blades are placed closer together for better turning ability."

While Army is yet to win a game, the Black Knights have increased their offensive output in each of the last two years.

SWEEPING ALONG: Army posted its second weekend sweep of the season December 4-5 against Sacred Heart. Army swept Canisius Nov. 27-28 by a combined 11-3 margin and then took two games against Sacred Heart, winning 2-1 and 4-2. Canisius entered the series with a 5-0-1 mark in six games and three straight wins via shutout before getting swept by Army for the first time since the 2003-04 season. For the second consecutive season, Army posted a sweep against Sacred Heart, scoring six goals over two games.

ABOUT THE BLACK KNIGHTS: Army earned a first-round bye and a the No. 6 seed by securing three points against AIC last weekend with a win and overtime tie.

The Black Knights are averaging 2.8 goals per game while allowing 3.1. They have scored 32 power play goals in 189 chances (16.9%) while allowing opponents 28 goals in 160 chances (17.5%).

Army was the least penalized team in the Atlantic Hockey Association and averages 11 penalty minutes per game.

Eric Sefchik leads the team in assists and Cody Omilusik is the top goal scorer. The two also share the team point lead. Sefchik has 23 assists and 11 goals while Omilusik has 18 goals and 16 assists. Owen Meyer has 12 goals and 17 assists while Mike Hull has 19 assists and eight goals. Marcel Alvarez, with 14 assists and six goals, has 20 points. Danny Colvin and Kyle Maggard have identical scoring lines with six goals and 12 assists while Andy Starczewski (8G, 9A) and Bryant Skarda (6G, 6A) are also in double digits.

Jay Clark has played in 30 games this season and just ended a stretch of 24 straight starts in the last weekend of the regular season. He has a 3.00 goals against average and .907 save percentage with a 11-14-5 record and one shutout. Joe Spracklen has played in five games with a 3.11 goals against average and .910 save percentage while Ryan Leets shows a 3.24 goals against average and .875 save percentage in limited action.

Cody Omilusik leads the team in goals (17), power play goals (eight) and points (32) while Eric Sefchik has a team-best 22 assist to go with nine goals. Owen Meyer has 25 points off of nine goals and 16 assists while Mike Hull has 14 assists and eight goals. Marcel Alvarez has 20 points (6G, 14A) and 15 power play points.

Jay Clark has played the bulk of minutes in goal with a 2.89 goals against average and .911 save percentage. Joe Spracklen has played in four games with a 3.51 goals against average and .902 save percentage.

ABOUT THE FALCONS: Air Force has won three straight Atlantic Hockey Association Tournaments and last year advanced out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 win against top-ranked Michigan.

The Falcons are averaging 2.8 goals per game and allowing 2.7 with 35 power play goals in 172 chances (20.3%). They have allowed opponents just 19 goals in 158 opportunities (12.0%) and are averaging 5.4 penalty minutes per game.

Jacques Lamoureux leads the team in goals (20), power play goals (12) and points (40) while Derrick Burnett has a team-best 21 assists and eight goals. Tim Kirby (5G, 18A) and Matt Fairchild (10G, 10A) are also at the 20-point mark for the season.

Andrew Volkening has played all 34 games in goal and has a 2.54 goals against average and .950 save percentage.

LAST TIME OUT (2/27/10): WEST POINT, N.Y.  - Seniors Owen Meyer and Joe Spracklen, playing in their final home games, starred as the Army hockey team skated to a 2-2 overtime tie with AIC and secured the sixth seed in the upcoming playoffs, Saturday night in front of a crowd of 2,309 fans in an Atlantic Hockey Association game at Tate Rink.

Army concluded the regular season with a 11-18-7 overall mark and a 10-12-6 conference record. The 26 points helped Army earn the No. 6 seed in the AHA playoffs. Army will travel to the No. 3 seed for a three-game quarterfinal series beginning March 12. Depending on the outcome of the Air Force and Sacred Heart game late Saturday night, Army will play either the Falcons or Mercyhurst.

Meyer and Spracklen, as well as Eric Sefchik were honored in a pregame ceremony and then helped the squad earn a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

Meyer scored a first-period goal and Spracklen turned away 31 shots as Army picked up an important tie and finished ahead of Holy Cross, Bentley, Connecticut and AIC in the final regular season standings.

Freshmen Cheyne Rocha also scored for the Black Knights while Danny Colvin, Mike Santee and Mike Hull collected assists.

2009-10 vs. AIR FORCE
(1/29/09) WEST POINT, N.Y.  - Four different players scored goals, including Drew Pierson who netted the game-winner, as the Army hockey team beat Air Force, 4-2, Friday night in an Atlantic Hockey Association matchup at Tate Rink.

A boisterous crowd of 2,490 fans were on hand and watched as Army scored twice in the third period to improve to 9-12-4 overall and 8-8-3 in conference games.

The Black Knights jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two periods, Air Force tied the game early in the third period and Army closed it out with two goals in the final five minutes to beat its service academy-rivals.

Kyle Maggard scored short-handed, Eric Sefchik netted a power play score, Pierson scored at even strength and Bryant Skarda concluded the scoring with an empty net tally as the Black Knights halted a two-game losing streak to Air Force.

Army goalie Jay Clark made 30 saves, including 16 in the first period while Air Force goalie Andrew Volkening was credited with 38 stops as Army held a 42-32 advantage in shots on goal.

Pierson scored the game-winning goal with five minutes left in the game, using his backhand for a high shot after Air Force rallied to tie the game at two.

 (1/30/09) WEST POINT, N.Y. - Senior captain Eric Sefchik scored the tying goal with 11 seconds left in regulation as the Army hockey team skated to a 3-3 overtime tie with Air Force, Saturday night in an Atlantic Hockey Association matchup at Tate Rink.

Air Force jumped out to a 2-0 lead but couldn't hold the advantage as Army rallied with an extra skater goal to bring the crowd of 2,513 to its feet.

The Black Knights, coming off a 4-2 win on Friday, moved to 9-12-5 overall and 8-8-4 in conference games.

Air Force, which held a 40-32 advantage in shots on goal, is now 12-10-6 overall and 12-6-6 in league games.

The Falcons took a 3-2 lead with less than four minutes remaining and seemed to be on their way to a win until Army pulled its goaltender and netted the tying goal.

Army had three shots on goal in the five-minute overtime session and Air Force one but neither team was able to break the logjam for the third tie in the series. The last time these service academy-rivals tied was a 3-3 contest Feb. 28, 1999 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

CENTURY CLUB: Owen Meyer (135), Eric Sefchik (124), Cody Omilusik (104) and Joey Ammon (101) have all played in 100 career games for the Black Knights.

TO THE BLUE LINE: Sophomore Mark Dube has been moved from his wing spot to add depth at defense. The Billerica, Mass., native opened the season at forward but has been on defense for the past 27 games where he has one goal and two assists.

RINK-SIDE: The Army Athletic Association introduced a new way to enjoy Army hockey with rink-side seating at Tate Rink. Single-game tickets sold for just $25 and included access to a hospitality area. The premium seats are expected to be offered again next season.

ALL-TOURNAMENT: Junior forward Cody Omilusik was named to the Mutual of Omaha Icebreaker All-Tournament Team on Oct. 10. Omilusik scored two goals, including a power play tally, and handed out an assist during the weekend.

THE CAPTAIN: Senior Eric Sefchik is the team captain. Sefchik's games played and points have increased every season and he wears a letter on his sweater for the first time. There are no alternate captains.

DEAR DIARY: Junior forward Chris Spracklen has taken over the on-line diary duties. Spracklen, following in the steps of defensemen Chase Podsiad and Mark Tilch, will chronicle the season, provide insights and share the trials and tribulations of a cadet-athlete in an exclusive diary at www.goARMYsports.com.

ECAC SUCCESS: Army's 2-1 win at Houston Field House against RPI was its first against an ECAC school since the 2004-05 season, Brian Riley's first as head coach. Riley and the Black Knights beat Colgate 3-2 on Oct. 30, 2004. Army's last non-conference win was an upset of #2 Miami, 3-2, last year in the Ohio Hockey Classic Tournament at Ohio State.

APPROACHING A MILESTONE: Army senior forward Owen Meyer has 63 career goals (he scored twice vs. Ryerson, a non-NCAA team) and is chasing the Atlantic Hockey Association record of 67, held by Pierre-Luc O'Brien of Sacred Heart, established during his career from 2003-07.

Meyer's 63 goals are second all-time in the AHA.

Meyer has 130 career points (65-65) and is tied for 27th in the Army record books with Bill Morrison (54-76). Toby Lyon (29-102) and Bob Birmingham (57-74) share 25th place. Dave Rost holds the Army career record with 330 points (104-226).

TOPS IN CLASS: Freshman goalie Ryan Leets saw his first action of the season at Merrimack and recorded seven saves in 18 minutes in net. Leets is no stranger to success; he was the valedictorian at Jefferson Senior High in Michigan.

WEST POINT CONNECTIONS: Three hockey players are following in their father's footsteps as West Point graduates. Sophomore Pat Ryan's father, Jack, is a 1970 graduate of the Academy and his older brother, Will, is a member of the Class of 2009. Will, who was born at West Point, is the team's athletic intern in January. Junior Joey Ammon's father, Craig, is a 1984 USMA graduate while Bill Day's father, Tom, is a member of the Class of 1978.

IT'S ALL IN THE NUMBERS: Two hockey players have switched numbers this season. Sophomore Alex McRae now wears #8 after spending his freshman season in #20. Fellow sophomore Jack Barnes moved to #19 after wearing #12.

BROTHERLY LOVE: The Army hockey team boasts a pair of brothers on the squad. Senior goalie Joe Spracklen is a year older than his brother, forward Chris Spracklen. Junior goalie Jay Clark is the older brother of freshman defenseman John Clark.

AHA ADDITIONS: The Atlantic Hockey Association will expand to 12 teams beginning with the 2010-11 season with the addition of Robert Morris and Niagara. For the 2010-11 season, the teams in the AHA will be split into geographic scheduling pods. Teams in each of the "regions" will play three games against teams in their own "region", while playing two crossover games against the other "regions" squads. Each team will play a total of 27 conference games with the standings including all 12 members. Playoffs for the 2010-11 season will be determined prior to the start of that season.

Robert Morris is a private school near Pittsburgh, Pa., with an enrollment of 5,000 and competes in College Hockey America. Niagara is a private liberal arts university the Niagara River overlooking the Canadian province of Ontario. The team presently competes in the CHA.

COLLEGE HOCKEY, INC: Paul Kelly, the former Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), has been named the Executive Director of College Hockey, Inc., a new college hockey marketing initiative.

The new entity, which will be based in Newton, Mass., will be operated under the auspices of the Hockey Commissioners Association, and serve as the marketing and informational arm for NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.

The hiring comes after a lengthy search process initiated by the commissioners over the summer months.

The hiring of Kelly, as well as the ability to create the new marketing entity itself, was made possible by resources provided by USA Hockey, through a grant from the National Hockey League.

His involvement in hockey has placed him in a number of roles of prominence, including ongoing service on the Board of Directors of the Hockey Hall of Fame and USA Hockey. He also serves as an advisor to Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation.

An amateur player and hockey enthusiast, Kelly coached youth hockey in three different states (Ohio, Michigan and Massachusetts) over several years, and was the varsity hockey coach at Needham (Mass.) High School from 1985 to 1992.

WILL'S BACK: Second Lieutenant Will Ryan has joined the Army hockey coaching staff as an Athletic Intern. Ryan was a four-year letterwinner for the Black Knights and served as an alternate captain as a senior. Ryan joins 2nd Lt. Zach McKelvie as athletic interns. McKelvie, with the team since the start of the season, is stationed at West Point until April.

STAFF CONTINUITY: For the second consecutive season, Army will have the same staff behind the bench. Associate Head Coach Rob Haberbusch is beginning his seventh season at Army while Trevor Large begins his second year as an assistant.