Box Score
Video Highlights (Jake Thompson '13)

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army goalie Tom Palesky proved he was worthy of his All-American status as he made 17 saves to lead the No. 19 Black Knights to an 11-9 upset over No. 6 Cornell this afternoon at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y. The victory evened Army's record at 2-2 and snapped a six-game winning streak by Cornell in the series, as the Big Red falls to 2-1 on the season.

The game was evenly played throughout with six ties before a five-goal run late in the third quarter gave the Black Knights a lead it would not relinquish. Cornell held Army scoreless for the final 15:57 of the game, but could only manage to beat Palesky twice as the senior goalie made four saves in the crucial final quarter.

Cornell was led by Rob Pannell's three goals, while Cody Bremner scored twice. Roy Lang was the team's only other mulit-point scorer with one goal and one assist. Jack Dudley, JJ Gilbane and Matt Taylor all added one goal while Mike O'Neil and Mitch McMichael tallied one assist apiece. Jason Noble was great off the ground with nine ground balls and three caused turnovers, while Mike Bronzino finished with four ground balls.

Midfielder Devin Lynch scored four times for Army, including twice during the decisive third quarter run, which is also when Garrett Thul scored both of his goals. The Black Knights' other dangerous attackman, Jermey Boltus, finished the game with two goals and one assist.

The Big Red held the advantage in shots, 42-27 and put 26 of those shots on goal, compared to just 15 by Army. Cornell also held the slight edge in ground balls, 27-21. Face-offs were even with Army's Derek Sipperly winning 12-of-24, but McMichael was better than average, taking 11-of-18 for the Big Red.

Cornell cleared the ball safely on 14-of-16 chances, while a tenacious ride allowed Army to clear the ball just 19-of-24 times. The Black Knights extra-man units were solid, allowing Cornell to score on just 1-of-6 chances while converting on 2-of-4 of its own man-up opportunities.

Army won the opening face-off, but a fierce check by Bronzino forced a Black Knight turnover and Pannell responded quickly, taking the ball from behind the cage, rolling up top and rocketing a low shot from 10 yards out into the back of the net to put the Big Red up, 1-0, at the 13:57 mark.

Palesky made a brilliant save from point-blank range on Cornell's second possession, but Langton picked up the loose ball and drew a slashing penalty. The Black Knights killed the penalty but a save on the other end by Fiore temporarily quelled the threat. Unfortunately, a failed clear resulted in a transition goal by Boltus to knot the game at 1-1 with just over 10 minutes to play in the first quarter.

Army won the restart and after a prolonged offensive possession took a 2-1 lead when Tyler Kamide slipped past his defender and scored from point-blank range at the 8:06 mark.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Cornell won the en suing face-off and Dudley took a pass on the right wing, dodged past his defender and bounced a shot past Palesky to tie the game at 2-2.

Some extremely tough defense resulted in turnovers on both ends of the field, but perhaps the biggest play was made by the Black Knights defense, as it backed up an errant Cornell shot on a man-up opportunity and ran out the clock to send the teams into the first break tied at 2-2.

Army won the face-off to begin the second period, but a loose ball push gave the posession to Cornell and a quick restart found Pannell streaking to goal and scoring up high from just outside the crease to give the Big Red the 3-2 lead just 23 seconds in.

The teams traded possessions before a pair of saves by Palesky ended Cornell's third man-up opportunity and a slash by the Big Red on the clear gave Army its first extra-man chance of the day. The Black Knights could not capitalize as Cornell forced a turnover and sent the ball the other way. Moments later, Bremner extended the Big Red's lead to 4-2 as Lang found him on the doorstep.

Back-to-back goals seven seconds apart from Andrew Boyd and Tim Henderson tied the game a third time at 4-4 with 6:27 remaining in the first half.

Just under one minute later, Gilbane restored the one-goal lead to the Big Red as he dodged to his left and ripped a shot past Palesky, but a slashing penalty by Cornell on the face-off resulted in a man-up goal by Lynch, who scored on the doorstep off a pass from Boltus, to make it a 5-5 game at the 5:01 mark.

Lynch score his second-straight to give the home team its first lead since mid-way through the first quarter, but a goal with six seconds to play in the half by Lang sent the teams into the intermission tied at 6-6.

Just as he had done in each of the previous two quarters, Pannell scored just over one minute into the third period on a 15-yard rocket off a pass from O'Neil to put Cornell back up, 7-6, but that would be Cornell's final goal of the quarter as the Black Knights went on a five-goal run.

A long Big Red offensive possession came up empty and moments later Thul got back-to-back goals 41 seconds apart on nearly identical shots as he rolled around the crease and scored from point-blank range to give Army the 8-7 lead at the 6:30 mark.

Just under one-minute later, Boltus scored an extra-man goal to give the Black Knights a two-goal cushion at 9-7.

Army registered its fourth straight goal when Lynch scored an unassisted goal at the 3:25 mark, but Cornell looked to take the momentum back when it won the restart and pair of penalties on the Army's Henderson brothers gave the Big Red a two-man-advantage. Unfortunately, another big save by Palesky ended the opportunity and the Black Knights scored its fifth straight goal when a rebound off a Fiore save was put into the net by Lynch to make it an 11-7 game heading into the final stanza.

An early fourth quarter save by Fiore was negated by a Cornell hold but the Big Red managed to get the ball back anyway to send the ball into the offensive end. The teams ended up trading possessions but the Black Knights managed to take a large chunk of time off the clock before a brilliant diving goal by Bremner made it an 11-8 game with 7:22 to play.

Cornell earned its second two-man-advantage of the game and this time, it managed to find the back of the net as McMichael found Taylor on the crease and he made it a two goal game at the 4:41 mark.

The final four minutes proved to be fast and furious with turnovers and saves by both teams but the Big Red could not score again and the Black Knights went on to win it, 11-9.

The Big Red will look to get back in the win column on Wednesday, March 9 as it welcomes Canisius to Schoellkopf Field t 4 p.m.