January 7, 2011
Russians Invade West Point
by Elliot Olshansky/
Here’s a sign you don’t normally expect to see at the box office for an exhibition game during school break: “STANDING ROOM ONLY.”
However, that was precisely the sight at Army’s Tate Rink on a late December night, and even that rarity didn’t do justice to the scene inside.
A game against the Russian “Red Stars” brought a season-high crowd of 2,602 to West Point on December 28, and while the Russians scored nine goals over the final 40 minutes en route to an 11-4 win, the game proved a memorable experience for the Black Knights as they returned from the holiday break.
“It was obviously a great opportunity for our fans to see a real skilled Russian team,” said Army head coach Brian Riley. “We knew it might be a little bit tough from the standpoint of not having been on the ice, but hopefully this experience will make us a better team.”
The Red Stars – a team comprised of 29 elite players from the RJHL that also played Yale as part of its North American tour – got off to a slow start, possibly a consequence of the travel difficulties that caused a game against Holy Cross to be canceled. However, the Red Stars coach, former Devils, Islanders, Lightning and Canucks center Alexander Semak, was quick to credit Army for making things difficult in the early going.
“They’re very well trained,” Semak said. “They’re very disciplined. It shows that they’ve played with each other for a while.”
As the game wore on, however, the superior offensive talent of the Russians came to the fore.
“It took us a while to get into the game,” Semak said, “but once we got in, we realized our moments, focused, and did what we had to do.”
The scoring prowess that produced six unanswered goals – including three in a span of 2:15 – certainly earned the admiration of the cadets, who posed for pictures with their opponents at center ice after the game ended.
“Definitely a very skilled team,” said Black Knights captain Cody Omilusik. “They had some guys that were making passes, they knew where each other were at all times. They’re fun to watch.”
Still, while the talent of the Russians proved too much to overcome, the atmosphere in the building remained a highlight throughout. As the Black Knights skated to a 3-2 first period lead, every save, hit, and goal was punctuated by a raucous cheer from the sellout crowd. Even in the third period, when the outcome had long been decided, Bill Day’s goal with 2:36 remaining elicited an exuberant response from the packed house.
“The atmosphere was great,” said Omilusik, who earned one of the loudest cheers with his penalty shot goal at 15:48 of the first period to give the Black Knights a 3-2 lead. “It’s always fun when we’ve got the fans behind us, and a lot of energy in the building.”
For a team that will be on the road for this year’s series against rival Air Force and hasn’t played its traditional game against Canada’s Royal Military College since 2006, the electric environment was something the Black Knights were thrilled to experience.
“It’s great,” Omilusik said. “We don’t have Air Force at home this year and those ones are always packed. Hopefully, since football season will be over, we’ll get some more fans in, but games like this are a lot of fun.”
The game wasn’t heavily promoted, but for fans who grew up hearing about the 1980 Olympics – or watched the Games themselves – the attraction was obvious.
“You just mention a Russian hockey team,” Riley said, “and that’s not something people have an opportunity to see all the time.”
Of course, the Black Knights will have several other rare opportunities this season: They’ll face American International in an outdoor game on February 19 as part of the Whalers Hockey Fest at Rentschler Field, and will also play at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport a week later, in a game against Sacred Heart. A nationally televised game against Air Force is also on the dance card for the second half, part of the Black Knights’ mid-January trip to Colorado Springs.
However, as thrills go for young American hockey players, a game against Russian opponents is hard to top.
“It was cool to get to play the Russians,” Omilusik said. “It’s maybe a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You’ve got to love that. The game didn’t turn out like we wanted it to, but take it for what it’s worth and move on.
