Freshman forward Brock Benson scored his first ACHA goal with 59 seconds left in regulation to lift the West Point Men's Club Hockey Team to a 3-2 victory over D1 Rutgers on Dec. 7 at ProSkate Arena in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey. 

The impressive victory gave the D2 Black Knights (13-0-3) a two-game weekend sweep in the Garden State; they downed league rival Montclair State, 8-1, on Dec. 6 in Little Falls, New Jersey. 

The win against a D1 team doesn’t count in the official record/rankings but it sure was sweet — particularly because West Point played without a handful of its top players. Top-pairing defenseman Chris Tamer remained unavailable with an injury and first-line center Caleb Kaiser didn't make the trip because of illness. Also, depth center Ben Gaucher missed the Rutgers game to attend a funeral and Army lost two players to match penalties late in the first period in the weekend finale. 

Junior defenseman Bobby Staring was again the offensive star against a highly-skilled Rutgers squad. After a three-goal, four-point night at Montclair State, Staring had a hand in all three goals in the weekend finale. He assisted on junior Charlie Aronov’s game-opening goal 27 seconds into the first period and scored midway through the second for a 2-0 lead, and then added his second assist on Benson’s big goal. 

Sophomore Liam Monahan was outstanding in net all weekend. He made 29 saves in the latter game, which featured a mini-brawl in the final minute of the first period. 

Sophomore forward Micheal Fremgen and senior defenseman Anthony Chambers both were given 5-minute majors and game misconducts for fighting — along with two Rutgers players — but all four were not suspended. 

Next up: Navy on Thursday, Dec. 12, at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. The inaugural Capital Hockey Classic doubleheader includes Army's NCAA Division I team playing Penn State in the second game at the Washington Capitals' arena.