Air Force defeats Army 5-4 in JBER's first inter-service hockey game

by Air Force Staff Sgt. Blake Mize
JBER Public Affairs

3/25/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska  -- Jacques Lamoureux scored a late goal to lift the Air Force to victory in Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson's first Army vs. Air Force hockey game March 15.

A capacity crowd, hosted by the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, filled the Wells Fargo Sports Complex on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus to watch the game.

The Air Force's Josh Riley scored the game's first goal late in the first period, which the Army's John Orendorff equalized shortly after. The Army's Michael Lemanski opened the scoring in the second period, taking their first lead at 2-1. Lamoureux evened the scored at two, but Orendorff's second goal of the game took the Army into the third period with a 3-2 lead.

However, the Air Force capitalized on four third-period penalties against the Army, scoring two quick goals for a 4-3 lead. Matt Hickey scored the Army's fourth and final goal before Lamoureux netted the game winner with just over five minutes left in the game.

"I thought it was a lot of fun, very competitive," said Lamoureux, who was named game's most valuable player. "One of my old teammates from the [Air Force] Academy was out there and Matt Hickey played at West Point. We played against each other, so it was fun to renew those rivalries."

Hickey agreed the game was well-played but said it could have turned out better for his team.

"We hurt ourselves with penalties, just like with any hockey game," he said. "I think if we played seven games it would be a 4-3 series, but it was one and done - and they got the better side of it tonight."

The game at UAA was the second such Air Force vs. Army game in the last few weeks. The first, also won by the Air Force 9-6, took place in the Fairbanks area between Airmen from Eielson Air Force Base and Soldiers from Fort Wainwright.

The inter-service games off base were the idea of Army Maj. Gen. Michael Shields, U.S. Army Alaska commanding general, who also played for the Army team in Saturday's game.

In addition to the opportunity for friendly athletic competition, the purpose of the game was to foster esprit de corps between JBER military branches and to reach the local community by playing in Anchorage.