Sunday, February 6, 2011

BROCKPORT TIES FREDONIA 2-2

I ususally miss one or no home games each season. I thought for sure I'd see them all this year. That is, until the weather changed for the worse just before game time, the heavy snow and sleet making for a really unattractive commute. It looks like I missed one heckuva game.

Here's what the Athletic Department reports....


It wasn't a win, but The College at Brockport's ice hockey team battled hard on Senior Night and earned a 2-2 overtime tie against Fredonia Saturday night inside the Tuttle North Ice Arena.

Nearly three months after dropping a 7-0 road game to Fredonia, the Golden Eagles (3-16-3 overall, 1-11-1 SUNYAC) earned some measure of atonement, taking leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before Fredonia (10-11-1, 5-7-1) notched the tying goal with 2:02 remaining.

Freshman Joe Reagan (Yonkers, NY) stopped 47 of the 49 Blue Devil shots, including several point-blank looks in the third period.

Freshman Brendon Rothfuss (Webster, NY) staked the Golden Eagles to a 1-0 lead 11:26 into the first period. Seniors Ray Tremblay (Peachland, BC) and Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) each had their turn with the puck before Rothfuss got at the point. Rothfuss rifled a one-timer from the point for his fourth goal of the year.

Fredonia tied the score four minutes later, and the score remained tied until freshman Sean Wallace (Rochester, NY) scored his second goal in as many games.

Freshman Mike Baxter (Bracebridge, ONT) and sophomore Nick Panepinto (Tonawanda, NY) had the puck in close before it squirted out to Wallace. Wallace skated in several steps from the blue line and fired a shot from inside the left circle that sailed in with 15:19 remaining in the second.

Neither team would score again until Fredonia tied it up late. Brockport had two power-plays down the stretch, but couldn't find the winner.

It was the final home game for six Brockport seniors: Tremblay, Noble, Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY), Chris Berardini (Batavia, NY), Nick Sampson (Mississagua, NY) and Jeremy Rossignolo (Rochester, NY). Berardini, Noble and Sampson were four-year members of Brockport's varsity.

“Without Joe Reagan's play, we don't get a point tonight,” said Brian Dickinson, Brockport's head coach.

“Our D did a fantastic job of getting sticks up in front of the net and not allowing those second and third chances that we gave up Friday night. … We challenged our guys (before the game, saying) 'We have six guys who have given everything they have to this program for up to four years, let's go out there and play for those guys' and I thought that if we out-worked them, we'd be in a position to steal the game.”

The Golden Eagles finish the 2010-11 season with three road games, starting with a 7 p.m. game against Geneseo Feb. 11.


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Box score: http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/mbrcfre1.f05