Saturday, November 29, 2014

BROCKPORT BEATS TUFTS 4-2

Junior Chase Nieuwendyk (Georgetown, ONT) scored two goals and fellow junior Chris Luker (New Hartford, NY) added a goal and two assists for The College at Brockport Hockey team as the Golden Eagles skated to a 4-2 win over Tufts University Friday afternoon in the first round of the Rutland Herald Invitational Tournament in Castleton, VT.

Brockport (3-5-1) advance to play the winner of Castleton and Manhattanville at 7 pm Saturday in the championship game of the tournament. The win for the Golden Eagles improved their record to 2-1-1 in the last four games.

After a scoreless first period where senior goalie Aaron Green (Mt. Albert, ONT) made 13 saves, the Golden Eagles started the scoring with Nieuwendyk's first of two goals in the period. The assists on the play went to Luker and James Ryan (Richmond Hill, ONT) 4:31 into the period.

Tufts (1-4-1) tied the score less than a minute later but Nieuwendyk struck again at the 7:48 mark in the period with another assist from Luker and the Golden Eagles led 2-1.

At 10:29, Tufts tied the score again but Brockport regained the lead less than four minutes later as Chad Cummings (Caledon, ONT) notched his second goal of the year with assists coming from freshman Matt Meredith (Fredonia, NY) and junior Kody Vaisanen (Dundalk, ONT) at Brockport took a 3-2 lead into the third period.

The combination of Luker and Nieuwendyk was not through as Luker netted his second goal of the season midway through the final period as Nieuwendyk and Ryan Kangas (Williamstown, MA) added the assists and Brockport led 4-2.

Tufts added pressure down the stretch pulling its goalie with two minutes to play but could not close the game as the Brockport defense blocked three shots in the final minutes of action.

Green finished with 31 saves for Brockport.