Thursday, November 3, 2011

STYLUS RECAP OF LAST WEEKEND'S GAMES

Brockport hockey on wrong end of a scoring frenzy with tie to Fredonia and loss to Buffalo State
By Andy Lipari

Brockport's hockey team was a true Jekyll and Hyde this Halloween weekend. What looked like tale of two different teams in the same jersey ended with a 4-4 tie against Fredonia Friday, Oct. 28 and an 8-1 loss to Buffalo State Saturday, Oct. 29.

A rambunctious crowd pushing fire code limits was treated to an entertaining game, which is something that was hard to find last season.

Brockport played 56 minutes of hockey that would normally result in a victory, but it was four bad minutes that cost them the extra win. With Brockport up 3-1 with two minutes left in the second period, Andrew Christ and Mat Hehr scored for Fredonia tying the game at 3-3. Fredonia went on the power play 17 seconds into the third and scored to make it 4-3.

"We didn't respond well to having a lead and we got sloppy," Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson said. "When we had a year like we did this year, we almost need to learn how to win again and this will be something we will continue to work at."

Despite giving up four goals, senior goalie Oliver Wren played the best hockey of his college career. He had 36 saves against Fredonia, four of them coming in overtime to help Brockport earn at least a point in conference standings. However, Wren didn't want to take all the credit.

"I owe a lot of that to the defense," he said. "They're boxing out and allowing me to see the shot and I just have to worry about the puck. I just felt good today."

Fredonia led 1-0 after a first-period goal by Jared Wynia.

Brockport scored three times in the second. Steve Sachman, Adam Shoff and James Cody all found the back of the net to take a 3-1 lead.

Down 4-3 with about eight minutes left in the game, Mike Hayward took a touch pass from Cody to tie the game.

"At 3-1 we're probably not happy with a tie, but down 4-3 it's nice to battle back," Dickinson said. "When we started the way we did last year, a tie is good and we get a point out of it."

Brockport did its best disappearing act Saturday, dropping its game to Buffalo State, 8-1.



The first period looked like Brockport would build off the momentum they had Friday. Pat Hayden scored, giving the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead. Drew Klin answered for the Bengals and it was tied 1-1 after the first.

Brockport starting going downhill when Buff. State capitalized on the power play. On three straight opportunities with the man-advantage, Buff. State found the back of the net to go ahead 4-1. Buff. State scored four more times in the third to finish to onslaught.

Dickinson said they came out strong, but didn't continue to build on the lead.

"We had an early power play in the first and if we score there it's a totally different game," he said. "We have to find a way to score when the other team has three guys on the ice. Those are game changing opportunities."

Wren had 21 saves for Brockport before being pulled in the third. Freshman Aaron Green saw his first action as a Golden Eagle making stopping seven shots. Kevin Carr had 22 saves for Buff. State.

Brockport will not be home the entire month of November. Their next five conference games are on the road, starting with Cortland this Friday, Nov. 4.


Source: http://www.thestylus.net/brockport-hockey-on-wrong-end-of-a-scoring-frenzy-with-tie-to-fredonia-and-loss-to-buffalo-state-1.2677077

____