Monday, November 30, 2009

BROCKPORT WINS SKIDMORE INVITATIONAL



The Brockport Athletics Department offers this report of last evening's huge victory...


Senior Sean O’Malley (Lakewood, OH) scored the first goal of the game and sparked a power play unit that accounted for five goals as The College at Brockport Hockey team cruised to a 6-3 victory Sunday night over Nichols College in the championship game of the Skidmore College Invitational Tournament in Saratoga Springs, NY.

O’Malley, who also scored a goal in the first game of the tournament, was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Freshman Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY) who scored a goal and added an assist against the University of New England Saturday and then notched two goals and an assist in the championship, was named to the All-Tournament team as was senior Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) who made 27 saves in the shutout win over New England Saturday.

Against Nichols, the Brockport (4-5) power play unit took advantage of a five-minute major penalty called against Nichols late in the first period and scored three times before the end of the man advantage. O’Malley opened the scoring as he scored on a wrap-around shot with 5:03 to play in the first period and just 23 seconds into the five-minute power play.

Less than a minute later, James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) scored with a slapshot from the top of the face-off circle to make it a 2-0 Brockport lead. With just over a minute remaining in the penalty, Jason Gorrie (Etobicoke, ONT) added a third power play goal giving the Golden Eagles a commanding 3-0 lead.

Two minutes into the second period, Galiani took a lead pass from Cody and raced in on a breakaway beating the Nichols goalie over the shoulder with a backhand shot for the eventual game-winning goal.

Galiani added another Brockport goal 2:13 later on another power play opportunity as Brockport took a 5-0 lead.Nichols (4-2-1) finally got on the scoreboard midway through the second period but Brockport’s Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) made it a 6-1 Brockport lead with his first goal of the season.

Nichols scored twice in the third period but could not get any closer and Brockport won the 6-3 decision.

Finnerty finished with a goal and two assists while Cody added his goal and three assists. Gorrie chipped in a goal and an assist for the Golden Eagles. Sophomore goalie Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) made 21 saves.