Brandon Wood's recap for the Brockport Stylus...
SUNY Oswego’s ice hockey team dominated on the road at the College at Brockport Saturday, Nov. 24. The Lakers cooled off Brockport’s red-hot power play and shut out the Golden Eagles for just the second time this season in a 4-0 win.
With the loss, Brockport (2-5-1 overall, 1-3 SUNYAC) earned no conference points in its first home weekend of SUNYAC play and sits second-to-last in the SUNYAC conference.
“It’s not what we expected,” senior captain Matt DeLuca said. “The thing about this team is that we have the ability to bounce back. If we have an off weekend, we know the next weekend is just that much bigger.”
Brockport had a chance to take an early lead when Oswego freshman Alex Botten hit Brockport freshman Jake Taylor into a board and received a five-minute major and a game misconduct 35 seconds into the game. The Golden Eagles power play, which had scored at least one goal in all of its previous three games, was stonewalled by Oswego goalie Matt Zawadzki.
Four minutes after the penalty was over, Oswego was able to put one past Brockport sophomore goalie Jared Lockhurst, who was in net for the second straight game for the Eagles. The Lakers doubled their advantage with 45 seconds remaining in the first period to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Brockport had two more opportunities in the second period to score with the man advantage, but struggled to produce shots on net. Oswego did a good job of pressuring Brockport while it controlled the puck and clogged up the passing lanes to hold the Golden Eagles to just 26 shots all evening.
Oswego added a goal in the second period and one more in the third as the puck bounced around and Mac Scott threw it into a portion of the net that was wide open.
Brockport’s power play, which entered the game at seventh in the nation in efficiency percentage, was stifled by Oswego and held to 0-for-5 on the evening.
“At the start [of our power play, Oswego] was throwing four defenders across the blue line and really hindering our breakout and that really hurt us,” sophomore Chase Nieuwendyk, one of the main contributors on Brockport’s power play, said. “Once we figured that out the bounces were just not going our way.”
Lockhurst made 22 out of 26 possible saves on the evening. Brockport had a scare when he appeared to tweak his groin during the second period and trainers had to come out to take a look at him.
Brockport was already without junior Aaron Green with a groin injury for the weekend, but Lockhurst remained in the game and said he was fine following the game. Nieuwendyk also left the game, with around seven minutes remaining in the third period after blocking a shot with his right ankle.
The Golden Eagles’ next test comes over Thanksgiving weekend when it travels to Castleton University for the Rutland Herald Invitational tournament. They will play Saturday against Manhattanville College at 3 p.m. and then either Tufts University or Castleton depending on results.
Nieuwendyk said he thinks getting away on the road will be good for the team’s morale.
“I think getting us together playing tournament style and getting some guys in who need some ice time will be good for us,” Nieuwendyk said. “We’ll get some time off for Thanksgiving and then be ready to go.”
Source: http://www.thestylus.net/brockport-pp-held-scoreless-for-first-time-in-two-weeks-1.3123907#.UpMBguKrGFg
