Senior defenseman Bobby Chayka
(Hardwick, NJ) scored a hat trick and started a comeback effort in the
second period for The College at Brockport Hockey team but a pair of
power play goals and an empty net goal by Plattsburgh in the third
period gave the Cardinals a 7-5 win Saturday night in the semifinal
round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC)
Tournament in Plattsburgh.
Plattsburgh (19-5-2) opened the game scoring two quick goals in the first five minutes of the contest but Brockport (13-12-2) battled back with Chayka scoring the first of three goals just 30 seconds after Plattsburgh had taken the 2-0 advantage to trim the lead in half.
The Cardinals added two more goals including one power play tally before the end of the period to take a 4-1 lead into the first intermission.
In the second period, Brockport came out with increased energy and controlled much of the play for the first several minutes. Plattsburgh called its only time out of the game early in the period in an attempt to regain some of the momentum but Chayka capped a three-man rush up the ice with a hard shot from the top of the slot to make the score 4-2.
Five minutes later, with Plattsburgh on a power play, Chase Nieuwendyk (Georgetown, ONT) tapped the puck away from one of the Plattsburgh defensemen at the blue line and carried the puck into the Cardinal zone. A cross-ice pass to Chayka and a quick hard shot to the top corner of the goal made it a one-goal game and gave Chayka a hat trick.
Two minutes later, goalie Aaron Green (Mt. Albert, ONT) made a sliding save across the crease sending the puck into the corner. A pass out of the zone found the stick of Jake Taylor (Port Perry, ONT) led to a quick rush up the ice and into the Plattsburgh zone. Taylor dropped a pass to senior Troy Polino (Limerick, PA) who fired a low shot from just inside the blue line that found the back of the goal and tied the score at 4-4.
In the third period, Plattsburgh rallied for a pair of power play goals, one at 1:30 of the period and the second five minutes later to take a 6-4 lead.
Down two goals with less than six minutes to play, Brockport scored again to trim the lead to one at 6-5 as Chris Luker (New Hartford, NY) walked in from the blue line on a power play and snapped a hard low shot into the corner of the goal.
Two minutes later freshman Dylan Shapiro (Rochester, NY) had a good chance to tie the score as he carried the puck from behind the end line and looked to stuff the puck into the corner of the goal but it was saved.
With 1:53 left to play and a face off in the Plattsburgh zone, Brockport called its time out and pulled Green out of the goal for the extra attacker. Taylor won the ensuing faceoff but the puck was intercepted before reaching the defense at the blue line and Plattsburgh skated into the Brockport zone to score the empty net goal and regain the two-goal advantage.
Brockport had a couple shots in the closing minute but could not cut into the lead.
Chayka led the offense with three goals and Nieuwendyk added a goal and an assist. Green made 34 saves for Brockport.
Plattsburgh advances to play Oswego for the SUNYAC title Saturday, March 6 in Plattsburgh. Oswego posted a 2-0 win over Buffalo State in the other semifinal game.
