Some people wonder why I love my Brockport Hockey and NCAA DIII hockey so much. Last night's game against Hamilton was the perfect reason why. It was entertaining. It was exciting. It was memorable.
You knew the game was going to be a good one right after puck drop. For the first seven minutes both teams ran an uptempo coast-to-coast style of play that was unsustainable from a stamina standpoint. It wasn't sustainable, but nonetheless the speed of the game ebbed and flowed and there were countless sessions of this incredibly fast play.
That competitiveness also reared its head in physicality. The "modern" NCAA has been less interested in hitting since rule changes that came out in 2010-2011 (I miss the good ol' days), but it was like a Turn Back the Clock Night as there were plenty of solid checks throughout the affair, enough to keep players and fans on their toes. Among the hardest hits was one inflicted on Doc Gentzler, minutes after his goal. He was hit hard in the open ice, folded back and the offending Hamilton player was penalized for the shot to the head. Let me tell you something: Doc is tough. He didn't go down, he wasn't concussed, he didn't tap out, and on subsequent shifts he didn't have alligator arms or sport any hesitation.
The game also had a few things most will never see.
First came a buzzer beater goal.
Maybe 20 years ago I saw Brockport win a game with one-half of a second left on the clock. Last night, Jordan Renaud scored a goal as the buzzer closed out the second period. His timing was impeccable and, after the linesmen conversed, he was credited with the goal. It was a dramatic moment.
Next, came the rarest of the rare penalties.
In my 26 years watching the game at Tuttle North I had never seen a team whistled for a "hand pass off a faceoff". It happened last night. You never like to see one of your guys charged with a penalty, but I had to chuckle because of the uniqueness of the penalty.
Then, there was an unbelievable save, among many brilliant ones, by Jake Moore. It was one of the craziest saves I've seen in years.
Jake stopped with his leg pads a shot at point blank. Then he stymied the rebound. Then came the third shot. In order to stop it amidst the chaos, Jake sprawled out on his stomach, head in the net. While in that position, the back of his head towards the shooter, he raised his glove hand and made a back-handed glove save. Trying to describe the save doesn't do it justice. You had to be there.
That save highlights Jake's magical season. He now has a 0.99 goals against average and a .962 save percentage. To some, it may seem like he's on a hot streak. I beg to differ. You can tell he's mastered the game. Everything he's doing is right, from positioning to anticipation to limiting shots to making the saves with mechanics and athleticism to playing the puck away from the net. I encourage fans to sit back and enjoy what is shaping up to be the greatest season ever by an individual Brockport player.
As a matter of fact, this season is shaping up to be one of the greatest for the whole team. Last night was a test, and the Golden Eagles passed with flying colors. Last year, Hamilton was the best defensive team in DIII with only 1.68 goals allowed per game. Brockport put 3 on them and beat them at their own game. It was pretty special. Now, after 7 games, Brockport has allowed just 1.57 goals per game. Wild!
Here's the Athletic Department's recap...
The College at Brockport men's ice hockey team defeated Hamilton College
Saturday night, by a score of 3-1. With the win, the Golden Eagles move
to (5-1-1) on the season and (2-1-1) in the SUNYAC, while the
Continentals move to (1-1-0) overall and (1-0-0) in conference.
The two teams skated to a scoreless first period, with the Continentals
outshooting the Golden Eagles 9-5. Brockport's penalty kill came up big
in the first 20, holding Hamilton to one shot on their powerplay
opportunity. The Golden Eagles found themselves on the power play late
in the in the first, but the Continentals penalty kill unit was able to
keep the Green and Gold at bay.
The Continentals came out firing in the second period, testing Brockport's goalie
Jake Moore
early and often. The Golden Eagles penalty kill remained solid in the
second as they were challenged twice. The Green and Gold netted the
first goal of the game with five minutes to go in the second,
Doc Gentzler beat the opposition's goalkeeper after a beautiful pass into the slot by
Ethan Solat.
The Golden Eagles found themselves on the powerplay minutes after their
first goal when a high hit by the opposition put Gentzler in a
vulnerable position. Brockport capitalized on the opportunity as
Jordan Renaud buried his second of the year with assists from
Ryan Romeo and
Corey Tam.
The second goal of the game came with one second remaining in the
period, sending the Green and Gold into the locker room with a two-goal
lead.
The Golden Eagles came out flying in the third, scoring their third goal
of the game eight minutes into the period when freshman
Kyle Collette
let an absolute missile go, beating the oppositions netminder bar
down. The Continentals would not let up, however, answering with a goal
of their own on a pretty tic-tac-toe play to bring the score within two.
The late goal would prove to be too-little-too-late. Moore had another
stellar showing making 33 saves on the evening and picking up his fourth
win of the year.
