Box Score
BOSTON, Mass. – Led by Ryan Kangas' two goals and one assist, including the game-winner with 1:22 left in the third period, the Golden Eagles of SUNY Brockport upset No. 5/5 men's ice hockey by the final of 3-2 Saturday afternoon in the Beacons Ice Arena on the first day of the 51st Annual Codfish Bowl Tournament
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 2, SUNY Brockport 3
UMass Boston (9-2-1)
SUNY Brockport (5-5-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Knotted at 2-2 with less than two minutes to play in regulation, Kangas connected on a pass from Tim Kielich, to send the Golden Eagles to their first Codfish Bowl title game. The marker, was the sixth of the year for Kangas, with Chad Cummings also assisting on the game-winning play.
Saturday's meeting, was a back-and-forth affair from start to finish, despite the Beacons outshooting their New York opponent a lopsided 50-21. The Golden Eagles got on the board early in the first frame as Brian Hurlimann ended the scoreless draw with his second goal of the year. Kangas, assisted on the play as the forward picked-up his ninth helper of the season to kick start, what turned out to be a three point day.
The Beacons did get the equalizer four minutes later, when Frankie DeAugustine (Pittsburgh, Pa.) netted his first of two goals in the contest. Colin Larkin (Waterford, Mich.) and Matt Lemire (Townsend, Mass.) each assisted on the play. Despite a consistent pressure from the Beacons offense, it was Brockport who scored next as they went up 2-1 with 1:07 left in the first, as Kangas scored his fifth goal of the campaign.
Despite leading 21-8 in shots in the second period, the Beacons were unable to get the puck past Jared Lockhurst, who had one of his best games this season between the pipes. The netminder tallied 48 saves to improve to 3-4 on the year.
In the third period, the Beacons would once again tie the game, with DeAugustine finding the back of the net just 13 seconds into the final period. The Beacons would continue to pound the puck, but just like the second they were never able to put another dent on the scoreboard, despite a 17-3 advantage.
With the score still even at 2-2 and with time quickly winding down, the Beacons tried to get the game-clincher in the final seconds of regulation. However on just their third shot of the period, the Golden Eagles got the goal they needed, and managed to hold off a barrage of shots for the Beacons to earn the victory.
Garrett Gallagher (Aston, Pa.) played a strong defensive game for the Beacons totaling a game-high six blocked shots, while senior goaltender Billy Faust (Alta Loma, Calif.) made 18 saves in the loss (7-2-1).
BY THE NUMBERS
- The Beacons finished 0-for-3 on the power-play, while Brockport went 0-for-2
- SUNY Brockport is making their first appearance in the Codfish Bowl Tournament, which stands as the second longest running college hockey invitational tournament in the country
- The Beacons 50 shots marked the fourth most this season
WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will face Johnson & Wales University or Westfield State University at 1 p.m. in the consolation game. Brockport will face the winner in tomorrow's championship game scheduled for 4 p.m.
