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JOHN CULLEN
Staff Writer
In what was a very entertaining game which kept all those in attendance at Steele Hall on the edge of their seat for most of the night, the Bengals were able to score two late third period goals and fend off a last minute surge from Fredonia to earn a 4-2 victory.
Entering the game Buffalo State held a one-point lead on Fredonia in the ultra-competitive SUNYAC hockey standings, so both teams buckled up for what turned out to be a back and forth game with each team knowing what was at stake.
The game started with both sides playing a conservative style trying to avoid a potential mistake that would give away momentum. As the two teams began to feel each other out they settled into the game and Buffalo State was the first team to capitalize.
Buffalo native Nick Berst opened the scoring for the Bengals after he converted on a Blue Devil turnover by making a nifty move in front of the net to put Buffalo State in front 1-0.
After the opening goal the Bengals took advantage of the momentum controlling the pace of the play, and it looked like it could be a long night for the Blue Devils.
All that changed when Fredonia Head Coach Jeff Meredith called a set play on a defensive zone faceoff — which was executed to perfection by the Blue Devils — which sent freshman sniper Jimmy Morgan in alone on a breakaway.
Morgan made no mistake about it as he went forehand-backhand which opened up Buffalo State goaltender Mike DeLaVergne’s five-hole, allowing the freshman forward to slip the puck in between the goalie’s legs for his sixth tally on the season, and a big goal for Fredonia, that tied the game at one point.
“A goal like that is a six-person effort. It takes everyone doing their job to work: from the coaching staff calling it at the right time, to guys on the ice, to the goalies running the doors, to Jimmy coming off the bench and finishing,” said senior forward Taylor Bourne.
More importantly the goal seemed to shift the momentum back in the Blue Devils favor.
“After we tied it up we were able to ride the momentum and control the pace of the play for the rest of the period,” said Bourne.
The second period would start with the game still tied at one, but that would change just six minutes into the period. Bourne made an incredible individual effort to beat his defender on a one-on-one rush and finished it off with a beautiful backhand shot that went top shelf where momma hides the cookies. The goal put the Blue Devils up 2-1.
The rest of the second period was played at a frantic pace, with each team enjoying several powerplay opportunities and high-end scoring chances, but both goaltenders were on their game.
Freshman Blue Devil goaltender Eric Bogart made several big saves on the night, denying Buffalo State players at point blank range many times during the second period, keeping the Fredonia lead intact.
“I felt really comfortable in the second period,” said Bogart. “I settled in after the first and felt like I was seeing the puck really well. They had some flurries in front that were tough, but I was able to keep puck out.” Bogart kept his team in the game and would finish the night with 44 saves.
Fredonia held its only lead of the night for ten minutes after Bourne’s highlight-reel goal until the Bengals found the back of the net on a powerplay with 3:42 remaining in the period.
After some great point-to-point passing during the four-on-three man advantage, Buffalo State forward Taylor Pryce received a pass on the back door and fired a shot off the post and into the net that tied the game at 2-2.
The teams entered the third period with two goals apiece and a playoff spot potentially on the line, and the next 20 minutes proved how much was at stake as both teams battled valiantly to win and laid it all on the line in what was a very exciting period of hockey.
After more intense back-and-forth action for the first 15 minutes of the final period, Buffalo State was able to break the tie and score the eventual game winning goal on a shot that found its way through heavy traffic from Ryan Salkeld.
Bogart did his best to help get the win for the Blue Devils, making some big saves down the stretch but Buffalo State netminder Mike DeLeVergne was not to be outdone.
With the game on the line and the Blue Devils down by a goal, a harmless looking dump-in from Fredonia took a crazy bounce off the glass stanchion just inside the blueline and looked to be heading into an empty Buffalo State net as DeLaVergne was skating towards the corner to set-up the puck for his defenseman.
At the last second — with the puck about the cross the goal-line for the tying goal — DeLaVergne lunged back towards the net with his arm and stick fully extended and was able to make what could be the save of the year in college hockey to preserve the 3-2 lead and essentially seal the victory for Buffalo State.
“It was a disappointing finish, we gave the game away by taking some undisciplined penalties in the 3rd [period],” said Bourne. “We played some good hockey, but we didn’t have the full 60 minute effort that you need in order to win in this league … if we take away half of the penalties we took, maybe we win the game.”
Buffalo State added another late goal as an insurance marker, and the game finished 4-2 for the visiting Bengals, but Fredonia still leads in the year-long, multi-sport, “Battle By The Lake” with a score of 8-7.
“It’s tough that we keep coming so close game after game and don’t achieve the outcome we need,” said Assistant Coach Mike Lysyj. “The only thing we can do is learn from our mistakes by moving forward and starting to put complete games together.”
The Blue Devil hockey team will be back on the ice this Friday when it hosts the nationally ranked Plattsburgh Cardinals and again on Saturday night when the Potsdam Bears come to town. Both games will be held at the Steele Hall Ice Arena with a 7 p.m. face off.
“The best part of hockey is that we have another game Friday when we play against an experienced winner … Plattsburgh,” said Lysyj. “It is time for us to prove ourselves and live up to our potential.”
*John Cullen currently serves as the goaltending coach for the Fredonia hockey team