HARRISVILLE, R.I. (Jan. 2) – The Saint Mary's University men's ice hockey team rallied from a three-goal deficit to tie Nichols College, 4-4, in overtime Saturday afternoon at the Nichols College Bison Hockey Classic at June Rockwell Levy Rink. Senior Jeff Miller scored in the first round of the shootout and his goal stood to lead the Cardinals (1-8-1) into the championship game Sunday against Wesleyan University at 4 p.m. Nichols (5-4-2) will face Lebanon Valley in the consolation game at 1 p.m.
After a physical second period and down 4-1 at the start of the third, the Cardinals scored three-straight goals to force overtime. First-year forward Kevin Wentland got things going right away with an unassisted short-handed goal just 20 seconds into the frame before Nate Peterson finished an odd-man rush with his first career goal three minutes later to cut the Bison's lead to one.
Miller picked up a rebound from Wentland at the doorstep and got a quick pass over to Anthony Bohn for the senior to roof it past Nichols goaltender Ryan Casey (Pelham, N.H.) at 15:14.
Nichols recorded the only shot of the overtime, but Miller's score in the first round of the three-player shootout stood as the first two Nichols skaters and second St, Mary's skater missed, and Cardinals' netminder Jason Horstman made a big save on the final Nichols attempt.
Horstman finished with 31 saves to move to 1-3-1, while Casey made 22 stops and stands a 3-3-2.
The teams combined for 72 penalty minutes and five power-play goals with St. Mary's finishing 1-for-7 with the man advantage and Nichols going 4-for-13.
Matt Sayer (Lowell, Mass.) led the Bison with a goal and two assists, and scored the game's first goal less than six minutes in. Zeke Costello (Shelby Township, Mich.) fed Sayer with a centering pass from behind the net for one of three assists on the night to move into a tie for second place on Nichols' all-time assists leaders chart. With 77 career assists, Costello stands two shy of tying the all-time record of 79 held by Dave Delmonico (1974-78).
Nichols expanded its lead to 3-0 with a pair of power-play goals before the five-minute mark of the second period. With a two-man advantage early in the frame, first-year forward Zach Kohn (Hartland, Wis.) scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season. Andrew Ella (Schomberg, Ont.) cycled the puck down to Will Munson (Corona, Calif.), who skated it low behind the net before feeding Kohn less than a minute into the period. First-year defender Matt Lynch (Pittsfield, Mass.) sniped his first career goal at 4:36 from the right point, picking the upper right corner of the net after collecting the puck from Sayer, who was tied up in the slot.
The Cardinals got on the board two minutes later as Trevor Tolibas pushed the puck under Casey after Vincent Unklesbay collected a blocked shot by Mike Glaesmer.
Costello and Sayer helped Eric Cremer (Chelsea, Mich.) cap the wild second period's scoring with assists to the defender who was waiting at the far post to finish off a deflected shot at 16:48 for a 4-1 lead.
Box Score
Game One: Wesleyan 4, Lebanon Valley 2
HARRISVILLE, R.I. (Jan 2) – The Wesleyan University men's hockey team defeated Lebanon Valley College, 4-2, Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the Nichols College Bison Hockey Classic at June Rockwell Levy Rink. The Cardinals were led by a goal and an assist from first-year forward Nick Craven and improve to 3-4-0 on the season. Lebanon Valley received a pair of unassisted goals from first-year forward Rory Wilkowich, but falls to 0-11-0 on the year.
Wesleyan jumped out to a 2-0 lead by the midpoint of the first frame on goals from senior forward David Layne (Flourtown, Pa.) and first-year forward David Kaise. Senior Jeff Beck won the faceoff back to Layne for a quick wrister and a 1-0 lead at 6:04, which Kaiser followed up with an open-net rebound less than five minutes later. Junior forward Brett Bandazian found junior Todd Keats in front of the net after bringing the puck into the zone. Keats' shot at the doorstep was denied by Lebanon Valley netminder Rich Drazin, but Kaiser was at the left post to dump in the puck after Drazin was drawn out to the opposite side.
Wilkowich got the Dutchmen on the board late in the frame, skating in all alone before dodging a defenseman and slipping the puck through Drazin's five-hole at 18:52 to cut the Cardinals' lead in half.
The teams traded goals in the middle frame with Wesleyan striking first at the 8:20 mark as senior Sam Robinson deposited a rebound to regain the Cardinals' two-goal lead. Kaiser dug the puck out of the corner to Micah Ehiorobo at the point. The first-year defenseman's shot sailed right into Drazin's pads, but the rebound deflected right to Robinson's stick for the on-ice goal.
Wilkowich brought the Dutchmen within one with another unassisted score, this time with a wrister from the faceoff circle that cruised over Drazin's blocker at 13:57 for a 3-2 game.
Lebanon Valley poured on the shots in the final frame, but Wesleyan goaltender Glenn Stowell stood tall in his first career start, stoning the Dutchmen with 14 stops in the final frame to go with 15 from the second.
Craven added an insurance goal late in the third as Woody Redpath slipped him the puck in front of the net as he was taking a hit. Craven drew Drazin one way before slipping the puck beneath him with just over a minute to play.
Drazin finished with 29 saves, while Stowell made 40 stops in his collegiate debut.
Neither team capitalized on the power play, as Wesleyan finished 0-for-4, and Lebanon Valley was 0-for-6 with the man advantage.
Wesleyan will face St. Mary's (Minn.) in the championship game on Sunday at 4 p.m. St. Mary's tied Nichols, 4-4, in overtime and advanced, 1-0, in a shootout. Lebanon Valley will take on host Nichols in the consolation game at 1 p.m.
Box Score
