The Brockport Golden Eagles hockey team’s season ended in heartbreak, falling 5-1 to Cortland. It looked like it would be a close game from the beginning but that did not end up being the case.
The first period was back-and-forth between both teams. Their offenses created multiple high quality scoring chances but both teams’ goalies were on fire, making saves left and right.
The scoreless tie was broken late in the period. Cortland’s Stephen Kyrkostas scored on a wrist shot from the slot after Brockport gave up a turnover.
Although Cortland scored, Brockport kept at it, continuing to add offensive pressure on the Red Dragons defense. To end the period, Cortland had 17 shots on goal to Brockport’s nine. Chase Maxwell of the Golden Eagles felt good about his team in the first period and going into the second.
“I thought we controlled a majority of the game,” Maxwell said. “As long as we keep doing what we are doing, I think we’ll be fine.”
Cortland found a groove in the second period and kept their foot on the gas pedal. Cortland’s Anthony Bernardo buried a wrist shot on an odd-man rush, increasing the lead to two. After that, Cortland kept the puck in Brockport’s territory for the rest of the game.
Brockport rarely moved the puck into the offensive zone and struggled to clear the puck. Cortland’s forecheck was simply dominant. The Red Dragons were able to notch their third goal thanks to Nate Berke, a player Brockport once tried to recruit, who scored off of a rebound.
Before the three-minute mark of the second period, Evan Beaudry buried a one-timer to give the Red Dragons a 4-0 lead. It looked like the Red Dragons were going to run away with the game.
Before the end of the period, Brockport’s Andrew Harley and Cortland’s AJ Pryzstawski got into a scrum. Pryzstawski threw a punch at Harley and found himself in the penalty box for a major. Because of this, Brockport would be on a five-minute powerplay that would carry over into the third period. Forward Connor Galloway hoped his teammates wouldn’t let the stress of being down 4-0 get to them.
“I think we just need to stay calm,” Galloway said. “When we start to panic, that’s when things don’t go right…We just need to stay calm, stay in our structure, we’ll be able to move the puck and we can bury it.”
In the third period, Brockport failed to convert. Cortland’s penalty kill unit kept blocking shots and goalie Jack Riedell was unstoppable in net. As more time passed, Brockport regained the offensive rhythm they had in the first period.
The Golden Eagles managed to find some life after Spencer Flansburg scored off a wrist shot. It seemed like Brockport would keep the puck in Cortland’s defensive zone for the rest of the period but that would not end up being the case.
Cortland kept pressuring Brockport’s defense and chewed more of the clock. To put the game away, Berke buried an empty netter, sealing the 5-1 win for Cortland. Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson felt that the game was closer than the score showed.
“I didn’t think it was a 5-1 game,” Dickinson said. “We had some unbelievable chances and Riedell played extremely well.”
Cortland will move on to the semi-finals of the SUNYAC playoffs to take on Geneseo on Saturday. Brockport will enter the offseason with some questions about which seniors will return. Scott Ramaekers and Galloway will not be returning for next season. Dickinson was thankful for everything that his seniors had done for the team.
“Super proud of those guys that came in,” Dickinson said. “They are all going to be missed if they all leave and they all brought something different to the lineup.”
The Golden Eagles finish the season 8-14-4 overall and 5-9-2 in their final season of SUNYAC play.
