Posted: Feb 16, 2013
Junior Korby Anderson's (Owantonna, Minn.) goal 6:16 into the third period enabled Becker to erase a two-goal deficit and forge a 2-2 ECAC Northeast ice hockey overtime tie with Suffolk Saturday afternoon at Steriti Rink.
The visiting Hawks (10-12-2, 1-10-2 ECAC Northeast) entered the final 20 minutes of regulation trailing by that two-goal margin after junior Charlie McGinnis(Hanover, Mass.) had netted both markers for the host Rams (6-13-6, 3-7-4 ECAC Northeast) in the opening 12:17 of play. Senior Mark Lotito(Staten Island, N.Y.) sliced Becker's deficit in half just 1:03 into the third stanza on a feed from freshman David Kann(Lafayette, Calif.), and Anderson converted passes from senior David Graham(Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) and junior James Shea(Broad Channel, N.Y.) on the equalizer for the visitors just over five minutes later.
Both squads had chances to net the game-winner late in regulation and in the extra session, as Becker hit the post and was stopped on a pair of point-blank chances in the closing seconds of overtime by Suffolk freshman netminder Brandon Smolarek(Chesterfield, Mo.). Junior Shaun Millerick(Hampton, Mass.) was also solid between the pipes for the Hawks in the final 25 minutes of play with 18 saves, including three in the sudden death frame.
Sophomore Andrew Ball(Brick, N.J.) and freshman Carmen Mastrangelo(Wellington, Fla.) assisted on McGinnis's first goal of the night for Suffolk, which received a helper from freshman David Lazaro(Canton, Mass.) on his second tally. Smolarek finished with 36 saves in the draw for the hosts, while Millerick collected 34 stops in the tie for Becker, as the Hawks outshot the Rams by a 38-36 margin for the contest.
The draw enabled Suffolk, which concluded its regular season slate with today's game, to take a one-point edge over Johnson & Wales for the sixth and final spot in next week's ECAC Northeast championships, but the Wildcats have a pair of contests remaining with Curry and Becker, as the latter will be played on Tuesday afternoon in Marlboro, Mass. beginning at 2:40 p.m. Johnson & Wales would need to gain two points to claim that final playoff spot, as if the Wildcats were to notch only one point over its final two games, Suffolk would take the sixth seed in the championships by virtue of a 1-0-1 mark between the two squads in regular season play.