Posted: Mar 08, 2014
The Lakers earn the automatic qualifier into the NCAA III Men's National Championship Tournament, while the Knights, who won the regular-season title and were the top seed entering the SUNYAC Tournament, are hoping for an at-large berth when the announcements are made on March 9.
Oswego's Alex Botten was named the Most Valuable Player and to the All-Tournament Team after posting six points on a goal and five assists. Teammates Chris Carr, Bobby Gertzakis and Matt Zawadeki also represented Oswego on the tourney squad, while Geneseo's Zachary Vit and Jack Carradonna were selected to the team.
Carr and Matt Galati had two goals and an assist, while Zawadeki recorded 40 saves while facing 46 shots on net for the Lakers. Josh Timpano also scored for Oswego.
Geneseo was led by David Ripple who scored twice and added an assist, while Cardonna, Vit and Jack Ceglarski each had a goal and two assists.
Hulshorf's goal snapped a 6-6 tie and ended a frenetic game that saw the Lakers build a 5-1 advantage only to have Geneseo rally to tie the game 5-5 with four goals in a span of 6:33 at the end of the second period and in the beginning of the third.
Carr scored just :36 into the game from Nick Rivalt and Brian Hennessey while Galati from Botten made it 2-0 Lakers on the power play at 11:17.
Ripple sliced the lead in half for Geneseo by scoring on the power play at 16:29 from Zachary Vit and Jack Cardonna, while Geneseo starting goalie Nick Horrigan stopped 20 of 22 shots on net in the first period and kept the Knights in the game.
But the Lakers unleashed a torrent of goals in the second period from Timpano, Carr and Galati in a span of 8:25, taking a seemingly invincible lead. The Knights Bryan Haude entered the game in net and staved off the Oswego assault for the final seven minutes of the second period, allowing Geneseo to climb back into the game on a power play goal by Tyler Brickler at 1:10 and an even strength goal from Vit at 19:47.
The two goals ignited the home crowd and the surge carried over into the third period when the Knights tallied twice to tie the score 5-5 when Ceglarski and Ripple tallied goals in the first 5:23 of the third.
The four goals in 6:33 swung the momentum to Geneseo, but Botten halted the streak by knifing a shot by Haude at 9:30 for a 6-5 Laker lead.
Geneseo countered again at 14:22 when Cardonna scored his second goal and had an opportunity to take the lead with a power play with under five minutes left in the third, but the Knights couldn't score despite several outstanding chances.
Oswego then had its own power play advantage with 2:03 left in regulation after the Knights were called for roughing. Hulshof scored 1:34 into the power play for a 7-6 lead.
Oswego finishes the season 20-6-2, while Geneseo is 21-6.
All-Tournament Team
Tournament MVP, Alex Botten, Oswego
Chris Carr, Oswego
Bobby Gertsakis, Oswego
Matt Zawadzki, Oswego
Zachary Vit, Geneseo
Jack Carradonna, Geneseo
