Canton, NY – Josh Sova (Oswego, NY) scored twice and added an assist, while Tyler Bullard (Ballston Spa, NY) also scored twice as the SUNY Canton men’s hockey team earned a 6-6 overtime tie v. visiting Neumann University on Saturday at the Roos House.
The Roos got on the board first at the 2:53 mark of the opening period. Trenton Yule (Oswego, NY) took a shot from top of right circle that trickled through traffic. The puck redirected off of Tyler Ralph (Middletown, NJ) and went right to Patrick Farnan (Clifton Park, NY) at the front of the crease who snuck the puck through the five-hole of Neumann goaltender Tyler Lefebvre.
SUNY Canton (1-8-2) doubled its lead midway through the second. Joey Vocino (Pickering, ON) won an offensive zone faceoff at the right circle back to Vili-Jesper Koivula (Pinsio, Finland) who ripped a shot from the slot. Lefebvre made the initial save but the rebound went right to Sova who scored his second goal in as many nights.
The Roos extended their lead to 3-0 at 13:58 of the opening period when Zach Pease (Toronto, ON) collected the puck at the near boards at his defensive blue line and fed a pass up ice to Ralph who hit Erik Hallin (Goteborg, Sweden) with a quick pass skating into the offensive zone. Hallin’s initial shot was saved by Lefebvre but the rebound came right to his stick as Hallin lit the lamp for the first time on the year.
Canton took a 3-0 lead into first intermission as they held an 18-12 shots advantage in the opening 20 minutes. Austin Washkurak (Oakville, ON) made 12 saves in the first period.
SUNY Canton extended its lead to 4-0 at the 5:50 mark of the middle period when Nick Lepone (Richmondhill, ON) tipped the puck to Tyler Bullard (Ballston Spa, NY) who skated the puck into the offensive zone deking a defender and the goalie going bar down to extend the Roos lead.
Shane Topf got one back for Neumann at the 9:03 mark when his shot appeared to be saved by Washkurak but after a long review the referees ruled the puck crossed the line. Nick Perruccio and Thomas Mansbridge earned helpers on the play. Exactly two minutes later Liam Board fed the puck off the far boards at mid-ice to Jory Mullin who lifted a shot over the shoulder of Washkurak to get the Knights within two.
Just 16 seconds later the Roos responded when Vocino won a faceoff in the offensive zone at the left circle and Sova’s shot snuck between the five-hole of Matt Gibney. Neumann trimmed the deficit to two at 16:36 when Matt Gerber fed a breakout pass to Zac Lazzaro who executed a give-and-go with Board as Lazzaro put home his second of the season. SUNY Canton took a 5-3 lead holding a 31-23 edge in shots after 40 minutes of play.
Neumann (8-3-1) got within one early in the third on the power play when Johannes Sallila fed the puck from the far corner to Perruccio at the left circle. He played a cross-ice pass to Sam House at the right circle and he sniped a shot top shelf at 3:21.
The Roos were whistled for a pair of minors at 8:59 of the third giving the Knights two minutes skating 5-on-3. Washkurak made a huge save on a Mullin shot with 1:14 to play in the two skater advantage and the Roo penalty kill unit came up huge killing off both penalties.
Neumann was whistled for back-to-back minors as the Roos had 19 seconds of their own 5-on-3. The Knights tied the game at five at the 13:38 mark when Lazzaro netted his second of the night, this one coming shorthanded. Two minutes later Ryan Luiten gave Neumann its first lead of the night on the power play.
SUNY Canton responded shortly after another power play opportunity as Bullard tallied his second of the night, jamming home a shot near post after a scrum in front. Sova and Koivula earned helpers on the play as the teams skated to overtime.
The Roos outshot Neuman 3-2 in the overtime period as the game ended in a tie. The Knights were 2-for-6 on the power play, while the Roos were 1-for-6 with the skater advantage.
Washkurak made 31 saves for Canton, while Lefebvre made 11 saves over the first 13:58 and Gibney stopped 24 shots over the final 50:32.
SUNY Canton 6 Neumann 6, OT
Box Score
The Roos play their final game of the semester when they visit Morrisville State next Saturday at 7 p.m. Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the SUNY Canton Athletics department by “liking” us on Facebook and “following” our Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts.
