SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Hamilton College saw four different players score on the way to a 4-1 win over Skidmore College in the Skidmore Thanksgiving Invitational Tournament championship game.
The Thoroughbreds are 1-7-1, while the 10th ranked Continentals are off to a 3-0-1 start. The teams play each other two more times with a home-and-home series Dec. 30 in Saratoga and Dec. 31 in Clinton.
Fredonia beat Canton 5-4 in overtime to take third place.
Hamilton opened the scoring at 4:36 of the first when Brandon Willett put home a rebound of a Nick Ursitti shot. Bennett Morrison had the second assist. Skidmore tied it when Matt Muzyka took a cross ice pass from Corey Morgan and went top shelf stick side on Hamilton goalie Evan Buitenhuis at 12:03. The Continentals made it 2-1 when tournament MVP Rory Gagnon scored from in front with Neil Conway and Jason Brochu assisting at 16:33.
Tyler Bruneteau scored the lone goal of the second period on a one-timer to the back post. Conway and Brochu assisted. Skidmore had a 1:45 5-on-3 late in the second period, but Buitenhuis stopped four shots to keep it 3-1.
Conway added an empty netter at 18:54 for the 4-1 final.
Skidmore had a 36-32 shot advantage. Brendan Kasel stopped 28 of 31 shots he faced for the Thoroughbreds. Buitenhuis had 35 saves for the Continentals.
Muzyka and Tim Allen represented Skidmore on the All-Tournament team. Joining the Thoroughbred pair were Hamilton’s Gagnon (MVP), Buitenhuis, and Anthony Tirabassi, along with Joe Deveny of Canton and Bobby Polachek of Fredonia.
Skidmore returns to NEHC action Friday night at home against Hobart. The 7 p.m. start will feature the team’s annual Toys for Toga charity drive and the 2017 version of the Ugly Jersey Auction.
CONSOLATION GAME
Fredonia’s Bobby Polachek tied the game late and then scored the overtime winner to lead the 4-4-1 Blue Devils to a 5-4 win over Canton (2-5) in the third place game.
In addition to Polachek, Jimmy Morgan and Sam Wilbur scored. Wilbur added an assist, while Jacob Hynes had two helpers. Eric Bogart had 41 saves, including three in overtime.
Joe Deveny had the hat trick for Canton. Vili-Jesper Koivula had a goal and an assist. Michael Cerasuolo had 28 saves.
