The top-ranked Oswego State men’s ice hockey team (7-0-0, 6-0-0 SUNYAC) raced out to a 3-0 first period lead and never looked back, as it defeated Fredonia (4-5-0, 3-4-0 SUNYAC), 7-1, Saturday night. Laker special team units played a pivotal role in the contest as it went 3-for-7 on the power play and killed off seven penalties.
Senior linemates Luke Moodie (Oakville, Ontario) and Paul Rodrigues (Etobicoke, Ontario) had solid performances, as Moodie registered a hat trick and a pair of assists and Rodrigues tallied a goal and four assists.
Less than a minute into the game, the Lakers gained an extra skater thanks to a Fredonia interference penalty. Good puck movement in the zone allowed Chris Muise (Sr., Oakville, Ontario) to bring the puck from behind the goal line and sneak a shot past Mark Friesen on the far post at the 1:40 mark. Paul Rodrigues and Luke Moodie earned helpers on Muise’s first goal of the season.
It became a 2-0 game at 8:27 when Moodie buried a rebound from a Jesse McConney (Sr., Barrie, Ontario) blast that bounced off the back of the boards after a Blue Devil bench minor for too many men on the ice. Moodie’s shot bounced off of the inside of Friesen’s leg as he was trying to get to the right pipe. Rodrigues posted his second assist of the game.
Shortly after Andrew Hare (Sr., Burlington, Ontario) made a sprawling save to keep Fredonia from scoring on a power play, Oswego State went back down the ice to score with Rodrigues registering his first goal of the night with assists going to Moodie and Muise. Friesen was injured on the play, forcing Jeff Holloway to replace him in goal at the end of the first period.
The Blue Devils got on the scoreboard courtesy of a failed Laker clearing attempt over a minute into the second period. Declan Gunovski was the Fredonia player credited for the goal.
It stayed quiet from that point on until the 9:38 mark when Chris Ayotte (Sr., Cornwall, Ontario) created a 2-on-1 chance with Kyle Badham (Jr., Oakville, Ontario) by banking the puck off the boards around the defenseman. The Fredonia defenseman stayed with Badham, giving Ayotte an open look at the net for the goal.
One minute later, Moodie tapped the puck through Jeff Holloway’s five-hole to make the score 5-1, prompting Fredonia to call timeout. Rodrigues and Chris Brown (Sr., Centreville, Ontario) received assists on the goal that was the final marker of the frame.
Ayotte struck again at 1:59 in the third when his wrist shot found its way through traffic into the back of the net for his second goal of the game and Oswego State’s third power-play goal of the contest following a Fredonia hitting-from-behind penalty.
Moodie completed the hat trick at 7:52 after Rodrigues carried the puck up the right side. Rodrigues slid a pass through the crease to Moodie on the far pipe as Holloway had no chance to make the save. Tim Carr (Sr., Burlington, Ontario) started the transition goal with the breakout pass to Rodrigues as the squads skated 4-on-4.
Physical play picked up as the game wore down, culminating in 25 penalty minutes, including a game disqualification, being handed out with 4.7 seconds remaining.
Andrew Hare compiled 27 saves during the game, while Mark Friesen suffered the loss after allowing three goals in the first 19 minutes. Jeff Holloway stopped 24 shots in relief.
The Lakers have the Thanksgiving weekend off before hosting White-Out Weekend on November 30 and December 1 against Potsdam and Plattsburgh.
