Ice Knights extend winning streak to six
Photo courtesy of Geneseoknights.com
Over the weekend, the Geneseo Ice Knights picked up two monumental victories over their fierce rivals, the Utica Pioneers. On Friday, Feb. 14, the Knights downed Utica 5-3, handing Utica their first United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) loss. The following night, back on home ice, Geneseo handled business with a thrilling 4-3 overtime triumph. After a doubleheader sweep, the Knights move to 16-6-1 overall and 12-3-0 in the UCHC, sitting right behind the Pioneers for the top spot in the conference. We will break down each of these exhilarating contests, starting with Friday night's game.
The Ice Knights wasted no time in their first game of the doubleheader, with junior defenseman Sterling Wolters finding sophomore forward Jack McDonald, with ample time and space to rip one past the Pioneers' goaltender. Even though Utica would respond to tie the game, the Knights were not deterred in the slightest, with junior defenseman Sean Melso scoring on the breakaway. Utica displayed some resilience of its own, tying the game up 2-2 as the first period came to a close.
At 4:47 of the second period, the Ice Knights' offensive attack continued to percolate as junior center Filip Wiberg's shot ricocheted off a Pioneer and into the net. Riding that momentum, Geneseo would strike again as sophomore forward Payne Gatewood took advantage of a crisp feed from senior forward Alex Dameski and slotted the Knights’ fourth goal of the game.
Despite a valiant effort from the Pioneers, they were able to cut the lead back down to just one goal. But the Ice Knights would not be denied, as senior forward Carter Diceman would shut the door with an empty net goal. Junior goaltender Jacob Torgner was excellent in net for the Knights, finishing the game with 32 saves and a 9.14 save percentage (SV%).
Riding five straight wins coming into the second game of the doubleheader, the Knights once again found early offensive success as Alex Dameski ripped a shot through the goaltender's pads for the opening goal. The Ice Knights were clearly feeding off the energy of the raucous crowd of the Ira S. Wilson Arena, as freshman forward Danny Bagnole blasted one home off a rebound chance. The Knights' 2-0 lead was cut to 2-1 as Utica scored at 13:39 of the first period.
Utica was determined to play spoiler on the road as they continued to mount a furious comeback. After a plethora of high-danger scoring chances, they finally were able to get one past Torgner to tie the game at two with a goal at 18:51 of the second period.
The third period was much of the same, as both teams traded scoring opportunities, with both goaltenders coming up with significant saves. Yet, it was the Ice Knights who would strike the first blow, with Payne Gatewood wristing one past the Utica netminder to make it 3-2. But once again, the Pioneers would not go quietly into the night, tying the game up in the closing minute to send the game to overtime with the score at 3-3.
As overtime began, it was clear that the Knights had the advantage of the play, as they controlled possession and had several more scoring chances than the Pioneers. The Ice Knights' relentless play was rewarded as Danny Bagnole sent Geneseo fans home happy, placing a shot perfectly in the top corner of the net to win the game 4-3. Bagnole’s second overtime winner of the season propelled the Knights to their sixth straight win.
Geneseo’s dominance in the faceoff dot and in their goaltending was integral to their win on Saturday night. Jacob Torgner was able to make an astounding 34 saves, and the Knights were able to win over 60 percent of their faceoffs. They will look to continue their winning streak as they celebrate Senior Night on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. against SUNY Brockport.