By: Brayden Peters
BROCKPORT, N.Y. - After falling to the Utica Pioneers on Friday 5-2, the Brockport Golden Eagles hockey team was unable to split their back-to-back games against them. The Golden Eagles fell 5-1 in their home opener in a game where Brockport was overwhelmed defensively and had inconsistent offensive production. Brockport was outshot 35-to-20 by the Pioneers.
"We talked about starting on time," Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson said. "We weren't ready to go at the beginning of the game and they [Utica] were and they jumped all over us in the first 20 [minutes]."
Defensively, Brockport was consistently pressured by Utica. The Pioneers were able to crash the net multiple times and cash in on rebounds to score. Brockport junior goalie Cole Hudson did everything he could to keep things together defensively. He recorded 30 saves on 35 shots on goal to give him an .857 save percentage for the evening.
The Golden Eagles couldn't maintain a consistent offensive rhythm throughout the game. Although they recorded 10 shots on goal in the second period, they recorded the same number split between the first period (four shots on goal) and third period (six shots on goal).
Three players for Brockport recorded a point on the night, with freshman forward Aidan Taylor picking up the goal. It was the first in his collegiate career.
"It feels awesome," Taylor said. "I'm glad it came early, so it wasn't [going to] weigh on my mind."
Junior forward Manny Sanchez and sophomore defenseman Victor Malzahn were credited with assists on the goal.
Brockport's special teams were able to make an impact. The Golden Eagles went one-for-four on the power play and two-for-two on the penalty kill. Brockport entered the game with a 20.8 percent success rate on the power play and a 77.8 percent success rate on the penalty kill.
It wasn't the best of days in the face-off department for Brockport as they won 20 out of the 55 face-offs that occurred in the game.
The first period was a rough go for the Golden Eagles. In a 12-minute span in the frame, the Pioneers scored four straight goals to give them a 4-0 lead entering the second period. They also outshot the Golden Eagles 15-to-four in the first frame alone.
"We got to keep our heads on a swivel and pick up guys on the back door," graduate defenseman and captain Mitchell Haight said. "They're just kind of out muscling us down low so we got to be better."
Brockport did develop a rhythm offensively in the second period. Outside of the 10 shots on goal in the frame, they were able to create higher quality scoring chances and push the puck into the o-zone with more ease. This progress paid off as on the power play with just under five minutes left to go in the period, Taylor buried a one-timer passed the glove of junior goalie Ethan Roberts to cut into Utica's lead.
The Golden Eagles also tightened things up on defense as they didn't allow many passes towards the slot, like they did in the first period, while creating multiple turnovers. However, with under two minutes left in the frame, graduate forward Johnny Mulera beat Hudson blocker side on a wrist shot after Hudson coughed up a rebound.
The Pioneers outshot the Golden Eagles 12-to-10 in the second period.
Both sides were mostly quiet in the third period. Brockport got into a consistent rhythm of standing their ground defensively and creating turnovers. As for Utica, they continued to operate smoothly defensively just as well as the first period. With both sides unable to add onto the scoreboard in the period, Utica came away with the 5-1 win. In the third frame, the Pioneers outshot the Golden Eagles eight-to-six.
With the loss, the Golden Eagles dropped to 0-4-2 and remain in sixth in the UCHC. As for Utica, the win improved their record to 5-1 and they remain at the top of the UCHC.
The Golden Eagles will look to record their first win of the season when they hit the road to take on Geneseo on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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