Late Power Play Goal Spoils Wilkes Men's Ice Hockey's MAC Championship Hopes
WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's ice hockey team a held a 2-1 lead heading into the third period versus Manhattanville in a game that would decide the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship. Unfortunately, three third period penalties that resulted in two Valiants goals and a 5-2 defeat at the Toyota Sportplex on Saturday evening.
The loss drops Wilkes to 16-6-1 (6-2 MAC) while Manhattanville improved to 14-7-3 and claimed the conference title with a 6-1-1 MAC record.
The Valiants scored the first of their three power play goals at the 11:57 mark when a one timer from the left wing beat the Colonels goaltender to open the scoring for the evening.
Wilkes knotted the score when Phil Erickson (Eau Claire, WI/) flew down the left side boards and backhanded one past the Valiants netminder for his ninth tally of the season with just under two minutes remaining in the first period.
The Colonels came out of the break firing pucks on net and were rewarded for their efforts when a wide shot from the point by Michael Gurska (Revere, MA/) was recovered by Tyler Barrow (Massapequa, NY/), who beat the goalie to the post on the wrap around for a 2-1 advantage at the 5:03 mark of the second period.
Manhattanville and Wilkes each had a couple power play opportunities during the period as it was a physical game all night long but neither teamwas able to capitalize and the Colonels headed to the final period holding onto a one goal lead.
Play was back and forth in the first half of the third before the Colonels began to find themselves in the penalty box. While already skating down a man, Wilkes would go to the box for cross-checking and Manhattanville quickly took advantage of the 5-on-3 situation when a one timed slap shot from the right wing beat the goalie top shelf on the glove side to tie the game up at 2-2 with 7:22 remaining in the period.
To compound matters, with less than thirty seconds remaining in the 5-4 Valiant power play, the navy and gold were called for a third straight penalty and forced to defend another 5-on-3 opportunity.
Manhattanville would score just seven seconds into the second two-man advantage when a wide shot from the point bounced off the boards right to a waiting Valiant who put it into a wide open net to give the visitors their second lead of the game at 3-2 with just under six minutes to go.
The Colonels would pull their goalie in the final minute and a half which resulted in two empty net goals and a 5-2 Valiant victory to claim the MAC title.
Manhattanville made Wilkes pay for their transgressions as they scored three times on six power play opportunities while the usually potent Colonels power play was 0-4 on the evening.
The Colonels are still in contention for the United Collegiate Hockey Conference regular season title as they head into the final weekend in a tie for first-place. They'll head to Nazareth on Friday, February 15th for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop before closing out the regular season the next night when they travel to Utica, whom their currently tied with at the top of the standings.
