Four-peat win for the Geneseo Ice Knights
The Ice Knights have been working hard all season, and it all comes down to this day. Geneseo went up against Oswego back in 2020 and everyone was looking forward to the rematch on Mar. 5, 2022.
As the first period began, the boys were feisty already, throwing body into the boards and trying to get the puck in their possession. The Ice Knights kept the puck out of their zone and made great defensive plays. With eight minutes left in the period junior forward Justin Cmunt ripped a slap shot and scored the first goal of the game. The atmosphere in the IRA was immediately ecstatic.
Junior goaltender Matt Petizian was on lockdown as he stopped every puck that came his way. Senior forward Dan Bosio took shots on the Lakers’ net, but got deflected. The first period ended with the Ice Knights in the lead, 1-0.
When the second period rolled around, the Ice Knights started firing shots on net, making the most of their time as they stayed in the offensive zone. Freshman forward Peter Morgan ripped a shot and the puck went bar down behind the Lakers’ goalie, making this the second goal of the game.
Minutes later, Bosio came in hot and scored two back-to-back goals, putting Geneseo in a four-goal advantage. With seven minutes left, Oswego was on a power play, but Geneseo had their defensemen doing an amazing job to box out the Lakers in our zone. As the period was just about to end, Oswego scored a goal, ending with a score of 4-1.
With the third and final period about to start, the crowd was going crazy. The fans cheered and the boys started buzzing. Senior defenseman Matthew Doran was making great blocks and making sure the puck stayed out of his zone. Senior defenseman Chris Perna made a great behind-the-back pass into the corner of the defensive zone, and the puck was carried out to center ice.
With three minutes left in the period, the Ice Knights were on the power play. Senior forward Henry Cleghorn sauced a goal right over Oswego’s blockers and it went right in. Geneseo was up 5-1 with two minutes left on the clock. The boys were on a four-versus-four play, just as senior forward Brendan Miller scored an empty-netter goal with six and a half seconds to spare. The game ended with the roar of the crowd as the boys threw their gloves in the air to celebrate their fourth consecutive SUNY Championship win.
We are insanely proud of how hard these boys worked to become championship winners this season. Tears of joy streamed down their faces and smiles were across everyone’s faces in the IRA. Hard work always pays off and these boys prove it. The Ice Knights earned the SUNYAC qualifying bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament. Congratulations boys!