Ice Knights on streak ahead of postseason
Junior goalkeeper Adam Harris recorded 16 saves against SUNY Morrisville during a 7-2 victory on Saturday, Feb. 14 (Photo Courtesy of GeneseoKnights.com).
On Wednesday, Feb. 14, the Geneseo men’s ice hockey team traveled to SUNY Morrisville to cap off their regular season with a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) matchup. The Ice Knights returned to Geneseo on a six-game winning streak after defeating the Mustangs with a score of 7-2.
The opening faceoff was won by Geneseo and the puck was passed around the ice until the six-minute mark when Knights’ freshman forward Luke Panchisin got a hold of possession and hit the back of the net off an assist from senior forward Zach Rehbaum. The goal marked Panshisin’s 11th of the season, an incredible mark for a freshman on a team as solid as the Ice Knights.
Geneseo continued to win faceoff battles, ultimately leading to the second goal of the period. Junior forward Peter Morgan with the help of two of his teammates, sophomore forward Alex Dameski and senior defender Nathan Poolman, was able to find the twine and give the Knights a very early two-goal advantage. Morgan ended the regular season as the highest point contributor on the team, recording 34 points in 25 games.
As the last line of defense, junior goalkeeper Adam Harris collected six saves in the first period alone, allowing one goal from Morrisville to cap the first period off at 2-1 in favor of the Ice Knights.
With a penalty carrying over into the second period, Geneseo’s power play unit was taking control of the ice. Forward graduate student Tyson Gilmour pushed the lead to three with a perfect shot past Morrisville’s goaltender. Gilmour’s goal was courtesy of a quick pass by Morgan on the power play.
Not much time passed before Dameski scored a goal of his own. About five and a half minutes into the second period, he advanced Geneseo’s lead even further with assists from Gilmour and freshman defender Sean Melso.
After some missed shots from Morrisville, Geneseo regained possession and upped the score once again as senior forward Jared Thomas got the puck past the goalkeeper following passes from Panchisin and sophomore defender Dakota Zarudny.
The second period concluded with two more goals scored by the Ice Knights and they went into the final break with a 7-1 lead. The period was highlighted by some powerful plays from the forwards along with strong determination from the defense to keep the puck away from their net and make Harris’ job easier.
The final period was stressful, as Geneseo racked up penalties for roughing and struggled to find the net. Morrisville was able to sneak in another goal, but remained far from a comeback, still trailing 7-2. Nobody else scored in the game, though, and the Ice Knights concluded the regular season with another domination.
Geneseo recorded 43 shots on goal, whereas Morrisville recorded only 18 shots and found the back of the net only twice in the matchup. After their previous victory over Buffalo State on Saturday, Feb. 10, Geneseo gained the number one seed in the SUNYAC tournament. Their standing grants them a first-round bye, which pushes them one step closer to the coveted SUNYAC Championship.
Geneseo will be hosting the semifinal game on home ice in the Ira S. Wilson Arena on Saturday, Feb. 24, starting at 7 p.m. The Geneseo community has done a great job of packing the arena so far this season, with even more fans expected for the postseason matchup.