CORTLAND, NY - The Red Dragons fell behind by two goals in the opening minutes, and couldn't mount a comeback in a 4-1 defeat for the Cortland men's hockey team to Wilkes on Tuesday evening in Alumni Arena. Cortland falls to 4-4-1, while Wilkes improves to 6-1-2 on the year.
Colby Seitz (Eden/Corpus Christi IceRays) scored Cortland's lone goal, with
Justin Legault (Oakville, ON/Burlington Cougars) and
Sam Christiano (Buffalo/Buffalo Jr. Sabres) providing the assists.
Ronan Mobley (Playa Del Ray, CA/New Hampshire Avalanche) made 18 saves in goal.
Duncan Rolleman made 38 saves and allowed just one goal to earn the victory for Wilkes. Carter Jordan had a goal and an assist, while Matt Carlson and Jack Lee each registered two assists. Nate Terski, Christian Blomquist, and Cam Lowe each netted a goal for the Colonels.
Wilkes opened the scoring just nine seconds into the game as a result of a miscommunication from the Cortland defense and goaltender. Off a win on the opening faceoff, Carlson slid a shot from center ice towards the Cortland goal. Mobley made the initial save comfortably, but was unsure whether to freeze play or to pass to a defenseman. The puck was untouched on the ice for a few seconds, before Lee smartly reacted and passed to Blomquist for a shot at the right post into the back of the net.
Just minutes later, Wilkes took advantage of a poor defensive play to make it 2-0. Carlson intercepted a pass down the left side, skated towards goal on a 2-on-1 break with Lowe, and slid a pass to Lowe for a tap-in goal at the right post to give the Colonels a two-goal edge exactly three minutes into the contest.
Cortland began to take control of play for the rest of the period, finishing the frame with a 16-9 edge in shots on goal, but Rolleman was perfect for the period to give Wilkes a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Neither team scored in the second period, with Cortland firing 12 more shots on goal that were saved by Rolleman, and Mobley making seven saves to keep the Red Dragons within striking distance.
Wilkes scored a pair of goals around the midway point of the third period, with Terski firing a wrist shot into the back of the net for a power-play goal just four seconds into a Cortland penalty. Jordan knocked home a rebound with just over eight minutes remaining after Mobley was able to stop Lee's initial shot from the center to make it 4-0.
Only eight seconds after the goal, the Colonels committed a tripping penalty, which led to a power-play goal for the Red Dragons. Christiano made a pass from the left point down to the goal line to Legault, who sent a saucer pass across the ice for a one-timer by Seitz at the right faceoff circle into the top right corner of the net for his second goal of the year.
Wilkes was able to hold Cortland to two shots on goal for the remainder of the contest, including blocking three shots as well, to secure the victory.
