FAIRPORT, N.Y. - In a chaotic game that saw a delay and rink change due to ice conditions, the St. John Fisher men's ice hockey team could not overcome seven penalties in an intense 4-2, Senior Night loss to East Avenue rival Nazareth on Friday in front of a raucous Rochester Ice Center crowd. The loss moved the Cardinals' record to 9-12-0 (3-10-0 UCHC), while the Golden Flyers improved to 11-6-3 (5-5-1 UCHC).
How It Happened
The Cardinals got on the board first when first-year forward Mitchell Ferras netted his fourth of the season at the 07:17 mark, assisted by first-year forward Ian Emery. After that even-strength tally, three of the next four goals in the contest would be scored on power plays. Fisher went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
The Golden Flyers evened the score in the second frame when a Fisher hooking penalty gave Nazareth a man advantage. Sophomore defenseman Ross Charles launched a shot past Fisher senior goaltender Sebastian Woods at the 12:03 mark, with only 18 seconds left on the power play.
The action kicked into gear in the final period. The Cardinals jumped back in front only 4:33 into the frame, as first-year forward James Evans took a pass from senior forward Elijah Devereaux and deposited it into the back of the net. This goal was scored 30 seconds into a power play, one of only two power plays for the Cardinals in the game. In contrast, the Golden Flyers had seven power plays, three of which were in the third period.
Nazareth responded quickly with a goal of their own less than four minutes later, as junior forward Kai Shen scored on an assist from Owen Heidelberger. Shen was not done, as he scored again on the power play at the 14:36 mark, giving the Golden Flyers a lead they would not relinquish. Charles put an exclamation mark on the Nazareth win with his second goal of the game, an empty net tally with ten seconds remaining to make the final score 4-2 in favor of the Golden Flyers.
Game Notes
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Woods collected 28 saves in the contest, his seventh time this season stopping 28 or more shots.
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Woods and Deveraux were honored during a Senior Night celebration after the game.
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Nazareth held the advantage in shots (32-31) and faceoff wins (36-34).
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The Cardinals have now lost five games in a row, their longest streak of the season and the longest current losing streak in the UCHC.
Up Next
The Cardinals continue their weekend series with rival Nazareth on the road on Saturday, February 7. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
