Buffalo Advances to Final

Buffalo rallies from a 5-0 deficit to win 8-5 and advance to Division I Final

ECRHA March 6th, 2011 at 5:16PM

Feasterville, PA - Buffalo overcame a 5-0 deficit and advanced to the Division I Championship game for the 5th consecutive time.

In an unlikely matchup, #4 Buffalo and #10 Brockport both advanced to the Division I semifinal. Brockport, playing Division I for the first time Brockport clinched a playoff spot on the last day of the season when Temple failed to secure 4 points in their final 3 games, tying three straight games by an identical margin of 4-4.

Earlier in the round robin potion of the tournament, Buffalo skated past Brockport 5-2. However, this time around things would be a little different at the start. Brockport took the 1-0 lead when Jacob Bauer beat Johnathan D'Amico with a wrist shot from the slot with the game just a few minutes old.

After failing to convert on the first power play of the game, Brockport added to the lead when given a second chance. Alex Durinka unleashed a powerful wrist shot that soared into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

Brockport continued to roll when Bauer lifted a backhand from just five feet out over a sprawled out D'Amico for his second goal of the game and a commanding 3-0 advantage.

Just thirty seconds into the second period, Brockport used the counter attack to extend the lead. After a nice defensive play, Mike Vogel rushed the puck up on a 3-on-1 and when all his options were closed off, Vogel laced a wrist shot over the glove.

Durinka scored his second of the game on a beautiful individual effort, making a move around one defenseman and then outmaneuvering D'Amico for a 5-0 lead.

Buffalo finally got on the board when Eric Gunderson ripped slap shot from outside the blue line for the goal. D'Amico prevented giving the goal right back, making a diving stop just moments later. The save paid off as Buffalo scored on the very next rush up the rink as Shane Cieland cut across the shot and beat Patrick Keyes with a low wrist shot for the second Buffalo goal.

The tide continued to shift as Buffalo started to get more and more chances on net and with 3:36 remaining in the middle stanza, Matt NcNeil feathered a pass over a defenders stick right to Benjamin Kozar's stick. Kozar wasted no time in slamming home the puck into a wide-open net to cut Brockport's lead by one.

Buffalo almost had things to a one goal game heading into the intermission, but the goal post stood strong and the game went into the second intermission with Brockport leading 5-3.

Buffalo cut the lead in half with 10:22 remaining in the game when Bryan Feiler took a Daniel Vrana feed and buried it far post. It wasn't much longer before things were all tied up at 5-5. Gunderson found McNeil all alone and his wrist shot nicked the post before finding the back of the net and erasing what was a huge five goal deficit.

After the game was tied, the pace became more controlled with each team keeping two and sometimes three defensemen back in the zone to prevent any odd man rushes.

However, despite the attempt to prevent any odd man rushes, Brockport got caught up the rink and a 3-on-2 rush allowed Buffalo to take a 6-5 lead. Lar Lafferty, called up from the B team for the playoffs fed Bryan Feiler whose wrist shot from just inside the blueline beat Keyes and Buffalo had done the impossible.

After the goal, Brockpot started to attack back. With Buffalo play a box in front of A'mico, Brockport kept firing. With just 2:36 left, a rebound in front of an empty cage was about to be tapped home for the tie, however a diving defensive play kept Buffalo up by a goal.

Under a minute later, Buffalo added an insurance tally when Cieland scored his second goal of the game. An empty net goal provided the final margin in a thrilling 8-5 victory.