After a slow start, a strong second period performance saw Stony Brook defeat Drexel 5-2 Saturday night at The Rinx in Hauppauge.
“I think it took us a whole period to wake up,” Garofalo said. “I give them credit, they worked hard, but we should have dominated from the drop of the puck, and we didn’t.”
Freshman defenseman Joe Ditizio got Stony Brook on the board at the 17:41 mark of the second period, taking a pass from sophomore forward Vincent Lopes and beating Drexel goalie Zach Kantner over the glove with a wrist-shot.
At the 14:39 mark, junior defenseman Chris Joseph made it 2-0 while on the powerplay, slamming the puck in from the crease on a rebound after a shot from Lopes.
Senior forward Edwin Montgomery extended the Stony Brook lead to 3-0 at the 12:19 mark, after his shot from the right side snuck past Kantner.
In the third period, Drexel got on the scoreboard after Eric Brawley buried a carom off of the boards past freshman goalie Derek Willms at the 14:58 mark.
At the 11:44 mark, Stony Brook made it 4-1 after freshman defenseman Andrew Balzafiore received a pass in the high slot area from senior forward Sean Collins and wristed a shot into the top right corner of the net.
Drexel’s Nick Lombardi made it 4-2 at the 9:46 mark, burying the puck on a scramble in front of the Stony Brook net.
However, Stony Brook would get a late powerplay goal from sophomore forward Sam Brewster at the 1:44 mark to put the game out of reach for Drexel.
At the 14:49 mark of the third period, Stony Brook’s Lopes received a five-minute major and a game misconduct after a dangerous high-stick on Drexel’s Ross Denczi. He will be suspended for the team’s next game against Liberty next weekend.
“That was a selfish move, at the end of the day, you have to control yourself,” Garofalo said of Lopes’ game misconduct. “He’s a good hockey player and he usually doesn’t do these types of things, he put himself above the team today, and that boils my blood.”
In addition to being without Lopes for the first game of the two game series, Stony Brook will also be without senior forward and captain Mike Cacciotti and sophomore forward Nick Barbera, the team’s leading scorer. Both will be attending weddings.
“It’s going to be a really tough game Friday, we’re playing a top ten team in the country,” Garofalo said. “We’ll be down an entire top line.”
Garofalo said that he wouldn’t make any decisions on any line-up changes until practices later in the week, but mentioned freshman forward Giovanni LaManna and sophomore forward Mike Amodeo as candidates to get into the line-up.
“It’s going to be an opportunity for other guys who don’t play to step up,” Garofalo said.
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- Stony Brook’s starting line-up stands on the blueline before the playing of the national anthem at The Rinx in Hauppauge, New York, on Saturday, October 27, 2012. The players, from left to right, are freshman forward Matthew Gervasi, junior forward Josh Brooks, senior forward Edwin Montgomery, junior defenseman Pat Foster, sophomore defenseman Kevin Barry, and freshman goaltender Derek Willms. Photo by Adrian Szkolar.
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- Stony Brook junior defenseman Chris Joseph, right, and Drexel senior forward Scott Wallace, left, chase after the puck at The Rinx in Hauppauge, New York, on Saturday, October 27, 2012 during the first period. Stony Brook would win the game by a 5-2 score. Photo by Adrian Szkolar.
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- Drexel freshman goalie Zach Kantner makes a spectacular glove save to keep the score tied at zero at The Rinx in Hauppauge, New York, on Saturday, October 27, 2012 during the first period. Stony Brook, however, would go on to win the game by a 5-2 score. Photo by Adrian Szkolar.
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- Drexel senior defenseman Mike Antoni checks Stony Brook sophomore forward Vincent Lopes to the ice as he goes after the puck at The Rinx in Hauppauge, New York, on Saturday, October 27, 2012 during the second period. The player to the left of Lopes is Drexel junior forward Justin Canney. Stony Brook would win the game by a 5-2 score. Photo by Adrian Szkolar.
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- Stony Brook junior defenseman Chris Joseph celebrates after scoring a powerplay goal to put his team up 2-0 at the 14:39 mark of the second period at The Rinx in Hauppauge, New York, on Saturday, October 27, 2012. His teammate to the left, junior defenseman Pat Foster, skates over to congradulate Joseph. Stony Brook would win the game by a 5-2 score. Photo by Adrian Szkolar.
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- Drexel freshman forward Matt Williams attempts a sweeping shot past Stony Brook freshman goaltender Derek Willms, with Stony Brook freshman defenseman Andrew Balzafiore defending at The Rinx in Hauppauge, New York, on Saturday, October 27, 2012 during the second period. Williams’ shot attempt missed the net, and Stony Brook would win the game by a 5-2 score. Photo by Adrian Szkolar.
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- Stony Brook senior forward Daniel Cassano celebrates after sophomore forward Sam Brewster scores at the 1:44 mark of the third period at The Rinx in Hauppauge, New York, on Saturday, October 27, 2012. The goal would cap Stony Brook’s scoring total for the night, capping a 5-2. Photo by Adrian Szkolar.
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- Players shake hands after Stony Brook defeated Drexel 5-2 at The Rinx in Hauppauge, New York, on Saturday, October 27, 2012. The Stony Brook players, from left to right, are junior forward Wesley Hawkins and senior forward Mike Cacciotti, and the Drexel players, from left to right, are senior forward Dylan Dignan and senior forward Scott Wallace. Photo by Adrian Szkolar.
