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OSWEGO, N.Y. -- After visiting Nazareth tied the score, 1-1, midway through the first period, fifth-ranked Oswego tallied three second period goals to defeat the Golden Flyers 4-1 in a non-conference hockey game on Saturday evening. Sophomore
Tom Seravalli scored Nazareth's goal to temporarily tie the game.
Following the loss, the Golden Flyers slide to 5-9-1 overall. The Lakers improve to 13-3 overall.
Oswego's Paul Rodrigues, who entered Saturday's action as the leading point scorer in Division III with 10 goals and 20 assists, opened the scoring with a short-handed goal about 10 minutes into the first period. Rodrigues stole the puck at the Lakers' defensive blue line and converted the scoring opportunity by putting a shot in the top corner above Nazareth goalie
Ed Zdolshek's glove.
The Golden Flyers rebounded and scored 1:19 later just as the Oswego penalty ended. Seravalli converted the scoring opportunity after Nazareth had several shots hit the outside of the net and ring off the post. Junior
Zach Lewis and freshman
Packy Jones were credited with the assists on Seravalli's goal. It was Seravalli's second goal of the year. Zdolshek finished the period with 16 saves to keep the Golden Flyers tied.
Despite allowing the Lakers to score short-handed, the Golden Flyers pressured Oswego's defense throughout the power play. Nazareth entered Saturday's game ranked ninth nationally in power play percentage with a success rate of 26.44 percent. Oswego entered the game ranked sixth in power play percentage 28.74 percent. St. Norbert, ranked second nationally, leads Division III with a success rate of 37.93 with the man advantage. Nazareth's penalty kill held the Lakers' dangerous power play to 0-4 over the course of the game. Scoring moments after Oswego's goaltender interference penalty expired, the Golden Flyers finished 0-2 with the man advantage.
Just over five minutes into the second period, the Lakers' Chris Muise scored the eventual game-winning goal. Muise had two opportunities to score on the bouncing puck in front of the Nazareth goal, making contact on his second attempt. Chris Brown and Bobby Gertsakis were credited with the assists.
Brown scored Oswego's final two goals toward the middle and end of the second period, respectively. Chris Ayotte and Muise assisted on his first goal. Brown's second goal put the Lakers ahead 4-1 with 2:31 to play in the second. Nick Rivalt and Ayotte had assists on Brown's second goal. Brown's goals give him eight on the season.
In the third period, Nazareth had eight shots as the Golden Flyers tried to rally. Junior
Mark Zavorin was stymied on consecutive shots by the Lakers' Justin Gilbert. Sophomore
Julius Tamasy, senior
Ben Waldman, and freshmen
Marco Spisso,
Paul Falanga,
Scott Andler, and
Matt Conway also had scoring attempts turned aside by Gilbert.
Zdolshek amassed a game-high 44 saves on 48 shots while Gilbert finished with 21 saves on 22 shots.
The Golden Flyers return to ECAC West action on Thursday evening when Nazareth hosts Elmira at the Sports Centre at MCC.
NOTE: Before Saturday's game, two checks totaling more than $16,000 were presented to the American Cancer Society in the names of Mary Gosek and Paula Roll. A total of $8,005 was raised by Friends of Oswego Hockey and that total was matched by Oswego native Erik Cole, who played for Nazareth Coach
George Roll at Clarkson and now plays in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens.
Roll's wife, Paula, has been battling brain cancer for the past nine months and Mary Gosek, wife of Oswego Coach Ed Gosek, has been battling ovarian cancer. Coincidentally, Roll's daughter and Gosek's daughter, each named Sarah, are freshman roommates at Nazareth.