By: Brayden Peters
BROCKPORT, N.Y. - The Brockport Golden Eagles' hockey team did justice honoring their senior defensemen Jacob Rodrigue and Jordan Rosenbaum for Senior Day. Brockport shutout the Nazareth Golden Flyers 2-0 thanks to sophomore goalie David Filak posting a shutout, marking it as the first of his collegiate career.
"He's really a quality goaltender," Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson said. "He competes hard everyday...he's really quick to the backdoor, he shut them down on a few things and the scrambles in front, he's fighting hard and found some. Even the ones he didn't cover right away, he was batting them into areas where we cant get a stick on it and at least make it hard for Nazareth around the net...we know he can be a rock back there for us."
Filak recorded 33 saves in the win for Brockport.
Junior forward Matt Anastasio and freshman forward Kaleb Miller picked up the lone goals. After yesterday's performance, Anastasio is on a two-game scoring streak. Sophomore defenseman Jacob Gates, junior forwards Josh Grund and Chase Maxwell, along with freshman forward Joseph Nikac, all recorded assists for Brockport. With Maxwell's one assist, he is in a three-way tie with freshman forward Aidan Taylor and Nikac for the team-lead in points with 11.
Former Golden Eagle and graduate goalie Dylan Wiemer got the start in between the pipes for Nazareth. Last time he faced Brockport on Friday, Dec. 6 for Teddy Bear Toss Night, he helped force a 4-0 shutout win for the Golden Flyers after making 26 saves. Yesterday, he recorded 19 saves on 21 shots on goal for a .905 save percentage.
Although Brockport's power play unit went zero-for-four on the night, the team's penalty kill went seven-for-seven in stopping Nazareth's power play.
Unlike in their home game against the Geneseo Knights on Friday, Feb. 8, the Golden Eagles got out to a fast start thanks to Anastasio. A little over four minutes into the first period, he buried a one-timer slap shot into the bottom right corner of the cage to give Brockport the early 1-0 lead. Nikac and Gates were the ones to pick up assists on the goal.
The Golden Eagles would continue to apply heavy pressure offensively on the Golden Flyers the rest of the period. Brockport would go on to outshoot Nazareth 10-to-five, but neither side was able to change the scoreboard. The Golden Eagles looked to carry their momentum into the second period.
"It's more about creating those looks by shots," Anastasio said. "Getting on the net, creating rebounds and using passing options off of chaos. Creating that o-zone chaos and wearing them down a bit like we did early in this first (period), and if we bring that out, it will continue going that way."
Just like the first frame, the Golden Eagles came out of the gates firing in the second frame. Freshman forward Kaleb Miller found the top right corner of the cage on a wrist shot after a rebound was coughed up by Wiemer less than four minutes into the frame. Maxwell and Grund picked up assists for Brockport.
The Golden Flyers would start to apply the offensive pressure on the Golden Eagles for the rest of the frame. Nazareth would outshoot Brockport 14-to-six in the period after having four unsuccessful power plays. The Golden Eagles were aggressive in the frame both physically and with the stick, which resulted in the four penalties.
"Pretty upset from last night, we went to their barn and lost," sophomore defenseman Victor Malzahn. "We're just trying to make ourselves physically present out on the ice and penalties happen, but you got to keep them to a minimum."
Brockport wasn't able to translate the similar success offensively from the first two periods to the final period. The team was unable to get multiple scoring chances as they posted five shots on goal in the frame.
As for Nazareth, it turned up the urgency on offense, moving the puck fast and getting shots on goal. The team recorded another 14 shots on goal in the frame. However, even with two power play opportunities, the Golden Flyers couldn't find the back of the net, sealing the shutout victory for the Golden Eagles.
Brockport improved to 5-16-2 on the season and remain in last in the UCHC. As for Nazareth, the loss dropped the squad to 7-14-2 and they remain in fifth in the conference.
The Golden Eagles will head off to take on Chatham on Friday to start the second to last regular season game for Brockport. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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