Brockport built a 5-1 lead before allowing four consecutive goals, but a late empty-netter secured their 6-4 victory over the Greece Thunder in high school hockey.
The Thunder jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 4:53 of the first period after a bad bounce off the Zamboni entrance door allowed them to keep the puck in the zone.
Brockport countered at 9:11 as defenseman Walden Grady broke Alec Rockow in all alone after a long break-out pass. Rockow beat the goaltender glove side to tie the game as Ben Leach was also credited with an assist.
A little over two minutes later the Blue Devils took the lead for good. Maison Fadale won a puck battle behind the net and sent a backhand pass to the slot where Leach pounded it home for his first goal of the season and a 2-1 lead.
At 2:36 of the second period, Fadale kicked the puck ahead and backhanded it to Rockow for the goal. Andrew Harley also picked up an assist to build the Blue Devils lead to 3-1.
They made it 4-1 several shifts later as Koby Dusett passed to the right point to Leach, who found the back of the net at 4:01.
It was Dusett’s turn at 8:31 as he redirected a shot by Patrick Viscardi to put Brockport ahead 5-1 with his 16th goal.
The Thunder scored with only 14 seconds remaining in the second period and scored twice more in the third—one shorthanded—to close to within 5-4, but an empty-net goal from center ice by Fadale—his team leading 22nd of the season—with an assist from Grady with one second remaining sealed the win.
“The late second period goal did give them momentum, but I thought we had our chances in the third and played well,” Brockport head coach Greg Stahl said. “This was a good test as the first time we’ve played in a one-goal game in the third period, so everyone did a good job in a tight game.”
Liam Schreiner made 16 saves in net for the Blue Devils to earn the victory, which improved the team record to 11-3.
