Coming to the end of a tough season, the Beacons played with all they had Friday night against Skidmore and kept it a close game until the very end. You could tell this game was for more than a conference win; it was Senior’s Night! Boards were shaking and sticks, pucks, and elbows were flying in all directions.
Thirty-five seconds into the game, Skidmore’s #4 opened up with a goal and it seemed as if they would dominate the game, repeating their performance from the last time they faced off with UMB and were the victor by a score of 4-1. However, the Beacon’s Brian Margetts (#21) answered back with a wrist shot past the Skidmore goalie, tying the game and giving Margetts his first collegiate goal. With about 30 seconds left in the period, Skidmore’s #8, rebounding off a great save by the Beacons goaltender, scored on a slapshot, getting his first career goal and making it a 2-1 game.
The Beacons came roaring into the second period with a goal by Patrick Donlan (#3) and an assist by senior Brian Sullivan (#12) that again tied things up. When it looked like Skidmore was about to take back the lead during a 3 on 2 offensive strike by Skidmore, UMB goalie Craig Pastor (#31) put up the wall and made a huge save. With three minutes left in the period and men in the penalty box for UMB, Skidmore could not capitalize on the power play as the Beacons’ defense contained them.
In the third period Skidmore pulled ahead with two more goals, making things look bleak for the Beacons. But alas! It was Senior’s Night and the Beacons would not remain silent. They came back with a goal by Patrick Donlan, his second of the night. Unfortunately, UMB fell back to its fourth penalty, allowing Skidmore to score on the power play and take back its two-point lead. Coach Bertoni admitted that the penalties had contributed to the loss. “At one point I thought we had a chance to win it…but we made a few mistakes and a few penalties hurt us.” With 1:02 left in the game and an empty net for UMass, Skidmore got one more goal and made the final score 6-3.
Despite the loss, the Beacons, led by the young UMass Boston alumnus Mike Bertoni, played with more vigor than any team I have seen all season. Goaltender Craig Pastor came up with 35 saves, establishing the second all time high record at UMB with 1,740 saves. Tonight was also the 32nd occasion that he has stopped 30 or more shots.
Tonight’s game showed how little winning records matter when you have a group of players with as much heart as the UMB men’s ice hockey team.