WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Albertus Magnus men's ice hockey team brought an end to its 2021-22 season with a 5-2 loss to SUNY Canton in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Commissioner's Cup Tournament championship game, hosted by Anna Maria College on Saturday evening.
Cameron Weitzman (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec) and Ryan Malko (Cranford, N.J.) finished the contest as the Falcons' goal scorers. Logan Bateman (Ottawa, Ontario) concluded his outstanding junior campaign with a 16-6-1 overall record after tallying 23 saves today.
THE BASICS
FINAL: SUNY Canton 5 | Albertus Magnus 2
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (16-8-1) | SUNY Canton (10-11-2)
BOX SCORE
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Roos broke onto the scoreboard first five minutes into the first period to take a 1-0 lead. Zac Sirota started the scoring play, wrapping around the goal before firing a shot that Bateman saved. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they could not gather the rebound, as Sam Martin was on the doorstop to tally the goal.
Albertus replicated its competitors with a rebounded goal to even the score, 1-1, 7:32 into the game. After Harley Michaels (Kirkland, Quebec) stole the puck in the neutral zone, he fired a shot that deflected off the keeper's chest. With the puck loose in front of the net, Weitzman was ready to guide it across the crease.
Canton capitalized on back-to-back Albertus penalties to take a 2-1 lead with 2:34 left in the first period. With a 5-on-3 advantage, Brady Morrison fired a one-timer from above the faceoff circle after a pass from Filip Jakobsson that flew by one defender and into the top-right corner of the net.
In the second period, the Roos added to their advantage with a Matthew Headland tally 17:06 into the frame. Headland brought the puck up the ice before firing a shot over the goalie's stick-side shoulder that bounced off both posts then into the back of the net. Both Gino DeBlasiis and Brendan Morrow earned assists on the tally.
Albertus cut its deficit to 3-2 with the first goal of the third period at the 11:36 mark. After a blocked Charles Risk (Medicine Hat, Alberta) shot left the puck loose in the middle of the zone, Malko capitalized by tossing it over the goalie's left-hand shoulder for the goal.
The Roos iced the game with 2:35 remaining on a goal by Colton Sipperley. Sipperley cashed in on a Jake Mayette pass from the corner of the zone by beating Bateman to his stick side.
Despite a late flourish by the Falcons after pulling the goalie, Canton clinched a 5-2 victory with an empty-net tally from Sirota.
BETWEEN THE PIPES
Albertus: Logan Bateman (L, 16-6-1): Shots on Goal 27 | Goals-Against 4 | Saves 23
SUNY Canton: Filip Schlyter (W, 3-4-1): Shots on Goal 48 | Goals-Against 2 | Saves 46
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Despite the loss today, the Falcons owned a dominant 48-28 lead in shots.
- The Roos scored the lone power-play goal of the game, going 1-for-3 on the extra man.
- Albertus went 0-for-4 on the power play.
- AMC sat eight minutes on four penalties, while the Roos served 10 minutes on five penalties.
- Weitzman led all players with seven shots.
NOTEWORTHY
- The Falcons finish the year with a program-record 16 wins.
- Today's game marked the fifth all-time meeting between the Falcons and Roos.
- With the win, Canton improved to 2-3-0 all-time against AMC.
- Bateman finished his junior season with all 16 of Albertus' wins between the pipes.
- Malko's goal was the first of his young career.
- Weitzman scored a goal in three straight games to end the season.
- With the tally, Weitzman climbed into a tie for second on Albertus with 11 goals in 2021-22.
