The men?s ice hockey team moved another step closer to making the playoffs after pulling off a 1-1 tie with SUNY Morrisville and a 4-2 win over Syracuse University this past weekend.
Morrisville
UR faced one of the league?s best teams in Morrisville and came away with a hard-fought tie because of goal by sophomore Joe Stoklosa.
With four minutes left in the second period, a piece of glass board shattered and was not replaced. This resulted in the suspension of the game and a tie.
Syracuse
The tie set the optimistic mood for the Yellowjackets Saturday night game against Syracuse.
Syracuse had beaten the Yellowjackets last semester 3-2, and UR was hungry for revenge.
The hunger was satisfied when sophomore Mike Amico scored the first goal of the night. Amico also assisted sophomore John Haffey and freshman Jon Wilmot, who scored on a power play with junior Cory Rubin.
?Everyone on the team is confident that this weekend is the start of our playoff rush,? said junior and captain Cory Rubin, ?The team goal is to take it one game at a time and not look past any team.?
Junior captain Mike Evans believes that with the way the team is playing now, making the playoffs is a definite possibility.
Eyes on the playoffs
Senior Gregg Mason, as the oldest on the squad and the first-string goaltender, has taken an evident leadership roal as the goalie of the team.
?The players look toward me to be a leader on the ice as a goalie and not a senior,? Mason said.
Mason?s play has been reliable for most of the season and he and his teammates are focused on reaching the playoffs. Mason believes that ?if the team scores more than three goals and gives up less than 50 shots in the rest of the games, we will reach the goal.?
All season Coach V.J. Stanley has had plans to rapidly develop the young and inexperienced defensemen, and this is finally happening.
Stanley has been adamant in reminding the team that it can make the playoffs despite the slow start this season.
?He believes that we can make the playoffs, and after this weekend, I don?t think anyone is doubting him,? Rubin said.
This weekend, the team plays two decisive games against St. Bonaventure, which could either put the team in the playoff race or take UR out of it.
Friday?s game will be a home game at Genessee Valley Park Skating Rink starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the Yellowjackets will face St. Bonaventure in the second half of this two-game serie
