OSWEGO, N.Y. - The Williams College men's ice hockey team battled past #6 ranked SUNY Oswego in the Oswego State Holiday Classic, winning a shootout to advance to Saturday's championship game after a 5-5 tie.
The host Lakers scored three goals in the first period to take a commanding lead, but the Ephs fought back in the second to tie the game. Williams then scored twice in the third to take a 5-3 lead, but Oswego scored twice late to force overtime.
Both teams traded chances in OT but could not find the net, and in the shootout, Conner Fitzpatrick and Jake McManus both scored and Kael DePape came up big in net to move the Ephs into Saturday's game against #10 Babson College, which will start at 4:00 p.m.
After a first period in which Williams went behind by a 3-0 score, the second period was the opposite as the Ephs took control of the game. Less than a minute into the second, Ryan Kearney scored the first goal of his collegiate career, finishing a rebound from close range with a man advantage to bring Williams back into the game. Gates Omicioli and Jack Kennedy recorded assists on the goal.
As the Lakers returned to full strength, the Ephs forecheck provided another goal just 20 seconds of game time later. This time it was David Vieten from close range, assists to Omicioli and Philippe Lalonde after Williams took possession away from the Lakers close to goal.
The Ephs tied the game at 16:12 of the second, turning a defensive-zone face-off into an odd-man rush in no time, as Jackson Krill took a clearing pass from Bobby Corkery down the ice before finishing in alone on the goalie.
The third period saw more of the same for the visiting Ephs, and at the 10:21 mark, the team took the lead for the first time. Breaking out of the defensive zone, Wilson Farrow used his speed to create an odd-man rush and dished at the last second Conner Fitzpatrick, who finished neatly to move the score to 4-3.
The Ephs got an important goal with just under five minutes to play when more good forechecking created a turnover deep in the attacking zone, and Kearney again finished from close range, with assists going to Fitzpatrick and Logan Valkama.
The Lakers did not go quietly, however, and after pulling their goalie were able to get two goals in the last two minutes of regulation to tie the game back up and send it to overtime. Though each team had chances, the game came down to a shootout to determine which squad would advance.
Both teams scored their first shots, with Fitzpatrick scoring for the Ephs, and each team had its second shot saved, with DePape stuffing the Lakers shooter. After Oswego shot wide on its third attempt, McManus scored to finally end the epic contest.
Shootout Results:
Goalies: No. 31 Gavin McCarthy (Oswego) | No. 31 Kael DePape (Williams)
1. No. 7 Connor Gatto scored (Oswego)
1. No. 4 Conner Fitzpatrick scored (Williams)
2. No. 28 Ryan Burke saved (Oswego)
2. No. 8 Brady Welsch saved (Williams)
3. No. 12 Matt McQuade missed (Oswego)
3. No. 6 Jake McManus scored (Williams)
