Box Score

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-- For the third time in program history, the Skidmore College hockey team is off to the ECAC East final four with a 3-2 win over UMASS Boston, Saturday night at the Saratoga Springs City Rink.
 
The Thoroughbreds (12-12-2) will play Castleton State on March 2 at Norwich University. Norwich will play Southern Maine in the other semifinal. Game times are to be determined.
 
The game featured the league's top two goaltenders in Skidmore's Colin Bessey and UMB's Kevin Bendel.  Both players stepped-up when needed to keep their respective teams in the game.
 
The Beacons (13-10-3) scored first, when John Hubbard scored his first goal of the season off a rebound at 4:04 of the first period from Anthony Fitti and Mike DeGrazia.   
 
Skidmore tied it early in the second period when Julian Malakorn (Warwick, R.I./Pomfret) beat Bendel glove side at 1:04 from Tony Giacin (St. Louis, Mo./N. Iowa Outlaws) and Zach Menard (Burlington, Mass./N.H. Monarchs).  Phil Buonocore (Westfield, N.J./N.J. Rockets) gave the Thoroughbreds the lead with a power-play goal off a scramble in front at 9:48 from Menard and Vlad Gavrik (Kharkiv, Ukraine/Hebron Acad.).  Chris Powers (Melrose, Mass./Northwood) made it 3-1 with a power-play goal at 12:11 from Nick Dupuis (Holyoke, Mass./Springfield Falcons) and Aaron Beck (Maribel, Wisc./Lake Forest Acad.).
 
UMB got one back when Tim Richter scored his fourth of the season at 14:18 from John Houston and Rob Florentino to leave it 3-2 Skidmore at the second intermission.
 
Both teams were denied scoring opportunities in the third period by outstanding goaltending.  Bendel kept it a one-goal game when he stopped a breakaway with 2:31 to play in regulation.  Bessey racked-up two big saves in the final minute after the Beacons pulled Bendel for the extra skater.
 
Bessey finished with 33 saves, 14 of those coming in the first period.  Bendel had 27 saves.
 
Skidmore was 2-4 on the power play, while UMB was 0-3.  It was the Thoroughbreds' third win of the season over the Beacons.
 
 
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                         Hockey Game Box Score (Final)
                          2012 Skidmore College Hockey
    UMASS Boston vs Skidmore College (Feb 25, 2012 at Saratoga Springs, NY)
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 UMASS Boston (13-10-3) vs. Skidmore College (12-12-2)
 Date: Feb 25, 2012  Location: Saratoga Springs, NY  Arena: Saratoga City Rink
 Attendance:580   Start time:7 pm      End time:9:05 pm   Total time:2:05
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 Goals by Period       1  2  3  Tot
 ----------------------------------
 UMASS Boston........  1  1  0 -  2
 Skidmore College....  0  3  0 -  3
 
   1st period - 1, UMBM, John Hubbard/1 (Anthony Fitti, Mike DeGrazia)
4:04. Penalties - Chris Powers, SKDM (cross-checking) 18:30.
 
   2nd period - 2, SKDM, Julian Malakorn/4 (Tony Giacin, Zach Menard)
1:04. 3, SKDM, Phil Buonocore/1 (Zach Menard, Vlad Gavrik) 9:48 (pp).
4, SKDM, Chris Powers/1 (Nick Dupuis/1, Aaron Beck) 12:11 (pp). 5,
UMBM, Tim Richter/4 (John Houston, Rob Florentino) 14:18. Penalties -
Anders Gunderson, SKDM (tripping) 3:30; Rob Florentino, UMBM
(tripping) 8:54; Michael Crowder, UMBM (slashing) 12:05; Jimmy Ennis,
UMBM (tripping) 18:14; Nick Dupuis, SKDM (high sticking) 14:18; John
Houston, UMBM (hit after whistle) 19:59; Dave Dupuis, SKDM (hit after
whistle) 19:59.
 
   3rd period - Penalties - Mark Grinhaus, UMBM (cross-checking)
12:16.
 
   Shots on goal - UMBM 15-13-7 35; SKDM 9-13-8 30.
 
   Power plays - UMBM 0 of 3; SKDM 2 of 4.
 
   Penalties - UMBM 5 (10 min); SKDM 4 (8 min).
 
   Goalies - UMBM, Kevin Bendel 8-6-1 (58:30 minutes, 30 shots-27
saves); SKDM, Colin Bessey 11-10-0 (60:00, 35-33).
 
   Penalty shots - None.
 
 A-580  T-2:05
 Three stars: 1. None    2. None    3. None
 Referee:Robert Collins  Linesman:Thomas Connors; Kyle McQuoid
 Win-Colin Bessey (11-10-0).  Loss-Kevin Bendel (8-6-1).
 ECAC East quarterfinal