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FGCU DII hockey team’s season comes to an end with tie and loss in POOL B play

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EN Photo / Rachel Iacovone

The FGCU DII hockey team’s season came to an end on Saturday, following a 3-3 tie against Aurora on Friday night and a 3-2 overtime loss to New York eliminating them in POOL B play in Nationals.
Back in action Thursday afternoon, coming off their 5-2 victory over Utah, the Eagles took on Aurora University. In a closely fought game reliant on special teams, neither team came out on top after a ten minute sudden death overtime, ending the game with a 3-3 score due to stellar performances in net by Eagles’ Tyler Tracy, and Aurora’s Bradley Neal.
The Eagles found themselves on the other side of penalty trouble in the first period with a 5-3 disadvantage for a 1:42.
Aurora proved their powerplay was as deadly as advertised, with Patrick McDonald scoring on the 5-3 advantage high on Tracy’s glove side, giving Aurora the first lead of the game.
The Eagles responded with a powerplay goal of their own thanks to Eduardo Leon’s chip in over Neal’s pad after a rebound, sending both teams into the intermission tied at one.
Tyler Tracy started out the second period strong, stone walling an Aurora forward who found himself on a shorthanded breakaway.
Aurora’s powerplay would again prove deadly as Tom Greene found himself at a difficult angle but was still able to get one by Tracy to give Aurora back the lead.
The Eagles found themselves on the powerplay with a little over eight minutes left in the period, but after a clear and turnover after some confusion behind the Eagles’ net, Aurora forward Paul Mascitti came away with the puck and came out in front and backhanded one short side, extending the lead to 3-1.
Eagles’ Captain Jordan Klotz refused to go into the intermission down two as he scored a deflection from down low on the powerplay, igniting the Eagles as they headed into the second intermission down 3-2.
Klotz would add another 6:49 into the third as he roofed it from the bottom of the right circle, scoring the only non-special team’s related goal of the game.
With the game being sent into overtime, both goalies came up with huge saves for their teams as nobody was able to score, despite Aurora pulling their goalie, desperate for a win as their pool play lives were at stake, but Tyler Tracy shut the door for over 40 seconds of six on five action, and ended the game with a last-second, buzzer-beater save that he’s sure to remember for a long time.
The Eagles stood tied for first in POOL B with New York University after Thursday, so it came down to a winner-takes-all matchup Friday afternoon and, with the Eagles losing in overtime 3-2, their season came to an end.
The Eagles led 2-0 after the second intermission with both goals coming off the tape of assistant captain Mike Chemello.
New York was able to get on the board 4:03 into the third period when Mason Gallagos was able to get one by Tyler Tracy, making it a 2-1 game early in the third.
New York would tie the game just four minutes later as Michael Conslato was awarded a penalty shot and, on the one-on-one attempt, was able to beat Tracy to tie the game at two.
In the final 12 minutes of the period, neither team could find the back of the net, sending the game into overtime; the Eagles’ second overtime battle in two days.
New York took little time to finish things off, scoring 1:46 into overtime off the stick of Keaton Baum to send the defending National Champions packing.

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