They had to stage two dramatic third-period comebacks, but the Marist College Red Foxes emerged from their first weekend of the spring semester with a 1-0-1 record.
Marist ended their fall semester at 10-10-3, a perfect .500 record. The Foxes ventured up to Troy, New York to take on the RPI Engineers, needing to avoid a loss to a team above them in the standings.
It would also be the final road game of the season, played at the Houston Field House, home to the Division I RPI squad.
After an eventful but scoreless first frame, Engineers forward Mike Bibbey got the Engineers on the board in the second period. Sam Mannion shouldered off a hit from a defenseman in the corner, sliding the puck to a man behind the Marist net as he fell to the ice. Tanner Richardson took a stride out to open space and hit Bibbey, streaking to the net, with a backdoor pass. A yawning netmouth awaited. (p2 -18:00)
Bibbey’s goal was his first of the season, giving him 13 points on the year.
Early in the third period, the Engineers’ top line went to work. Luciano Olivieri, the team’s leading scorer, won a faceoff draw in the offensive zone, dropping the puck back to leading goal-scorer Kyle Devault. DeVault’s shot was redirected into the corner on the left wing, where Olivieri gave chase. Olivieri tied up the stick of Marist defenseman Vinny Masters, grasping it in his left underarm. Diving forward, Olivieri pushed the puck to winger Adam Hennick, who quickly fed an open DeVault. Devault roofed a wrister over the glove of goalie Justin Larkin to put RPI on top 2-0. (P3 -29:00)
With less than a minute remaining in regulation and the Marist net empty, senior Andy Vovk won a crucial offensive-zone faceoff, getting the puck to the high slot to defenseman Conor Flynn. Flynn sent a one-touch pass to partner Daniel Roberts at the point, who rifled a pass down low to Vovk.
Even with a defender in his face and obstructing the passing lane, Vovk still somehow threaded the needle to sophomore Justin Genga in front. Genga boxed out his man, a defenseman with a good three inches on him, using his hips to get separation. He settled the pass and banged home the game-tying goal with just 48 seconds remaining.
Though both teams would have powerplay opportunities in the succeeding overtime period, the game would end deadlocked, 2-2. Despite the fact that ties, to quote “The Mighty Ducks,” are like kissing your sister, the Foxes were more than happy with the comeback effort against a talented RPI team.
The tie was Marist’s fourth of the season, all against top-notch teams.
Less than 24 hours later, Marist turned their attention to the Wagner Seahawks, who entered the game 0-12. Though the Red Foxes dispatched the Seahawks easily in the fall semester by a 7-1 score, Wagner came back with fresh legs and some new additions to revamp their roster.
The Seahawks leapt out to an early 1-0 lead thanks to a breakaway goal scored by Noah Anastassatos, his first of the season. Though Vovk would answer back with a breakaway goal of his own (shorthanded, no less), Wagner’s Louis Coniglio would tally another one for the Seahawks, sending the Red Foxes to the locker room stunned down 2-1.
Marist would strike again shorthanded early in the second, as freshman Seamus O’Rourke scored his team-leading 11th of the season. Wagner would answer right back, however, potting two more in the opening six minutes of the second to make it 4-2.
The Red Foxes would make a goaltending switch, turning again to senior and captain Justin Larkin.
The ice became tilted in the third period. O’Rourke struck again off a great effort from Masters midway through the third. Marist would coming devastatingly close to tying the game in the minutes that followed.
Finally with under five minutes remaining in regulation, senior Michael Donato poked home a loose puck in a netmouth scramble to even up the score.
Penalties would haunt the Seahawks, as the Red Foxes earned a 5-on-3 chance with two minutes left. At 1:15 to go in the period, Vovk came through once again, netting a one-timer off a beautiful cross-slot pass from defenseman Dan Roberts.
Marist would emerge victorious, 5-4. The Seahawks are now 0-13, though their compete level was encouraging for the remainder of the semester.
Marist will have a triple-header this weekend, with home games on Friday at 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. All three games will be at the Red Foxes’ home rink, the Mid-Hudson Civic Center McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie.
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