Six seconds into overtime, Chris Doolan slid the puck into the back of the net to lift Hobart to a 3-2 victory over visiting Buffalo State. Hobart had climbed back from a third-period deficit of 2-1 to force overtime and set up the dramatic win.
Hobart’s Dan Bush pushed the opening faceoff of overtime forward and Doolan blitzed across the center line just as the puck was dropped. Doolan then poked the puck past a Buffalo State defender and broke into the Bengal zone unmarked, gathered the puck and slid it under the blocker of netminder Steve Thering to win the game.
“Hobart took it to us for 60 minutes,” said Buffalo State coach Jim Fowler. “They played a great game.”
Buffalo State (7-6) had built a 2-1 lead in the second period on superior special-teams play. Bengal Mark Infantino wristed in a goal from the slot while on the power play 1:50 into the second period to tie the game at one.
The Bengals used an aggressive penalty-killing scheme to take the lead with a shorthanded goal at the 4:31 mark. Eric Bavisotto stole the puck from a Hobart blueliner near center ice and broke into the Statesman zone 2-on-1 with linemate Josh Bluman. Bavisotto shot the puck, which Hobart goalie Adam Lavelle saved, but Bluman collected the rebound and scored.
“Our penalty kill is real aggressive against teams,” said Fowler.
In two contests this year between Hobart and Buffalo State, the Bengals have scored four shorthanded goals against Hobart, and five on the season as a whole.
Hobart (6-6) had taken a 1-0 lead midway through a penalty-filled first period in a rare 5-on-5 situation. Andy Kaspreczak chipped in a rebound off a scramble in front of the Bengal net at 13:45 for the tally.
Buffalo State took the lead on the two second-period special-teams goals before Hobart tied it up early in the third. The Statesmen were able to mount more pressure in the third period, and the work paid off at 6:37 when Kevin Coakley finished off a 2-on-1 break to knot the game 2-2.
“It has been a battle with Hobart over the years,” said Fowler. “Both teams have to work hard and stick to their systems. The team that does that better usually wins.”
