Moskal and Higley 6, Golden Flashes 5
The game was deadlocked at five. Everyone in the arena thought the Thundering Herd had blown a great opportunity.
Brandon Higley, however, proved them wrong, when his pull move finally worked and found the back of the net.
Higley netted the game-winning goal - his second of the game - on a breakaway with just over three minutes remaining, as the UB men's club hockey team upset the Golden Flashes of Kent State, eighth-ranked in the American Collegiate Hockey Association and tournament-bound, 6-5 Friday night at the Amherst Pepsi Center. The Thundering Herd had won just one league game all year.
Sean Moskal answered the call of duty after being named the team's new captain by scoring four times, including twice on the power play.
"Moskal's instant leadership and [Justin] Cuviello's superb goaltending were the keys to us gaining early momentum," said sophomore forward Bob Noonan, who assisted on the game-winning goal.
Things looked bleak for UB after the Golden Flashes scored four unanswered goals to turn a 4-1 deficit into a 5-4 third period lead. Moskal would bang in a rebound for his fourth goal of the night, however, tying the game at five and setting the stage for Higley's heroics.
Kent State had a great chance to tie the game at six late in the final stanza as Mario Durant came in alone on Cuviello, but his shot rang off the crossbar and went over the net.
Moskal scored two goals in the opening period to help UB build a 3-0 lead. His first came on a breakaway after a beautiful pass from senior Jake Oleksiak. Shortly after, Moskal scored off a rebound, making it 2-0. Higley added his first of the night by stealing the puck in front of the Kent State net and beating the goalie with a quick wrist shot.
"The team got in a good rhythm early because everyone was able to play regularly due to a short bench caused by two suspensions," said Moskal. "We gained the momentum early and made our forecheck work, those were key parts to our victory."
KSU Earns Split In Game Two
Saturday's game featured the same teams, but a very different outcome.
The Golden Flashes routed UB 9-3 to earn a split for the weekend series. After 40 minutes the Thundering Herd were still in the game, trailing 5-3, but KSU scored four third-period goals to seal the win.
"We sat back after going up 1-0 and Kent seemed to have solved our forecheck," said Moskal.
Buffalo's Jake Oleksiak and Francis Fuest played their final college game, one Moskal wished the team could have won for the pair.
"I wish we could have ended with a win for [Oleksiak] and [Fuest], too bad the season didn't end Friday night," said Moskal.
The Thundering Herd are a young team, one who will benefit from having a season under their belt and an optimistic outlook for next season.
"We have a young group of guys here with a great core," said Assistant Coach Joe Metz.
"I feel that we can only get better with experience, and that is what these guys got this year," said Head Coach Mike Mannix.
