The UB Thundering Herd club hockey team split two away games last weekend with closely contested matches against the University of Rochester and Syracuse University. UB notched their first win of the season Friday night, nudging out U of R with a 5-4 victory. Saturday night, however, they were on the wrong side of another 5-4 score in a loss to Syracuse.
Buffalo scored the first five goals of the game against Rochester, but nearly blew the lead as their opponent came back with the game's final four goals.
"It was our first lead of the season and we weren't used to playing with the lead," said UB forward Sean Moskal. "We laid back and they took advantage."
The Thundering Herd dominated the first period. Dan Reiford, Brandon Higley and Brian Colburn each contributed goals to give UB a 3-0 lead after the first 20 minutes.
Moskal and team captain Chris Gervaise also scored for UB. Gervaise's goal ended up being the game-winner as Rochester picked up two goals to close out the second, and two more in the third.
Syracuse converted on a controversial penalty shot, propelling them to their one-goal win Saturday night.
With the puck just ahead of the goal line and a half-open net, UB's Dan Carroll covered the puck in the crease, an offense that would normally warrant a penalty shot.
The controversy lies in the fact that before he covered the puck, the net was already off and play should have stopped there.
"I believe the call was wrong but there was nothing we could do to change the ref's decision," said Gervaise.
The penalty shot goal gave SU a 4-3 lead at the end of the second period. They tacked on another goal to start the third and held on for the win despite late-game pressure from UB. Buffalo, down 5-4 after a goal by Mike Bellagamba, had nearly 10 shots in the game's final two minutes with their goalie pulled for a sixth attacker.
Reiford and Moskal were among the scorers again for the Herd, but it was not enough, as they dropped their seventh contest of the season.
