RUTLAND, VT – Tyler Vanuden (Fort Frances, ON/Finlandia University) netted the game-winning goal for the Bengals with under five minutes left in the third period, leading the Buffalo State men's hockey team to a 4-2 victory over Franklin Pierce to wrap up the Terry Moran Invitational.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 4, Franklin Pierce – 2
LOCATION: Spartan Arena – Rutland, VT
RECORDS: Buffalo State (5-4-0), Franklin Pierce (6-5-0)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Vanuden's goal was his third in two games this weekend, and team-leading seventh goal of the season.
- Connor Bizal (Elk River, MN/Boston Jr. Rangers) netted a goal and added an assist in the win.
- Nikita Kozyrev (Tallinn, Estonia/Springfield Jr. Blues) recorded a pair of assists.
- Kerry Kruzel (Cumming, Georgia/Ogden Mustangs) scored his first goal of the season, while A.J. Marinelli (Amherst, NY/Lockport Regals) also found the back of the net.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Franklin Pierce opened the scoring late in the opening period, as Conor Foley scored to give the Ravens a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
- Bizal netted a power-play goal to tie the score at 1-1 after a perfect cross-ice feed from Parker Allison (Dallas, TX/Neepawa Natives).
- Kruzel was able to tuck a shot inside the far post after Kozyrev stole the puck along the boards in the Bengals' offensive zone just two minutes later.
- Franklin Pierce evened the score with a goal seven minutes into the third period.
- After Ryan Leonard's (Duxbury, MA/Lindenwood University) shot from the point was saved, Bizal grabbed the rebound and snapped a feed across the crease to Vanuden for the tap-in winning goal.
- Marinelli added an empty-net goal off an assist from Kozyrev to complete the scoring with just over a minute left in the game.
FOR THE FOES
- Foley and Devin Rohrich each registered a goa and an assist for the Ravens.
UP NEXT
After seven consecutive road games in November, Buffalo State returns home to host Geneseo in SUNYAC action on Friday evening at 7 p.m.
