GENESEO, NY – The Buffalo State men's hockey team fell short in a thrilling non-conference matchup, dropping a 6–5 overtime decision to the No. 5 SUNY Geneseo Knights.

GAME BASICS

FINAL SCORE: #5 SUNY Geneseo – 6, Buffalo State – 5
LOCATION: Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena – Geneseo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 2-2-0 (0-0-0 SUNYAC), SUNY Geneseo: 2-1-1 (0-0-0 UCHC)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Jason Kwestel (Rockaway, NJ/Valley Wildcats) led the Bengals with two goals, while Vadim Kiriakov (Tyumen, Russia/Altay Ust-Kamenogorsk) added two points on a goal and an assist. Michael Marquez (Upland, CA/Yarmouth Mariners) and David Tolan (LaVerne, CA/Danbury Hat Tricks) each added a goal to round out the Bengals' scoring.
• In net, Ben Dardis (Pine Springs, MN/Olds Grizzlys) made 36 saves in 63 minutes of action.
• The Bengals were outshot by the Knights, 42–32.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After picking up an early nonconference win over the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles the night before, the Bengals looked to close out their Rochester road trip with a statement victory against the No. 5 SUNY Geneseo Knights.
• The Bengals opened the first period strong, striking first on the power play and putting immediate pressure on the Knights to respond. The Knights answered with back-to-back goals to take the lead, but the Bengals refused to back down, burying a late-period goal to send the game into intermission tied 2–2. The Bengals outshot the Knights, 14–10, in the opening frame.
• The second period turned into a track meet. The Knights struck early, scoring within the first three minutes. The Bengals countered with a goal of their own in the sixth minute, only for the Knights to respond moments later with another tally. After more back-and-forth play, highlighted by strong defensive stands in the Bengals' zone, the Bengals broke through with an 11th-minute equalizer. But once again, the Knights had the answer, netting their fifth of the game to regain the lead. Despite a hard push for another tying goal, the Bengals trailed by one heading into the second intermission. The Knights held a 17–6 edge in shots during the period.
• Chasing the equalizer in the third, the Bengals elevated their intensity. Heavy hits on the boards and aggressive play through the neutral zone set the tone as both teams battled at full tilt. The Knights looked to put the game away with extended pressure in the Bengals' defensive zone, but the Bengals stayed composed and capitalized when it mattered, scoring their fifth goal of the game in the 12th minute to draw even once again. Both teams surged for the go-ahead goal in the closing minutes, but neither side broke through, forcing overtime.
• In overtime, the Bengals struck first with a strong push, peppering the Knights with quality shots. But the Knights weathered the storm, countered quickly, and buried the game-winning goal, handing the Bengals a heartbreaking loss in a thrilling matchup.

FOR THE FOES

• Six different Knights scored, with Sean Melso and Danny Bagnole each posting two points on a goal and an assist.
• Ian Vandenberg and Jacob Torgner both saw action in net; Vandenberg made 15 saves, while Torgner stopped 12 shots and was credited with the win.

UP NEXT
The Bengals will get some rest before opening SUNYAC play next Friday, November 14th, with a trip to Cortland for a 7:00 p.m. matchup against the Red Dragons.