TRIP NORTH RESULTS IN TWO LOSSES

Sunday, October 28, 2012

"HARD WORK BEATS TALENT, WHEN TALENT DOESN'T WORK HARD."  THIS HAS BEEN THE STATEMENT THAT HAS PLAGUED THE LIONS ALL SEASON LONG.  THE LIONS WOULD LOSE A HEARTBREAKER TO THE FREDONIA BLUE DEVILS 5-3, IN A GAME THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE WON.  PSUA SPECIAL TEAMS WOULD BE THE BRIGHT SPOT  OF THE GAME, SCORING ONE SHORTHANDED AND TWO POWER PLAY GOALS.  FRESHMAN JEFF NELSON WOULD TIE THE GAME FOR THE LIONS IN THE FIRST PERIOD ON THE POWER PLAY ASSISTED BY KYLE LEES AND BEN KINCH.  PSU WOULD SURRENDER THE NEXT THREE GOALS, PUTTING PENN STATE IN A HOLE THEY COULD ESCAPE.  FRESHMAN BRIAN KRUSER WOULD SCORE ON THE POWERPLAY FROM CONLAN SODROSKY.  SODROSKY WOULD ALSO ADD A SHORTHANDED GOAL IN THE THIRD.   ZACH SHEIRKO WOULD STOP 37 OF 42 SHOTS.  COACH MAGEE HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT THE LIONS PERFORMANCE.  "YOU ARE NOT GOING TO WIN MANY GAMES WHEN YOU ONLY PLAY THE LAST FIVE MINUTES OF EACH PERIOD."

THE LIONS WOULD THEN HEAD TO ERIE FOR THE PSU BEHREND AND PSU ALTOONA ANNUAL CANCER GAME.  "HOCKEY IS A GAME OF INCHES ."  THIS STATEMENT WOULD HOLD TRUE IN A 3-2 OVERTIME LOSS FOR THE LIONS.  GREY ZONE TURNOVERS WOULD CONTINUE TO HAUNT THE LIONS WHICH WOULD RESULT IN ALL OF BEHREND'S GOALS.   AND THOSE TURNOVERS WOULD PUT THE LIONS IN A 2-0 HOLE.  THE LIONS WOULD DOMINATE THE GAME, PLAYING THEIR SYSTEMS TO PERFECTION AND PLAYING A FULL SIXTY PLUS MINUTES.    PSU ALTOONA WOULD FIGHT BACK  SCORING THE NEXT TWO GOALS BY FRESHMAN DEFENSEMAN MATT TORELLO AND KYLE LEES.  BRIAN KRUSER, BEN KINCH, AND CONLAN SODROSKY WOULD ALSO ADD ASSISTS.  THE LIONS WOULD FORCE OVERTIME AND WOULD BE ON THE POWERPLAY LATE, WHEN A SHOT, WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN LIONS THE WIN, RANG OFF THE POST.  MOMENTS LATER JARED BAGNATO WOULD BEAT DEFENSMAN SHANE WINTERS TO THE PUCK AND SCORE THE GAME WINNER FOR BEHREND.  SOPHOMORE GOALIE DAVE WINEGARDEN PLAYED AN EXCELLENT GAME TURNING AWAY 23 OF 26 SHOTS.  COACH LANTZ SAID "EVENTHOUGH IT WAS A TOUGH LOSS, THIS WAS OUR BEST GAME PLAYED OF THE SEASON.  THE BOYS PUT IT ALL TOGETHER, AND WE JUST HAD SOME PAD BOUNCES AND WERE AN INCH AWAY FROM WINNING THE GAME."