NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Head coach Jim Ward passed Doug Roberts for the most games coached in program history at 530, as the Connecticut College men's ice hockey team fell to Albertus Magnus 4-3 on Saturday afternoon from Ralph Walker Rink.
Albertus opened the game on the front foot, recording the first three shots of the contest in the opening five minutes, but Primo Baldassarre (Glenolden, Pa.) was up to the early test. Conn responded with the next two shots, but Steven Ardagna (Roswell, Ga.) and Reece Cordray (Verona, Wis.) were denied by Chace Hale. The Camels opened the scoring at 16:54 as Andrew Eberling (Mount Laurel, N.J.) found the back of the net off assists from Ardagna and Logan Cleary (Mentor, Ohio). However, the Falcons answered just 11 seconds later off a tally from Sam Lozinksi made it 1-1 after the first.
Conn started quickly in the middle frame, jumping back in front at 3:46. Shane Zarcone (Huntington, N.Y.) won a puck battle behind the Albertus net before finding Jimmy Lyver (North Grafton, Mass.) who fired home to make it 2-1. The Camels thought they were going to take a lead into the final period, but Charles Lavoie scored on the power play at 19:16 to send the game to the third tied at two.
Conn opened the third period on the power play and nearly made it 3-2 with the man-advantage but the Camels were denied on a goalmouth scramble by Hale. Albertus responded with a stretch of four shots in 20 seconds, but Baldassarre stood tall keeping the game tied at two. With six and a half minutes left, the Falcons took the lead as Bailey Kirwin tipped a shot from the point past Baldassarre to make it 3-2. Conn pulled Baldassarre with a minute remaining for the extra skater, as Arty Mirante (Garden City, N.Y.) tied the game with two seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
The teams traded the first two shots of the extra session, before Albertus had a great chance for the game winner, but Baldassarre denied Aleksy Bandu. However, midway through overtime, a loose puck fell to Kyle Dann at the back post who scored to give the Falcons the 4-3 win.
Albertus outshot Conn 39-35, while holding a 46-42 edge on face-off wins.
Baldassarre got the start in goal, finishing with 35 saves. Eberling, Lyver, and Mirante all tallied one goal for Conn, while Ardagna, Cleary, Zarcone, and Matt Lewis (Pembroke, Mass.) each chipped in one assist. Mirante led the way with 16 face-off wins as Conn went 2-3 on the penalty kill and 0-5 on the power play.
Hale picked up the win in goal, recording 32 saves. Kirwin and Jack DeMoura led the way with two points apiece, while six other Falcons tallied one point.
Conn (6-4-1, 2-3-1 NESCAC) returns to conference action on Friday night as the Camels travel to Amherst, Mass. to take on Amherst at 7:00 p.m.
