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Roos repeat as ECHL Champions ceating Mercyhurst

Posted 2/26/12

(Canton, N.Y.)- The No. 2 SUNY Canton men’s ice hockey team successfully defended their Eastern Collegiate Hockey League championship with a convincing 7-3 win over top-seeded Mercyhurst University …

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Roos repeat as ECHL Champions ceating Mercyhurst

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(Canton, N.Y.)- The No. 2 SUNY Canton men’s ice hockey team successfully defended their Eastern Collegiate Hockey League championship with a convincing 7-3 win over top-seeded Mercyhurst University Sunday afternoon at Roos House in Canton.

Freshman goalie Morgan Barr (Almonte, Ontario) was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player following an outstanding weekend. Barr had 25 saves in the championship game after making 29 saves in a 2-1 semifinal win over Niagara University on Saturday. Joining Barr on the all-tournament team was senior forward Dan Cibelli (Liverpool, N.Y.), junior forward John Payne (Port Moody, B.C.) and freshman defenseman J.R. Lafferty (Williamstown, N.Y.).

The Roos, who did not earn a bid to the ACHA national tournament, were playing in their third straight ECHL championship game winning the title for the second straight year. SUNY Canton remained undefeated after their first season at Roos House and they finish the year at 29-2-3 overall.

“As seniors you don’t usually come out with a win in your last game and it’s a great feeling to do that today,” said Cibelli. “I have mixed emotions right now with my career being over but I’m relieved we won the ECHL championship again and happy to do this for the school,” added senior defenseman A.J. Royce (Somers, Conn.).

Sunday’s contest was a hard-hitting physical game as the Roos outshot the Lakers 31-28 and both teams combined for 20 penalties. Special teams came up big on both sides as only one power play goal was scored by the Roos midway through the final period.

Mercyhurst looked like they might strike first five minutes into the game when a Lakers’ forward broke in on Barr all alone, but the freshman played the puck perfectly and knocked it away to the corner. The Roos took a 1-0 lead with four minutes remaining when senior Darren Camp (Canton, N.Y.) took a pass from junior Corey Frizell (Orleans, Ontario) and fired a rocket through traffic that blew by Lakers’ goalie Bryan Danczak who never saw the puck.

SUNY Canton went ahead 2-0 two minutes later when freshman Dave Schneider (Indianapolis, Ind.) fed Payne for a one-timer from behind the net. Mercyhurst cut the lead in half 28 seconds later after Pat Dolan crossed the blue line and snapped a quick shot over the blocker of Barr. The Roos responded again and after a scrum in front of the net with 29 seconds left in the period, junior Chris Giczewski (Fountain Valley, Calif.) was able to stuff the puck past Danczk for a 3-1 lead after one.

SUNY Canton stretched their lead to 4-1 at the 5:55 mark of the second period when Cory Giczewski (Fountain Valley, Calif.) took a pass from Frizell in the high slot and wristed a hard shot past Danczak. Just over a minute later Payne struck again when he capped off a nice two-on-one break with Cibelli tipping the puck past the Lakers netminder for a 5-1 lead. Mercyhurst got one back with 1:20 left in the second stanza and the Roos led 5-2 heading into the final period.

The Lakers trimmed the Roos lead down to two goals with a quick score to start the third period. Alex Galbraith curled in from the right circle into the slot and slid the puck under Barr’s pads making it 5-3. The Roos regrouped and took back the momentum at the 5:06 mark when Payne fed sophomore Eric Richard (St-Hubert, Quebec) charging down the right wing for the Roos sixth goal of the day. Frizell capped off the scoring with 7:09 left in regulation with the Roos on a five-on-three power play. As the Roos backed the Lakers’ defense down, Cory Giczewksi fired a hard slap shot through traffic that Frizell was able to tip past Danczak, who finished with 24 saves.

“This win really means everything,” said Camp. “We’ve worked so hard for four years and this program has come a long way during that time and the future of hockey here looks great.”

“It’s been an unbelievable experience to play here,” said senior forward Rob Liggio. “I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything and I’m so happy I got to play one year in this facility.”