PHOTOS: IAN NEADLE
Albany at Loyola: Upset
Heading into this match up Loyola was ranked No. 1 with a plethora of talent. Jack Runkel has been effective in goaltending, Joe Fletcher heads the defense and the offense was an unmatched machine… until Loyola met the Thompson trio.
Thanks to the Thompsons, the Great Danes made fools out of the Greyhounds. There were multiple game moments when one of the three (Myles, Lyle and Ty) would hold the ball while a defender tried with all his might to move them, strip the ball, hold, etc. Nothing worked. Albany ran off with the score board until a severe weather system was reported in the area and the game went into delay.
After 20 minutes, play resumed and I personally think the delay played to Loyola’s benefit. From the game’s resumption until the end, the Greyhounds had a new persona about them and were moving quite well. It just wasn’t enough to mount a comeback.
The referees in this game were sufficient. With it being playoffs they allowed the athletes to continue on playing until something major happened. Unfortunately, it also resulted in unbalanced calls that went more against Loyola than Albany (contributing factor to loss).
Cornell at Maryland: Comeback
What a game! If you missed it, you should sit in a corner and reflect on why for a few moments….
Cornell commanded the lead early in Maryland’s home stadium, and the ball went back and forth all day. High quality, fast paced, and hard-hitting plays went both ways on both sides. A low scoring game filled with multitudes of shots and saves was a recipe for excitement.
Whenever the Terps drew closer to Big Red on the scoreboard, Cornell found ways to maintain their lead. Until the final 9 minutes of the game when Maryland’s Connor Cannizzaro found the back of the cage bringing the game to a 7-7 tie! The ball continued back and forth and with under three seconds left in regulation, Terps’ Mike Chanenchuk saved the day swinging around from X and underhand-diving-shot at the goaltender’s feet. Maryland’s fans and sideline went nuts, all Cornell heads dropped and some players just went to the ground.
Officiating was very well executed. Every game has a few bad calls, but overall this matchup was balanced despite Cornell serving twice as many penalties. Other than box visits, the calls went both ways and each team benefitted.
Drexel at Penn: Blowout
Well, this one was a complete disaster for Penn. They started off commanding the lead up until they were approximately winning 5-2. From there, the Dragons stoked the fire and took off with the momentum.
Faceoff specialist Nick Saputo was white lightning, winning draw after draw and draw. At one point, he took, won and scored immediately off seven in a row, not to mention they all took place in under one minute of game play. Penn had no answers from there and just couldn’t mount a comeback.
Referees in this game: I have a bone to pick! If every call were not against Penn, and of those calls if 50 percent had actually been legitimate, then Penn could have had a fighting chance. The officials were totally on Drexel’s side in this bout, and Penn suffered due to poor calls.
