Announcement
The Ospreys from newly named Stockton University fell just short of their second trip to the ACHA national championships in the past 4 years. An overtime goal by Atlantic Region #3 ranked Fairfield University means the team will spend spring break scattered around on vacations rather than together playing on the rinks of that hockey hotbed of Northern Alabama.
The team reached the Saturday game vs Fairfield in snowy York PA by way of a thrilling 5-4 victory over league rival Alvernia. The game marked the 4th meeting of the teams this season, with Alvernia taking the 2 regular season games and Stockton prevailing in playoff games. Stockton edged the Crusaders 3-1 in the DVCHC semifinals a week earlier. The game was back and forth and when Charlie Massey scored with about 4 minutes left to make it 4-3, Stockton looked ready to walk away with the win. Alvernia fought back as any good team would to tie the score on a powerplay goal with just under 2 minutes remaining. Less than a minute later, with 1:04 left on the clock Greg Buckley followed up a shot by Brian D’Erario, backhanding the puck into the net and setting off a wild celebration. Stockton was able to control the puck for most of the rest of the way to prevail.
The game with Fairfield featured Stockton jumping out to a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals by Al Morelli and Charlie Massey. The talented and deep team from Connecticut came back with a big push in the 2nd and Stockton was able to hang on with a 3-2 lead after 2. Two power play goals by Fairfield offset another Massey goal as Eddie Rafferty stood tall in goal to preserve the tie in regulation. But it took just a bit more that 2 minutes of overtime for a rebound goal to bring victory to Fairfield.
Of note, 8 of the 9 Stockton goals scored in the 2 games were scored by outgoing seniors Al Morelli, Charlie Massey and Greg Buckley. It says volumes about experience in big games but also says that next season there will be new leaders showing the way to bigger and better things.
Looking forward to seeing Stockton go out with a bang at DVCHC championships on Saturday, 2/28/2015 against East #1 and DVCHC regular season champion Bryn Athyn.
