BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman forward Alexander Lazier (Pointe-Claire, Quebec) made history today, as his overtime goal propelled Albertus Magnus College men's ice hockey to the team's first win in program history, a 3-2 victory over Fitchburg State in the consolation game of the Codfish Bowl Tournament, hosted by UMass Boston.
THE BASICS
FINAL: Albertus Magnus 3 | Fitchburg State 2 (OT)
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (1-10-2) | Fitchburg State (6-4-1)
BOX SCORE
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening goal of the day came off the stick of Fitchburg State's Kevin Perry at the 7:43 mark of the first period. Perry took advantage of Pierce Diamond (Edmonton, Alberta) being on the right side of the crease to make a save on a breakaway, as Perry then gathered the rebound and buried the puck into the top-left corner of the cage.
Albertus quickly answered to tie the score at 1-1 8:15 into the game. Cameron Weitzman (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec) brought the puck into the zone and sent a pass to Sebastien Laquerre (Lévis, Quebec) that the freshman defender back-handed over the goalie's legs into the net. Laquerre's goal is the first of his career in just his second game with the Falcons.
Although both teams went into the intermission with a goal, the damage could have been much worse without the performances of the two goaltenders. Diamond made 17 saves in the opening 20 minutes to keep the Falcons tied. On the other end of the ice, Christopher Mattone recorded 12 stops, including standing up to late flurry near the end of the period.
Lazier gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead with his first goal of the afternoon at the 6:23 mark of the second period. On a 5-on-3 power-play opportunity, Jon Olson (Merrick, N.Y.) found Lazier wide open on the left side of the zone, where he cashed in on an open net.
The Fitchburg State Falcons scored the lone goal of the third period to force overtime. At the 13:33 mark of the frame, Perry sent the puck across the goal line from the left corner of the zone. Despite the odd angle, the puck deflected past Diamond to knot the score at 2-all.
A period-opening faceoff win by Dino Antoniadis (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) sparked the aforementioned game-winner. With the puck in the zone, it took just 14 seconds for Lazier to find the back of the net, taking advantage of a pass from Weitzman to score. The game-winning goal capped an impressive showing by the duo today, as the two members of Albertus' first line both finished with two points to lead the team.
Diamond was a rock in goal for the Falcons, allowing just two goals on 38 shots. The rookie picks up his first collegiate win with the complete-game effort, tallying 36 saves, his eighth 30-plus save performance of the season.
BETWEEN THE PIPES
Albertus - Pierce Diamond (W, 1-10-2): Shots on Goal 38 | Goals-Against 2 | Saves 36
Fitchburg State - Christopher Mattone (L, 4-3-0): Shots on Goal 27 | Goals-Against 3 | Saves 24
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Despite earning the victory today, Albertus was outshot by a 38-27 margin.
• For the second game in this tournament, Albertus won the penalty battle, committing four infractions to Fitchburg State's five.
• The Falcons also scored the lone power-play goal of the contest, going 1-for-4 on the extra man.
• Albertus held Fitchburg State scoreless over its three power-play opportunities.
• Lazier was efficient on his scoring chances, tallying two goals on three shots.
• Weitzman also finished the day with two points, assisting on the Falcons' first and third scores.
NOTEWORTHY
• Today's triumph is the first for the Falcons in their inaugural season.
• Today's win is also the first for head coach Kyle Wallack.
• Albertus' three goals scored are tied for the second-most by the team this season.
• Lazier's multi-goal performance is the first in program history.
• Lazier and Weitzman are now tied for the team lead in points with eight each.
• In just his second game with Albertus, Laquerre scored his first collegiate goal.
UP NEXT
The Falcons return home to Ralph Walker Skating Rink on Tuesday, Jan. 7, to face Western New England University, the start of a three-game homestand for the team. The opening puck drop for Albertus' first home game of 2020 is slated for 5 p.m.
