BOXSCORE

Senior Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) scored a pair of goals and added an assist for The College at Brockport Hockey team but an early 2-0 lead disappeared in the second period as Utica College recovered and skated to a 5-3 victory Saturday night in the season opener for both teams at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica.
 
Brockport (0-1) came out fast scoring twice in the first period of the game to open up an early lead. Finnerty was credited with the first goal of the season tipping in a shot from the point from senior James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) on the first power play opportunity of the contest.
 
“I was happy at the way we came out strong in the first period,” said head coach Brian Dickinson. “I was also proud at the way we battled back in the third period. We could have packed it in after the second period but stayed with it and came out strong again for the third. I was happy with the overall effort tonight especially since it is so early in the season.”
 
Finnerty had a part in the second goal as well feeding Cody who fired a shot past the Utica goalie for the early 2-0 lead.
 
In the second period, Utica – ranked No. 13 in the national preseason poll – came back with three goals in the second period to take the lead. Two of the goals came in the opening minutes of the period with a goal at the 1:45 mark in the period and the second a minute later at 2:41.
 
In the third period, Utica extended the lead to 4-2 with a power play goal at the 8:12 point in the final period.
 
Finnerty scored for the Golden Eagles to trim the Utica lead to 4-3 with an unassisted shorthanded goal but a late empty-net goal by the Pioneers was the final margin in the game.
 
Senior Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) made 32 saves for Brockport.