BROCKPORT, NY –The SUNY Brockport men's Ice Hockey team suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat at the hands of Nazareth University on Friday night in the Face Off Against Cancer game. Despite a multi-goal performance from Manny Sanchez and a late third-period rally to force overtime, the Golden Eagles (9-13-0, 5-8-0) saw the extra point slip away in the final seconds of the sudden-death frame.

How It Happened

The Golden Eagles wasted little time establishing a lead at the Wegmans Ice Arena. At the 5:51 mark of the first period, Manny Sanchez found the back of the net off a feed from Matthew Lee to give Brockport the early 1-0 advantage. Exactly one minute later, the momentum surged as Brody Seitz lit the lamp, assisted by Jackson Faughnan, to quickly double the lead. Nazareth began their climb back late in the frame when Owen Heidelberger beat Brockport netminder David Filak to cut the deficit in half before the first intermission.

The second period proved to be a defensive grind, with Brockport's penalty kill being put to the test early after a slashing minor, but Filak and the defensive unit stood tall. Despite several Grade-A chances, including a shot by Joshua Przystal that rang off the pipe, Nazareth eventually found the equalizer at 12:53 when Hudson Nadasdi tied the game at 2-2.

The final frame was a high-stakes affair. Nazareth took their first lead of the night with just over six minutes remaining in regulation. Refusing to go quietly, the Golden Eagles initiated a late-game push. At 16:28 of the third, Manny Sanchez struck again for his second goal of the night, burying a pass from Nick Reif and Michael Kull to knot the score at 3-3. 

In the sudden-death overtime period, both sides had opportunities to end it, with Sanchez nearly ending the game himself on a shot that hit the pipe. However, with only 3.6 seconds remaining on the clock, Nazareth's Blake Frost broke free and scored unassisted to secure the 4-3 victory for the visitors.

Manny Sanchez led the offensive charge for the Golden Eagles, notching two goals on the night. Sanchez was also active in the faceoff circle, winning nine draws.

Brody Seitz provided the other tally for Brockport, finishing the night with a +2 rating and two shots on goal.

Matthew Lee, Nick Reif, Michael Kull, and Jackson Faughnan each chipped in with one assist. Lee was particularly active in the offensive zone, leading the team with three shots on goal.

On the blue line, Nicholas Maria and Dominic Chirico provided stability, with Chirico leading the team with three blocked shots.

In goal, David Filak turned in a gritty performance, making 31 saves on 35 shots faced over nearly 65 minutes of action.

Up Next: The Golden Eagles won't have to wait long for a shot at redemption. They will travel to Rochester, NY Saturday, February 14th, to face Nazareth once again on the road. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.