CORTLAND, NY – Justin Legault (Oakville, ON/Burlington Cougars) and Thomas Rockey (Mullica Hill, NJ/Rochester Jr. Americans) each scored two goals, and Sam Christiano (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres) added a goal and two assists, as the Cortland men's hockey opened the 2025-26 season with a dominant 8-1 victory over Lebanon Valley on Friday evening at Alumni Arena.
 
Rockey's two goals came on five shot attempts, while Legault scored his two goals on three attempts. Stephen Kyrkostas (Selden/Johnstown Tomahawks), Nate Boak (Canton/El Paso Rhinos), and Alex Zakrzewski (Buffalo/Rochester Jr. Americans) each tallied two assists.
 
Jack Martin (Scotia/Seacoast Spartans) and JC Humphreys each scored their first collegiate goals, and Martin chipped in an assist as well. Garrett Krieger (Skaneateles/Utica Jr. Comets) scored the other Cortland goal. Ronan Mobley (Playa Del Ray, CA/New Hampshire Avalanche) made 17 saves in goal to earn the victory for Cortland.
 
Dylan Miller scored the lone Lebanon Valley goal, with Ian Lindberg and Jordan Stear assisting on the goal. Chris Branch made 35 saves in goal for the Flying Dutchmen.
 
Cortland opened the scoring just before the midway point of the first period, as Legault took a pass from Christiano below the Lebanon Valley goal line, and fired the puck off the leg of the Flying Dutchmen goaltender and into the back of the net. Zakrzewski was credited with the secondary assist on the goal.
 
The Red Dragons doubled their lead only 33 seconds later, and Martin knocked in his first collegiate goal off a rebound from the left side of the net, assisted by Conor Humphrey (Penfield/Rochester Jr. Americans) and Boak.
 
Cortland held a dominant 19-2 edge in shots on goal in the period, and a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
 
Cortland scored three times in less than two minutes of game action early in the second period to take control of the contest. Krieger finished off a rebound in front of goal after Charlie Merkley (Fairport/Corpus Christi IceRays) had his shot saved.
 
Exactly one minute later, Legault netted his second goal of the game off great passing down the left side by Colby Seitz (Eden/Corpus Christi IceRays) and Christiano, with Legault tapping in a shot at the right post.
 
Just 45 seconds later, Rockey knocked in a rebound after Nathan Garnier (Laval, QC/Cornwall Colts) had his initial shot saved.
 
Rockey scored his second goal in the final minute of play in the period off of assists from Kyrkostas and Evan Beaudry (Mississauga, ON/Kemptville 73's) to give the Red Dragons a 6-0 lead after two periods of play.
 
Just five minutes into the third period, Cortland scored its second power-play goal of the game, only five seconds into the power play. Christiano won the faceoff back to Kyrkostas, who fired a shot on goal that was saved. Christiano was the first to react to the rebound in front, and deposited a shot into the back of the net.
 
Humphreys netted his first collegiate goal with 12 minutes remaining in the game, firing a shot from the left faceoff circle that snuck past Branch for the goal to make it 8-0.
 
With under seven minutes remaining in the game, Lebanon Valley broke up the shutout bid, with Miller firing a shot from the left side past Mobley. However, Cortland controlled possession for much of the final minutes to secure the comfortable victory.