CORTLAND, NY – Colby Seitz (Eden/Corpus Christi IceRays) tied the game for the Red Dragons with 16.3 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime, but visiting Skidmore prevailed in the extra period for a 5-4 win over the Cortland men's hockey team in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Saturday evening. Cortland falls to 9-10-1 (6-6-1 SUNYAC), while Skidmore improves to 9-9-2 (6-6-1 SUNYAC).
 
Alex Zakrzewski (Orchard Park/Rochester Jr. Americans) and Nathan Garnier (Laval, QC/Cornwall Colts) each finished with a goal and an assist for the Red Dragons, while Brady Hildreth (Lockport/New Jersey Titans) contributed two assists. Seitz netted his third goal of the season, and Charlie Merkley (Fairport/Corpus Christi IceRays) also provided a goal.
 
Dylan Shane finished with a goal and two assists, while Coleman Jenkins added three assists for Skidmore. Jacob Zwirecki and Bryan Tang each had a goal and an assist.
 
After a slashing penalty by Skidmore with under nine minutes left in the opening period, Zakrzewski potted a power-play goal for the Red Dragons from the right faceoff circle with just one second left on the Skidmore penalty. JC Humphreys (Canonsburg, PA/Rochester Jr. Americans) and Garnier chipped in the assists on the goal.
 
Cortland doubled its lead with under four minutes remaining in the period, as Merkley deposited the rebound in front of goal after Andrew Clouden's (Hamburg/Seacoast Spartans) shot was blocked by a Skidmore defender. Hildreth also recorded an assist on the goal.
 
Skidmore scored three times in the second period, a goal each at even strength by Bryce Terry, and Shane, while Zwirecki tallied a power-play goal with under three minutes remaining in the frame to put the Thoroughbreds up 3-2 into the second intermission.
 
Garnier netted his team-leading 10th goal of the season with under seven minutes remaining to tie the game at 3-3, deflecting Zakrzewski's shot from the right faceoff circle past goaltender Tommy Aitken for a second power-play goal for the Red Dragons, with Hildreth recording the secondary assist.
 
Skidmore took advantage of a Cortland tripping penalty for another power-play goal, as Oscar Worob wristed a rebound past goaltender Shane Shelest (Pointe-Claire, QC/Wellington Dukes) after an initial shot was blocked in front.
 
Cortland pulled Shelest with 1:45 remaining for an extra attacker in search of an equalizer. With 18 seconds left, Cortland used its timeout to draw up a faceoff play in the offensive zone that worked to perfection. Stephen Kyrkostas (Selden/Johnstown Tomahawks) won the faceoff back to Sam Christiano (Buffalo/Buffalo Jr. Sabres), who slid a pass to Seitz in the slot for a one-timer into the right corner of the net to send the game to overtime.
 
Each team had multiple chances over the first minutes of the extra period, but Shelest made two saves and Aitken stopped three shots. With 31.1 seconds left, Tang netted the game-winning goal for Skidmore on a breakaway. Shelest initially appeared to stop the shot, but Tang crashed into the netminder as the result of a backcheck from the Red Dragons and the referee ruled that the puck crossed the goal line after a few moments of confusion, ending the contest.