Anyone who missed the game Saturday evening at the Cornerstone Ice Arena between the Lockport Express and Binghamton Junior Senators missed a fantastic game. Despite the final score, 5-4, in favor of Binghamton, both teams put on a show for the couple hundred fans in the stands.
Binghamton came into the game leading the NA3HL with 27 points, winning 13 straight games after an opening day shootout loss. The Express, meanwhile, entered the contest in the midst of a 6 game losing streak. On paper, it looked like an easy win for the visiting Junior Senators. The Express players made sure that was not the case.
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| Photo courtesy Mazzo family |
Binghamton opened the scoring at 7:34 of the first period with a goal by Conor Landrigan, assisted by Dominik Bogdziul and Andrew Palmiter. Lockport responded with the first of Brandon Schweikert’s two goals of the evening. Assisted by Andrew Logar, the tally came at 11:32. Lockport took the lead at 16:17 of the first with a goal that Binghamton goaltender, Salvatore Lauretta, kicked into his own next after a strange bounce off the end boards. The goal was credited to Andrew Logar with an assist by Frankie Bodami
The Express continued the scoring in the second period with Schweikert’s second of the game at 14:32 to give Lockport a 3-1 lead. Pavel Kovtunov added the assist. The Junior Senators closed the gap 58 seconds later on a Jeremy Wilber goal. Then Binghamton showed the fans exactly why they lead the league.
Binghamton scored a pair of goals 14 seconds apart with less than a minute to go in the period. Brad Becker tied the game at 19:25, assisted by Bogdziul. The goal, only 14 seconds later, Jeremy Wilber scored his second of the period. Lucas Ethington supplied the assist. Binghamton left the period with 4-3 lead.
Frankie Bodami tied the game for the Express 2:45 into the third period. The power play tally was assisted by Aaron Shahin and Andrew Logar. In the middle of the third period, Lockport had three straight 2-man advantages that they were not able to capitalize on. Instead, Binghamton took the lead with a goal at 17:37 by Ryan Flanigan. In a two on one break, goaltender, Sam Fitzpatrick bit on Dominik Bogdziul, who passed it to Flanigan with the gaping net.
Lockport pulled Fitzpatrick for the extra attacker for the last two minutes of the game in an attempt to tie the game and send it to overtime. Binghamton left with a hard-fought victory, but Lockport showed that this team will play as hard as they can each night.
The same teams face off Sunday afternoon at 2pm at the Cornerstone Ice Arena. You can listen live to the games on niagaraswatercooler.com
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| Howell Motors proudly sponsors the Lockport Express and Niagara Watercooler's live broadcasts. |