Borggaard nets game-winner in overtime thriller

In a matchup that featured plenty of physicality and momentum swings, the No. 9 Oswego State men’s hockey team stayed the course against the No. 5 Geneseo Knights, with freshman Austin Borggaard sealing the win in overtime. 

The Knights notched the equalizer with 14 seconds to go in the third period, before Borggaard used a nifty move past his defender to then convert a cross-body shot past opposing goalie Jacob Torgner. The win helped the Lakers move back above .500 as they now sit at 2-1-0 on the season, identical to Geneseo’s record.

Those Knights controlled much of the early momentum, as Kowin Belsterling got to work early with a goal off a quick offensive rush, not even a minute into the contest. After facing a one-goal deficit, the Lakers played a very physical brand of hockey before finding themselves with an odd man rush in the offensive zone. For his fourth goal in three games, Colin Vassallo finished off a pitch-perfect passing display with a one-timer past Torgner, tying the game at one goal apiece. 

The second period was much more quiet than the first, as neither team was able to convert for a while. The Lakers’ found themselves on another man-up advantage late into the period, but the Knights wouldn’t budge as they stood tall on defense and consistently cleared the puck. This only held up until 20 seconds remained on the power-play though, as Colin Vassallo used a one-time slapshot in the corner to put Oswego up, 2-1. 

The third period was more defensively-oriented than the previous two, as both Gavin McCarthy and Torgner made an array of great saves. The Knights eventually turned defense into offense though, as Filip Wiberg crashed the net before tipping a redirected puck past McCarthy with 14 seconds to go. The man-advantage proved to be a crucial turning point, as this conversion came after Torgner was pulled from the game. 

Overtime began with a 3-on-3, and the Lakers didn’t take long to make their mark. Feeding off the energy from the crowd, Austin Borggaard scored in thrilling fashion to win it 3-2. 

That was special, that was a big game” said Borggaard. “The energy helps us more than you guys think”, as the crowd was loud and rowdy all night long in such a big game for the Lakers. 

Oswego State will look to carry their momentum into tonight’s matchup with SUNY Brockport, as they head to the Wegmans Ice Arena for a 7 p.m. puck drop.