By Rob LaPlante
Sports Editor
All eyes were on Buffalo junior forward Gunnar Goodmanson. With the score tied 2-2 with St. Francis in overtime, the Bison were awarded a penalty shot after a Fighting Saints defender covered the puck in the crease with his hand.
The rule in that situation awards the attacking team a penalty shot, and the team can select any one of the skaters that were on the ice at the time of the infraction to take the shot. Fortunately for Buffalo head coach Aaron Johnson, when the infraction occurred he had his big guns on the ice.
Johnson proceeded to pick his leading scorer, Goodmanson. “That was a pretty easy decision,” Johnson said.
With some choppy ice, Goodmanson decided a move with his body rather than his stick was the best option.
“He talked to me at the bench and said the ice wasn’t that great,” Johnson said. “He made a bit of a shoulder fake at the goalie and beat him with a good forehand shot.”
The 3-2 win was started when senior forward Jake Michalko opened the scoring for the Bison, but St. Francis tied the game in the second period on a goal by Lucas Carroll. Buffalo took its second lead of the game at the 6:13 mark of the third period on a goal from senior forward Jordan Carlson. Kevin Kemp and Justin Laven assisted.
The assist by Kemp was his first point of the season. It was also his first game of the year coming back from an ACL tear he suffered in lacrosse.
The 2-1 lead stood for less than four minutes as Carroll scored his second of the game at 9:32 to force the overtime.
Even though the Bison picked up their sixth win of the season, Johnson said it was a very sloppy effort on their part.
“St. Francis only dressed 10 players,” Johnson said. “It was the first time all year we haven’t played our best. Give St. Francis credit though, they were blocking shots and doing all the little things we weren’t doing. We had a lot of missed opportunities, but credit to the guys for somehow finding a way to get the job done.”
Senior goalie Mikey Otten stopped 40-of-42 shots to earn the win.
