Canton, NY – Sophomore Eric Witzel (Ottawa, ON) scored twice including the game-winner and Brett Costello (Lombardy, ON) and Taylor Pickering (Marine City, MI) added two points each as the men's ice hockey team earned a 5-4 victory against visiting Morrisville State College on Friday evening.
 
The Roos got on the board first at the 13:50 mark of the first when Pickering dumped a shot in on net from near mid-ice that was mishandled by Mustang netminder Jakob Rasmussen and found the back of the net.
 
Just 1:41 into the second Morrisville State responded when Jordan Carvalho sniped a shot top shelf nearside over the stick of Spencer Landry (New Hartford, NY). Marc-Antoine Chaput and John Doyle earned helpers on the play.
 
Less than two minutes later the Roos regained the advantage as Costello ripped a blast across net from right to left high over the blocker of Rasmussen. SUNY Canton took the 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
 
The Mustangs tied the game at two just 15 seconds into the third period when Joseph Santino lit the lamp off passes from Carvalho and Doyle. At the 8:36 mark Morrisville took its first lead of the game when Doyle converted off a scramble in front on the power play. Chaput and Carvalho assisted the tally.
 
The Roos tied the game once again at the 15:36 mark when Witzel came across the left side of the crease and beat the goalie with a backhander. Brandon McMartin (Toronto, ON) and Costello earned assists on the play. With 1:38 remaining Nick Vasilopoulos (Montreal, QC) netted his fifth of the year as Pickering and Kasey Kulczycki (Laval, QUE) picked up assists on the goal that broke a 3-3 tie.
 
With 54 seconds remaining Morrisville pulled their goalie for the extra skater and 38 seconds after that Witzel netted his second goal of the game in what would prove to be a crucial insurance marker. With three ticks left on the clock Alex Huizenga netted his first of the year for the Mustangs as the Roos held on for the 5-4 win.
 
Landry turned aside 26 shots for SUNY Canton, while Rasmussen made 28 saves for Morrisville. The Roos continue their four game homestand next Friday at the Roos House when they host Western New England University at 7:00 p.m.
 
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About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The college's 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.